Gotta agree with danm here. Maintaining safe egress is _critical_.

Perhaps you could look into installing the air conditioner in a new sleeve in the masonry below the window.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at April 6, 2009 10:07 AM in response to AC in fire esc wndw w/gate?

I think it's a terrific idea. I wonder what pull the Civic Council has with the DOT.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at March 25, 2009 11:24 AM in response to Survey: More Two-Way Traffic Needed Around GAP

"Really sad and ugly architecture thats not only dirt cheap but also wasteful of valuable space. Maybe large potted plants and some trees will conceal this monstrosity and spare the neighbors the eyesore...An Architect in Brooklyn any suggestions on how to improve this?"

Dynamite.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at February 11, 2009 8:02 PM in response to How Unfortunate: 669 Classon Avenue

If you signed a standard B141 or B155 you may terminate your architect without cause, with 7 days written notice. You are then liable for fees up to that point, and termination expenses, if any, which should be spelled out in the contract.

Taking the old design forward is trickier. The design is the intellectual property of the (former) architect, and simply reproducing it can expose you and your (new) architect to a copyright claim and substantial damages, if the former architect goes that route.

Probably the best idea is for the (new) architect to just do a new set of drawings, based on the design concepts you have already worked out with the old architect. This will also have the benefit of giving the new architect a chance to check out the assumptions in the job, and hopefully catch more problems like the ceiling issue before you get to construction.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at January 29, 2009 5:37 PM in response to Getting out of an AIA contract

Heh, MP, these posts are excellent. I'd also like to hear any opinions you have about why Burnham (say, versus the fancy-pants Viessmans and their ilk).

HE boilers are exhausting at high temps, right? Is it a 4" PVC flue? How far can you run them, e.g., 50 feet? Gotta have (extra) make up air for these boilers too, I'm sure.

All in all quite different from an atmospheric boiler install. Would be interested in opinions on the break-even between the higher install cost versus the higher efficiency.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at January 27, 2009 12:08 AM in response to Hi-efficiency on the cheap(er).

That is one sexy pictures, MP. Nice.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at January 26, 2009 11:08 AM in response to High Efficiency Boilers

How about: draining storm water from the front of the roof?

Some buildings I've worked on have or have had that "cheater" roof, sloping down in the front of the house towards the street, but a full story in the back. One project this cheater roof was pulled off and a new facade put up on the third level. Now sometimes the leaders are on the front of the house, but a stack for draining could have been internal as well.

Interesting question!

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at January 12, 2009 10:43 AM in response to History of Buildings Layout?

It's called the 4" ball test. Best to make the spacing e.g., 3 3/4" apart. Rationale is to prevent a small child from getting his or her head caught.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 9, 2008 1:22 PM in response to Code on Iron Railings?

Who wrote the contract? What does it say?

As a general rule one never should let the money in a job exceed the amount of work that has been performed. Hefty deposits are often the sign of an under-capitalized contractor (though there are exceptions to this).

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at November 18, 2008 10:38 AM in response to When contractors go wrong

Good advice above.

I would say three things: start a visual scrapbook of things you like. Realize, doing your scrapbook, that many images we are drawn to are often a bit more difficult to realize in the confines of a brownstone (to give one example, almost all the kitchen images clients bring me feature a sink with a window above -- a classic design move difficult to achieve in most brownstone kitchens).

Second, take a look at how you live right now, and measure that against how you think you want to live in your new space. Recognize that some design decisions you make will reflect who you are now, and some will be more aspirational. Sometimes clients are disappointed that they build to these aspirations as this impulse turns out to be wrong in practice (to give an example here, I see a lot of design decisions made on sketchy assumptions of what living with a new baby will be like).

Last, I would preach keeping an open mind. An architect's job is to interpret your ideas about a space, but also to think about how an existing space can be modified to work really well. Ideally, the end design becomes an effortless marriage of these two poles of your desires and what the space will support. Flexibility and the willingness to entertain a number of ideas is a key part of the process of design, and I have seldom seen a good design that wasn't the result of a process.

In the design process, good ideas tend to keep coming back, and less strong ideas drop away -- as long as you give the process enough time to work.

Good luck.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at November 15, 2008 10:28 PM in response to Preparing for an architect

I've worked with Hatheway before -- he's good.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at November 6, 2008 4:33 PM in response to looking to add another floor.....

I used Master Plvmber's suggestion

"Python Drain Cleaning is by far the best I know of.
(718)605-0930
http://www.pythondraincleaning.com/services.html "

Excellent service.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 31, 2008 10:12 PM in response to Bklyn Plumber to Snake a Drain?

