by Jorge Fontan | Last updated May 8, 2024 | General Architecture, NYC Zoning
The New York City Zoning Resolution sets regulations for developing a property, from a new building to a small home addition. These rules can sometimes be burdensome and result in unnecessary challenges for the owner. NYC has a system known as a Zoning Variance, where... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Nov 8, 2021 | Apartment Renovations, General Architecture
A “Classic Six Apartment” is a term commonly used in New York City real estate parlance to describe an apartment in a prewar building that has six rooms consisting of a kitchen, living room, dining room, two bedrooms and a maid’s room. Classic... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jul 21, 2023 | General Architecture, Lofts
What is a Maisonette? A Maisonette apartment is a residence on the ground floor of a multifamily building with an entrance accessible directly from the street. If the apartment is also accessible from the lobby and has a separate and private sidewalk entrance, it is a... by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jul 3, 2023 | General Architecture, Architectural Services
Plan, Section, and Elevation are different types of drawings used by architects to graphically represent a building design and construction. A plan drawing is a drawing on a horizontal plane showing a view from above. An Elevation drawing is drawn on a vertical plane... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 | Construction Practices, General Architecture
Hard costs and soft costs are the two primary categories used to structure a construction budget. Hard costs relate directly to the physical construction of a project, while soft costs include the professional, regulatory, and administrative expenses required to... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Feb 20, 2022 | General Architecture
There are different types of architectural firms offering a wide range of services. Some firms only do design and do not do technical work whereas some firms only do technical work and do not do much design. A full service architecture firm will do both and will work...