Fontan Architecture Blog
Architecture, Planning, & Design Blog
Small Zoning Lots in NYC
Small Zoning Lots in NYC are residential zoning lots where the area of the lot is less then the minimum required by code or where the width of the property is less then that required by code. If a residential property is a small zoning lot any new development will be...
21 Ideas For Sustainable Building Design
Sustainability is no longer a luxury, sustainable building design is a necessity. There are many different ways to make a building sustainable. Reducing energy needs and having renewable energy are at the core of sustainable design. Material and psychological...
How To Replace an Architect
People have called me many times asking "Can I replace my architect after we filed with DOB" and the answer is yes of course you can. As a property owner you have the right to fire your architect if you see fit. I will discuss my personal experience doing this with...
Affordable Housing Development Tips
Affordable Housing is a major issue in property development. In New York City the implementation of the Inclusionary housing Program has pushed affordable housing to the forefront of developers minds. Architecture Firms like ours are now spending more time on...
R6A Zoning NYC Residential
R6A Zoning is a Contextual Zoning District in New York City. As a contextual district buildings developed in R6A Zoning must comply with Quality Housing Program Regulations. In NYC R6A is a subdistrict of R6 Zoning. R6A Zoning R6A is a medium density...
Contextual Zoning Districts in NYC
Contextual Zoning is an attempt to make certain neighborhoods more uniform in their size and shape of their buildings. Below is a list to residential and commercial contextual zoning districts. Contextual Zoning in NYC Contextual Zoning are certain zoning...
Commercial Building Classifications
People in the real estate industry use building classifications to identify the quality of a building. Building classes are important to understand if you are in the market for commercial real estate as the prices will vary between different building classifications....
Mixed Use Building Design NYC FAR
According to New York Zoning code a mixed use buildings is a building with residential use and another use for example a residential building with commercial space on the first floor. As an architect I get a lot of clients who are confused about how to determine the...
Developing a Building in NYC, Development Tips
Developing a building in New York City is complicated. As an architect I get all sorts of different clients. I have noticed large number of my clients are first time developers. In this blog post we will be focusing on a few issues you may not know when building a...
Apartment Renovation Trends in NYC
As a full service architecture firm in New York City, we have done quite a few apartment renovations. We notice some common themes and requests from our clients. NYC Apartment Renovation Trends In this article we are going to review a few apartment renovation...