Vinyl's a bad idea. I don't think the claims for its longevity can really be substantiated. For one, you don't know if you're getting virgin vinyl or a mixture of old and new; this mixing can lead to UV degredation (the windows yellowing). On the other hand, hundred year old wood windows exist.

Furthermore, vinyl's manufacture involves some pretty toxic processes (which produce dioxins), PVC stabilizers include lead (meaning PVC disposal introduces hazards into landfills as it is difficult to recycle), PVC offgasses, and when it burns it creates chlorine gas -- quite poisonous -- not great in a fire for you or firefighters.

Finally, by itself vinyl has poor structural strength, so the frames have to be larger, meaning less glass and less light. As a typical installer will simply leave the old wood frames and cover 'em up with panning, you're replacement windows are apt to be much smaller in terms of light and air than your existing windows.

http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/ThorntonPVCSummary.html

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 27, 2008 1:27 PM in response to Windows - vinyl clad or aluminum exterior?

In my experience the DOB denies granting a permit to homeowners acting as their own GCs if the job has a structural component, and of course almost any job can have a "structural" component.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 26, 2008 4:26 PM in response to Pulling permits w/o GC

^Not unreasonable at all. Masonry construction is expensive, so it makes sense to plan ahead rather than get this result. Many problems with this facade could have been addressed if someone had simply drawn it first.

There's a reason why the carpenters say "measure twice, cut one" -- the first time you envision the facade should not be when the masons are done making their openings!

What you have here instead is a facade generated by the plan: a plan for cars on the ground level, and minimum light and air requirements above. The plan says window here. What size? What's in the catalog? What's the minimum for air? OK, we're done here.

***

The Flintstones style, IMBY. A bastardization of random rubble facades from fifties ranch homes or garden walls in suburbia. "My uncle knows this mason / you'll never have to paint that" etc.

Now OTOH random ashlar can look good.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 16, 2008 1:08 PM in response to The Charming Paint Peeler Reincarnated

You would do well to hire an architect and explore the possibilities.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 16, 2008 12:23 PM in response to Modern in Carroll Gardens?

You really have to make sure the firebox behind the cover is meant for wood burning. My guess is its not.

A properly-dimensioned firebox for burning wood is important so that smoke doesn't fill your house. These proportions need to be deeper than what is traditionally on offer in many brownstones in the nineteenth century (many were for coal .. in my experience early hot air risers for heating were in separate voids in the party wall, not in the chimneys themselves, but anything's possible).

In order to make it functioning you would need to
• reline the chimney, typically with a new stainless flue (this means breaks into the chimney breast at each floor above). This is mandatory.
• possibly rebuild the chimney outside on the roof, including a flue cap
• rebuilt the firebox to a dimension that corresponds to the size of the new flue liner (which is probably not going to be more than 8" ovalized)
• install a damper
• reinstall the marble surround, or devise a new treatment (like tile) for the firebrick now showing in the smaller firebox.

Totally do-able, but not the cheapest work, as it involves the skills of two different trades.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 16, 2008 12:11 PM in response to Form is lovely, but what about function?

Watched this one go up. Montrose's sensible comment of dog-legging the stair doesn't work here since obviously the idea is to park a car (possibly for a tenant on the ground floor) to the left of the stair. My guess is that the whole building setback is about parking, and no, it is not required by city planning to be this way (quite the opposite, actually).

This infill is atrocious. The clumsy detailing is especially obvious in person, but even in this photo one can see the hopelessly awkward window proportions ("one size fits all!"), the crappy pretend muntins, the bizarre keystone detail in each window surround. The PVC vent in the front nicely complements the white leaders from the gutter -- I just don't get it. Doing a frame house with siding would have looked better than all this mishmash. Or: fixing the old one. It had charm, and more importantly, good proportions.

But I guess if you have three cars and can't deal with moving 'em once a week, here's your nirvana.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 16, 2008 12:00 PM in response to The Charming Paint Peeler Reincarnated

Terrific.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 15, 2008 2:16 PM in response to Interiors: Small Spaces in Prospect Heights

Bedrooms must also meet minimum dimensional requirements (ceiling height and width), although a third bedroom can be less than the 8'-0" required length/width of the first two (1208.1).

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 13, 2008 1:03 PM in response to Definition Bedroom

Even if you get your board on board (sorry) you'll find the lead times for new steel casement windows to be very lengthy, and their manufacture expensive.

