Builder’s risk insurance is a special type of property insurance which indemnifies against damage to buildings while they are under construction. Builder’s risk insurance is “coverage that protects a person’s or organization’s insurable interest in materials, fixtures and/or equipment being used in the construction or renovation of a building or structure should those items sustain physical loss or damage from a covered cause.”  It is usually bought by the property owner before construction begins. See wiki link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Builder’s_risk_insurance

Property Insurance needs to be reassessed after you have completed construction since it is more valuable.

Performance Bond-a guaranty from a bank or insurer or other source that payment to the Owner will be made  if the Contractor if defaults or goes bankrupt.  Most often in institutional and commercial projects.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_bond.  This is an extra cost  beyond the scope of the project.

About 32 years ago, laws went into effect requiring facade inspections for buildings taller than 6 stories in NYC.  In general terms, an architect or engineer must inspect the building facades every 5 years to confirm that the conditions do not pose a threat to public safety…..

Sooo, when the facade repairs are being undertaken or there have been dangerous conditions discovered, scaffolds (called sidewalk bridges-see photo above) are installed for pedestrian protection.  The catalyst for this law, unfortunately, was the death of a Columbia University student struck by falling building fragments.

We go up on scaffolds to carefully check on the conditions of the building, document the conditions, and often prepare drawings to guide contractors through cost-effective repairs.

So if you know building owners who may need to comply with these building department requirements or just need help to ascertain the condition of their building- Please pass long my name.

facade repair needed

We have all watched an elderly person struggle at a curb, some with walkers, canes, or in wheelchairs. It’s not very difficult to modify a curb, for example, to make it easier to use. This also benefits a mother with stroller, a delivery via handtruck, a physically challenged person and yes the skateboarder too.

Basic principals of this kind of universal design and barrier removal include:

-Minimizing the distances traveled between point A and point B

-Allowing easier passage by widening doorways, hallways, reducing bumps, providing railings, grips, etc.

-Making the operation/use of facilities and features easier-by requiring less force and flexibility, providing more light, making signals louder, signage bigger, creating steps and ramps that are less steep

There is a littany of rules, regulations, codes that address this..some even that are contradictory. But the point is to try…if we’re not there now, we’ll all be there some day. 

Some examples of related work we’ve done:

widened doorways above,  wheelchair ramp below

Some grab bars, a roll in shower and a sink that you can manuever your wheelchair beneath keeps a senior living in his house much longer.

Note lowered counter for wheelchair access

The consequences of poor lighting can be amusing ; such as trying to find your car in a parking lot lit by yellowish-mercury-vapor-lights which dulls the color of your car… or the troubling when the lack of light finds the viewer using the figure ”8″ mistakenly for a “3″.   Headaches, squinting, eye soreness and fatigue are frequent symptoms of inadequate lighting.

One intuitively knows you require different levels of lighting for fine, detailed work like sewing as opposed to walking the dog.  The levels of light are measured in footcandles.  Sewing would be a task usually requiring about 100 footcandles, while walking the dog on the street typically needing about 2 footcandles.

Add to these issues, new energy codes that dictate more restrictive power consumption- and one can have a real “situation”. Fortunately,  advances in lamp technology have had an enormous impact on energy use and cost savings.  While some lower wattage incandescent lamps are still being manufactured, they are in fact be  phased out in the next 2 years.  Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps have a higher initial cost but over the long run save significant money and inconvenience (shopping and re-lamping the fixtures)

If you think you may know of a situation requiring lighting analysis and design, please all us 914 674 2950.

Helpful link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C4RDP1vheo&feature=related

Obey your instincts. Like Malcolm Gladwell would say,  it is not a hunch, it’s a feeling and the bigger the decision, the harder it is to actually sum up all the factors.  The smaller decisions can easily be hashed out and vetted. 

So do your analysis, compare various outcomes, alternatives-but stick to your instincts.

I believe this is solid advice-Not just for a construction project….

When the municipality has to review the project, they generally need to know-

-where it is located

-how it will be built and used

-who will be using it

-what demands will the project create on the infrastructure…i.e traffic, schools, parking, and so forth.

-that it will be built to “code” or current regulations via various departments, review boards, commissions, and inspectors for their evaluation and concerns. See our other blogs for more information.The banks also want to make sure that the project is viable in several ways

-how much will it cost?

-Is the loan or financing consistent with other projects of a similar nature?

-Who will be building it, what’s their track record?

-Are the drawings complete? Will there be unexpected construction costs due to missing information?

-Has due diligence been performed? Environmental, legal, etc

-The banks also want to make sure they get their money back, and accordingly will review the related business plan to see if the intended use allows for a profitable, stable venture.

