by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jul 3, 2023 | Architects, Architectural Services, General Architecture
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 Jan 5, 2024 | General Architecture, NYC DOB, NYC Zoning
Weather a hotel is a commercial or residential building is a matter of context. For example according to the New York City Zoning Resolution a hotel is a commercial use whereas the New York City Building Code Classifies a Hotel as Residential Occupancy. A hotel being...
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Feb 6, 2021 | General Architecture
In Real Estate Development the term Grandfathered means that an existing building does not have to comply with a current zoning or building code because it was legally built before the application of such code. Buildings can be Grandfathered by existing before a code...
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Feb 6, 2021 | General Architecture, NYC Zoning
A building arcade is a covered portion of a building that is otherwise open to a street or public area. What is a Building Arcade? A building arcade is a covered portion of a building that is otherwise open to a street or public area. These are called arcades...
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Nov 25, 2020 | Construction Practices, General Architecture, Property Development
Hard costs are costs directly related to construction including material and labor costs. Soft costs are additional costs not directly related to the construction budget such as architectural fees or permit fees. Hard Cost and Soft Cost are terms used to differentiate...
by Jorge Fontan | Last updated Jan 5, 2024 | Architects, General Architecture
I am Jorge Fontan an architect in New York and owner of Fontan Architecture. I have been blogging for a few years now on architectural issues, mostly technical or project-specific posts, to offer information to my readers. This time I would like to write a more...