I'd look seriously in seeing if they couldn't be repaired.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at August 11, 2008 11:31 AM in response to Steel Casement Window Replacement

Another vote for the Panasonic WhisperFit series.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at July 31, 2008 10:32 AM in response to Bathroom fan

"But the contractor says this is impossible."

This really means "I don't want to do it that way" and/or "that will cost me money I didn't budget for." Truly impossible is, e.g., a floor not supported by beams. A container each week is merely inconvenient; the question here is inconvenient for whom.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at July 29, 2008 11:28 AM in response to complaining neighbor

"PE" means "professional engineer."

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at July 28, 2008 10:51 PM in response to Solar Panels on a Brownstone?

If you're looking for a solution, you can have your GC schedule a container for the morning of street cleaning, and have his guys fill in that day (that is, only get a container when the construction debris piles up) and have it picked up in the afternoon.

You could, of course, ignore your neighbor, but usually in my experience it is good policy to go out of your way to placate adjoining properties. Another idea is that the next time he fumes, tell him that you're sorry for the inconvenience and to please feel free to use the container to get rid of some of his own junk.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at July 28, 2008 10:34 PM in response to complaining neighbor

The first place to look is whether the chimney is blocked, and then if its sized properly for your two gas burning appliances.

It's pretty common for someone to install a new boiler and water heater(s), and gang those big flues into a smaller (or blocked) existing chimney flue, and walk away.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at July 1, 2008 12:03 PM in response to Carbon monoxide

There are a number of more problems with a HE boiler than an atmospheric one -- they're more finicky. For one, you don't want to place the intakes anywhere near the vents, as this can cause the boiler to short-cycle. Where is your combustion air going to come from?

Also, the limitations on how far the boiler flues can be vented are real. The manufacturer's maximum distances (remember bends in the line add effective distance) will let you know if putting multiple boilers in the cellar is possible for you or not.

I would consult with a knowledgeable installer, but my gut is that it doesn't matter at all how close the flues are to each other on the roof. I'm pretty sure they cannot be ganged before the roof, however.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at June 19, 2008 6:45 PM in response to Venting Question - High Efficiency Boiler

I've spec'd that toilet a lot. I think it's a good one.

"The contractor hadn’t installed a dual flush toilet before and struggled for a bit. We think this had more to do with the size of the bowl than hooking up anything related to the dual flush itself, but he attributed it to the dual flush toilet."

Perhaps you mean the size of the rough. Totos are a bit unconventional, sure, but they are not hard to install.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at June 19, 2008 12:05 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 42

Undoubtably you have masonry above that needs to be supported. Depending on what is below you, you can install two 4" lally columns and a header to pick up the masonry weight above.

I've done this, for the same reason as you (recessing a cooktop). The image was posted some time back on brownstoner's kitchen survey.

It goes without saying that whoever does this work should know what they are doing, and particularly understand on what exactly the lallys will bear.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at June 18, 2008 6:10 PM in response to Partial fireplace removal

I like wood crowns, but inevitably they crack. Maybe high up on the ceiling no one will really notice. Of course plaster cracks too, but in general it gives a bit more.

I've also put up plastic medallions, readily available on line. After painting they are difficult to tell apart from real plaster unless you're up really close.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at June 17, 2008 11:07 AM in response to wood versus plaster molding

Starting out, I used to do a lot of window submissions for Landmarks.

The real trick with replacing windows in a Landmark district is the brick mold. The brick mold is the piece of trim that abuts the masonry opening and covers the window frame. Look at its profile (if your trim is original; otherwise look at a tax lot photo, or perhaps under the aluminum panning that often covers the old frame when a house has suffered replacement aluminum windows) -- this is what Landmarks wants to see considered and replicated.

Of course, the replacement windows themselves should bear a family resemblance to the original windows. I say "family resemblance" because new insulated glass windows do not have the proportions and "feel" of old, single pane windows, especially if the old windows had mullions. Other historic districts where I do work often address this by mandating single paned glass and storm windows; aesthetically "nicer" but much more a PIA for the homeowner.

Marvins get a lot of press around here, but it's worth investigating other choices as well. I like a window without a vinyl jamb liner, and windows with real sash weights and pulleys are competitive with Marvins, although their installation (and measuring for replacement) is significantly harder. Anyway, it bears reminding that the LPC does not approve brands, but rather configurations and profiles that closely approximate the old character of your house.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at June 16, 2008 11:20 AM in response to Landmark Windows - Costs?

