by Jorge Fontan | Last updated May 8, 2024 | General Architecture, NYC Zoning, Property Development
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 Jul 21, 2023 | General Architecture, Property Development, Residential
If you have encountered the term habitable room or space, you may wonder what that means. The term “Habitable Space” is commonly used in Building Codes. Building codes are complicated and have terminology you must understand to correctly assess the... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jul 4, 2023 | General Architecture, NYC Zoning, Property Development
In property development and architecture, ZoningZoning is a set of regulations pertaining to land use and development established by the local municipality. Zoning regulations will designate certain building uses to specific areas and place requirements on the overall... 
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Nov 8, 2021 | Apartment Renovations, General Architecture, New York City
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, Multifamily Residential
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 10, 2020 | General Architecture
When starting an architectural design I begin with identifying 5 key pieces of information. These 5 points are the: Program, Site, Constraints, Concept, and Goals of the project. By identifying these main points an architect will have enough information to begin an...