Fontan Architecture Blog
Architecture, Planning, & Design Blog
How To Renovate Your Co-Op in NYC
If you own a Co-Op apartment or are planning to purchase one in NYC, you may need to perform some remodeling. So, the question is, can you renovate your Co-Op in NYC, and what steps must you take to do so? You can renovate your Co-Op apartment as long as you abide by...
How to Achieve a Marble Look with Porcelain
Marble can be a very beautiful material but is expensive and has some shortcomings. Marble look porcelain can be one way to achieve a marble look without using marble. Porcelain is a manufactured material that comes in tiles or large format slabs, which can look like...
NYC Apartment Renovation & Walkthrough, UES
There is a lot of work that goes into renovating an apartment in NYC. Along with all this work there are many decisions and details to be figured out. In this post we will be looking at an apartment gut renovation we completed in Manhattan on the Upper East Side. We...
Letter of No Objection NYC DOB
The New York City Department of Buildings or DOB issues Certificates of Occupancy to identify the legal use of a given property. This practice began in 1938, meaning buildings built before 1938 are not necessarily required to have a Certificate of Occupancy. In cases...
What is a Habitable Room?
If you have encountered the term habitable room or habitable space, you may be wondering what that actually means. Habitable space commonly used in buildings codes. Building codes are complicated and have many terms that must be understood to properly assess the...
Modern Gray Bathroom Design Ideas
Gray is a popular color for bathrooms for many reasons. We find that gray is an easy color to work with, especially considering the growing trend of not using natural materials for bathroom walls and floors and the growing trend of using porcelain tiles. Gray is a...
Does a Living Room Need a Window in NYC?
The New York City Building Code and NY State Multiple Dwelling Law require that a living room must have at least one operable window. The window's total surface area has to be at least 10% of the area of the room and the combined opening area at least 5% of the room...
What is a Zoning Analysis?
In property development and architecture, zoning is a set of regulations pertaining to how land is developed and used, established by the local municipality. Zoning regulations will designate certain building uses to specific areas as well as place requirements on the...
Local Law 11 Architect
Local Law 11 also known as FISP requires facade inspections to be performed by a licensed architect or engineer who is also qualified as a QEWI. A QEWI is a Registered Architect or Professional Engineer who is certified by the New York City Department of Buildings as...
FISP Facade Inspection Safety Program Local Law 11
What is FISP? The Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) also known as Local Law 11 is a requirement for building owners to have regular inspections by an architect or engineer to verify the safety of exterior walls for buildings over six stories in NYC. Safety...