Related parties may include:

-Insurers- are they underwriting a project in a flood zone?  Or a highly hazardous occupancy?

-Owners-i.e. if a mall owner is allowing a certain tenant mix-does the next tenant fit the profile? Or a condo owner wanting to add a bathroom-will that additional bathroom create too much demand for hot water? –or create a leak hazard?

-Utility companies- what kind of demand will be put upon their services?

We’ve navigated many projects, in various municipalities and have the battle-tested knowledge to help your project get built. With a nod to Joan Rivers,  just one question…..“Can we talk?”.

We recently designed a series of 7 sculpture installations along the Hudson River in Manhattan from West 61st Street to 69th Street. Working with the artists, NYC Parks Dept., and various contractors, we developed sculpture mountings that were removable, discreet and cost effective.  Can there be a more dramatic backdrop? 

overview of sculpture installation

Akihiro Ito

Technical Drawings for Sculptures

Noa Shay

Matt White

Alston Chapman

Technical Drawings for Sculpture

John Balsamo

Elizabeth Allison

Selva Sanjines

Hopefully you’ve already done the demographics, traffic counts, that’s how you’ve narrowed it down to a target area. The final answer is based on many factors which include:

• Location
• Tenant/neighborhood mix
• Accessibility to transportation modes
• Is parking sufficient? Loading Requirements?
• Visibility
• Proximity to customers, vendors, employees
• Usability of the space in its new vs present configuration
• Long vs short space usage
• Cost, not just rental or construction cost , but moving, additional utilities, taxes, location-transportation, parking, insurance, rent, etc
• Appearance
• Maintenance requirements
• Regulations (i.e. do zoning regulations allow you do what you are intending to do)
• Gut instinct and advice from neutral sources who you respect

Many customers rely too heavily on the cost paradigm and fail to look ahead as to the use and future planning of the neighborhood.  Will they possibly be expanding? What is the length of the lease? Are there possible Landlord improvements?  There is no substitute for legwork and due diligence.

So do the analysis, take a deep breath and try to imagine where you want to be in 5 years.  Good luck. If you’re a little unsure and want to run it by us, please feel free to call and discuss your specific situation 914 674 2950.

Not the time to locate your cell phone…..

Aside from having your project in order, life gets very topsy-turvy when you have the added issues of construction to the mix. Don’t get blind-sided.  Based on years of customer feedback, we’ve compiled a short-list of  items
you’ll want to remember….So here goes-

Make arrangements with your all your vendors incuding security/alarm/internet provider/ utility providers

Maintenance Arrange with contractor who pays for utilities during construction, are there disconnections/reconnections needed?…Will continued landscaping or maintenance contracts reflect conditions during construction?

Schools/organizations/work/neighbors/friends/relatives Are there new or temporary notifications that are needed?

Insurance Your completed-new project will be worth more than the current value of your home, are you adequately covered? Are you adequately covered during construction? Builders’ risk insurance must be provided during construction.  Are you located near the shore?  Flood zone boundaries are subject to change.  

Postal Are you having your mail forwarded? Collected? Is a P.O. Box needed ?

Staying during construction Are temporary measures needed for bathing, cooking, storage, security, access, debris removal, utilities, etc.

Moving/relocation/pets Will you be out of premises? Are arrangements fully in order? Is temporary storage needed? Medications-doctor visits?  Kennels?

Owner provided items for Installation Have you purchased the items in a timely manner, inspected them and confirmed their storage on site for the builder to install? Temporary storage containers       Contact 800 GET EAGLE, PODS Moving/packing       Edit & toss- first get Dumpster-do not move items more than needed.  Make arrangements with adequate time.

Emergency Contact info Does everyone know who needs to know your temporary or new contact info?

Final paperwork in order Do you have the new Certificate of Occupancy, warranties, maintenance manuals, new as-built surveys to reflect the completed project, are all permits and applications in order?

Keep your eye on the prize and most of the inconvenience will be soon forgotten.

My neighbors tree…

Hopefully the storm did not really hit you hard. But if it did- have the property inspected by a qualified professional for damage -some may be apparent and some concealed

If you just leave it to an insurance adjuster who represents a company that is reluctant to pay -be careful.

Also, one should carefully monitor your property and structures for potential mold growth as the water does its thing.  One of the best companies for mold related remediation is Air Quality Restoration,  email Frank Petrullo at info@aqrestoration.com or call them tel 914 245 3100.

If you haven’t already heeded previous warnings,  do not get blind-sided again! Get a generator, fuel, water, cash, etc, and a plan for when these events happen.  Really,  you’re too smart to just “wing” it.

If you live in a flood plain or are entertaining thoughts of raising or fortifying your house or building, please give us a call and we can review the necessary steps.

helpful link from FEMA

http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/9580_100.shtm