Pleasant massing -- the large shape of the attached townhouses is broken up by smaller bays in pleasant proportions

Shadow lines -- unlike other planar efforts (sometimes called "Fedders buildings" around here), there are moldings, a cornice; the windows are recessed and the bay extends over the ground floor windows. All of these contribute to interesting shadow lines, which is to say they make the facade less planar and more plastic.

Planar facades have their place (say in minimalist skyscraper design), but for houses a more plastic facade is both more visually interesting and practical (these lines allow for different material expansions and better water shedding).

As for contrived, well, I'm not a fan of the throw-back details -- the balustrade on the roof, or the quoins framing the bays. Better than a Fedders effort, to be sure, but too oldy-timey for my taste. Instead, I wish they would have made the windows more properly proportioned (this almost always means larger) and found some other solution for the through-wall a/c grilles.

But again, a much better effort than a lot of developer housing -- the scale, massing and entrance are good. It's nice to see.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at May 30, 2008 3:31 PM in response to Marcy Townhouses: Better Than Most Newbies

I agree -- while some of the design affects seem a little contrived, the facade has a pleasant massing and lots of shadow lines. I also like the depressed ground floor, which makes the parlor or first floor more accessible from the street. A nice effort, including thinking about the street by planting that tree.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at May 29, 2008 12:18 PM in response to Marcy Townhouses: Better Than Most Newbies

I worked on a project in London and obviously many in New York. Your best bet is to hire individuals on the ground in both places.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at May 21, 2008 10:26 PM in response to LOOKING FOR GREAT EXPEDITER

I've worked with Craig Hammerman professional (that is, made presentations to CB6) as well spoken to him privately about matters affecting our block. He strikes me as a right, upstanding kind of guy.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at April 2, 2008 10:39 AM in response to Community Boards Face Big Budget Cuts

Water from one property is not allowed to run off onto another.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at April 1, 2008 5:51 PM in response to Property Line Phots 2x

There are still more requirements, depending on whether your building is J-1, J-2 or J-3 (see Table 3-4 alluded to above).

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at April 1, 2008 5:15 PM in response to Installing windows

MEA numbers are history? That IS good news!

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at March 3, 2008 9:16 AM in response to New Code coming soon, FYI

^yes. We used FB's "parma gray" extensively in our renovation. It's not really gray, but a blue gray, and less blue than French Gray.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at January 22, 2008 11:25 AM in response to Repainting the Front Parlor

I may be contacted via aaib@ml1.net. Thanks!

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at January 18, 2008 2:56 PM in response to need to contact another forum member

A beautiful line of suspension roadway along the shore, high enough so that the neighborhood below could reclaim its waterfront, could also look really beautiful from the harbor, and be a signature image of Brooklyn and New York. At night the line of lights might resemble some of the drama now present with the double-decked part of the BQE under the Brooklyn Heights promenade.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at January 7, 2008 10:47 AM in response to Could the Gowanus Expressway Become a Greenway?

A small powder room on the parlor floor certainly is convenient. But I would make usually make sure of the following:
• it doesn't open onto the kitchen
• it doesn't open onto dining
• it's not a full bath (only as this seems too wasteful/odd to me)

This means, for townhouses, that the powder room should be somewhere off the entry hall -- perhaps tucked under the stairs, if there's room, or as the backside of a pantry, like in this job I did:

http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2007/07/parlor_kitchen.php (the powder room is in the center of the plan)

***

Finally, two things:

1. A well-designed kitchen will trump a big kitchen every time.

2. The above rules can and should be broken if it really makes sense for the particulars of the space and client.

E.g., I am currently working on a job now where the kitchen is tiny and jammed into an extension, while a closet is being turned into a half-bath right between the kitchen and dining! Obviously in this case the bath will not be featured (or perhaps even mentioned) when guests are over, but is rather for the convenience of everyday life in the house.

In this case, the clients decided to break all the rules (to keep the morphology of the existing house intact) and are quite happy about the layout.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at January 2, 2008 5:04 PM in response to poll: add a powder room to the main floor of a house or have a bigger, better kitchen?

I like the layout schematically, but I find it odd that the kitchen is barely the size of the master bathroom. Room for one chef in the center.

As for closets, such can be added, at the cost of useable square feet.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 17, 2007 12:57 PM in response to Condo of the Day: Top of the Oro

I know that block. Nice block.

My guess is that the light color for the masonry is in fact original, and that townhouse is infill, perhaps built a touch later than its neighbors. Its paint scheme may well be appropriate, especially if the masonry has been painted for while.

