Architectural & Design WorkWhen a decision is made to renovate a home, the owner generally proceeds to contact a construction and renovations company like Brace. Home owners that have limited or no renovations experience may not be aware that all but minor renovations require design work and drawings. The reason behind these requirements is that they serve two main purposes. First, with the exception of minor work, renovations require approval from the NYC Buildings Department—as well as the condominium or cooperative, if you leave in one, or even the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in some instances. They require the submission of drawings approved by a licensed architect or a professional engineer to make sure all work is done following the NYC Building Code. Second, with the exception of minor repairs, it is important for renovations to follow design work and drawings so that you know ahead of time the specifications of the work you are agreeing to, and perhaps more importantly, so that the contractor follows the job requirements and specifications of the job—how else can you protect yourself? In the rush and the excitement of the project some home owners may neglect to be thorough in their selection process and neglect to ask the right questions. As they explain to the contractor what they have in mind regarding the renovation work some make a few wrong assumptions: (1) that the contractor will follow the city and state requirements, a responsibility that ultimately falls on you as the owner; (2) that the contractor has the ability to translate the owner’s words into drawings and that a few weeks later he/she is going to use as reference in the renovation work; (3) that because the contractor is listening and agreeing to what the |
owner is saying that he/she has an understanding of what the owner actually has in mind or that he/she intends to execute what the owner has in mind. Leaving some bad stories aside, the contractor, at best, is a good contractor not a draftsman, interior designer or an architect. That is where architects and drawings come into the picture and can save you a lot of time, money and aggravations. One of the differences of working with us is that we include architectural work and drawings as part of our services—or, if you prefer, we work with your architect of choice. This is not because we like to add an additional step into the process, but because it is the only way of ascertaining: (1) that the work is done as required by the Building Department, condominium, cooperative and others; (2) that the work gets done in a professional manner and the outcome is what you had in mind and not what the contractor or project supervisor “thought” you had in mind; and (3) that the work is going to cost what you had initially budgeted, because renovation projects get costly when things are not done correctly the first time. With Brace, once you are satisfied with the architectural design, the blueprints are used to file the renovation work with the NYC Department of Buildings and other requirements, and also used by Brace during the construction and remodeling process as it was specified by you and the architect—and the outcome is a professionally executed renovation as specified on the drawings! Further, you are left with a set of blueprints that you can always refer to any time after the project is complete. For more information or to receive a free consultation, please contact us today at info@BraceLLC.com or call us at 1-347-850-3279. |