Designation of this area has been in effect since 1973, so I'm guessing most owners have a sense that some obligation to the city is in place for their facades. And 1973 is long before the term "yuppie" was coined, so we should look elsewhere for that blame. Jane Jacobs, maybe? Jackie Onassis?

As for the question of original paint color for windows or doors, this can be tricky -- not because tax lot photos are B&W and therefore mostly unhelpful, but because original paint colors were likely covered by another color (black, usually) in the early twentieth century. Usually a little careful scraping of some original trim can reveal a few layers of paint, sometimes the original one is underneath.

***

Now, as for the old timers versus yuppie scum debate: at base, people can do anything they want to their house -- LPC certainly isn't going to have a vigil in front of your house. But if you put in historically-inappropriate materials on a historic-district house, you may receive a violation, which certainly doesn't prevent e.g. the sale of your house (unless the buyers make it an issue). However, it can make getting a legal permit to do other work down the line problematic.

So the choice is essentially deal with it now or let the next owners or your next-of-kin deal with later. An if one doesn't care for the LPC, it's good to remember its power derives from a law like any other, which can be overturned with enough reason or groundswell.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 17, 2007 12:21 PM in response to Busted Down on 14th Street...

FWIW Viking refrigerators have had terrible reliability reports, centering around the defrosting mechanism. Perhaps that design defect's been cleared up by now, perhaps not.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 17, 2007 10:40 AM in response to Never-Been-Used Viking Appliances at Build It Green

^If you're going full width, your primary restrictions then become
• keeping a 30 foot rear yard
• making sure you don't build more square feet than you have FAR

Good luck.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 11, 2007 11:21 AM in response to extension

At least a few years ago Peerless was in flux -- for one of my jobs some very smart plumbers (and ultimately techs from Peerless) could not get one of their boilers to work as specified.

Could be different now, of course.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 11, 2007 11:15 AM in response to Gas Boiler question

Excellent feature -- would love to see a photo essay on this.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 11, 2007 11:09 AM in response to A Thing for Radiators

"Wait a second - doesn't DOB have the power to rescind professional certification where it has proof of faulty certifications by an architect? Why cut a deal at all?"

That's what I don't get. When I'm in the DOB, I don't get any "offers" for "deals."

It's also not the DOB's call as to what part of what it knows being relevant to the State licensing honchos case against Scarano. That's their call, not Lancaster's.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 11, 2007 11:07 AM in response to Patricia Lancaster Responds to Daily News' Charges

"Architectural Plans Avail w/Sale" -- I wonder if the seller asked the architect if he can sell the plans with the house? Sounds like a bigger renovation was abandoned.

Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at December 11, 2007 12:21 AM in response to House of the Day: 799 Carroll Street

Thanks for all the comments. Danm, thanks for the concern. Yes, the whole reason we're doing this rather than installing the window unit is to maintain the window as an unobstructed secondary means of egress. As for installing an A/C in the masonry, the fact is that we rent and it would probably not be cost-effective to make that kind of an investment in a place we don't own. (Or is it?)
Thanks for the feedback everybody.

Posted by: presto1972 at April 7, 2009 12:06 AM in response to AC in fire esc wndw w/gate?

Your just going to have to get a portable AC with a smaller tube. The way it works is the tubing gets fitted into the window by a piece of plastic that is adjustable to the length of the window. If the plastic piece is not adjustable then you could cut the rid size wood for the tube that has a whole in the middle. That way the fire escape isn't obstructed, you can have the portable AC off to the side with the tube going to the window, I think this site has one or two with small tubed portable air conditioning units: http://www.shophmac.com/soleus-ky36.html

Posted by: JackimoT at April 8, 2009 1:51 PM in response to AC in fire esc wndw w/gate?

Both of my living-room windows open up to the fire escape. Does that mean that I am not allowed to have any window a/c's installed in my living room?

Posted by: Curtis at June 17, 2009 12:32 PM in response to AC in fire esc wndw w/gate?

Anyone who has steel casement or double-hung windows that have been removed and would be interested in selling them, I am interested.

We may also be able to arrange the removal of the windows from your building if the job conditions allow.

Please contact me to discuss further.

John Barr
Steel Window Repair
info@steelwindowrepair.com
302-478-7400

Posted by: Steel Window Repair at November 2, 2009 8:17 AM in response to Steel Casement Window Replacement

Master Plvmber,

I am interested to know if this is something that you would recommend in a small 4 unit building and separately gas metered for each unit? I am wringing my hands over a solution for an upcoming renovation.

Posted by: rholtjr at November 11, 2009 5:36 PM in response to High Efficiency Boilers