Built in the 1920s, 33 Fifth Avenue is classic prewar construction. It has some old cast-iron stormwater drainage pipes that run through the building. They collect stormwater on the roof and terraces and bring it down to the cellar level…
A moldy basement, leaking roofs, and oatmeal-like mortar are scary things no one should ever encounter in a newly renovated building. Unfortunately for one cooperative in Harlem, a less than stellar gut renovation, which included a new roof, windows, and joist…
In Brooklyn’s Cadman Plaza stand two imposing figures, Victory and Family, 24-foot-tall limestone sculptures flanking a memorial honoring the Brooklynites who lost their lives during the Second World War. Dedicated in 1951, the memorial is one of five WWII tributes…
New York City is known for its buildings, many of them steeped in history, culture, and architectural significance. Fortunately there are various groups and agencies dedicated to preserving the distinct character of such properties and sustaining the vibrancy they add…
One reason I became an architect was to make a positive impact in my community. My current RAND assignment at the historic Rutgers Presbyterian Church, on West 73rd Street near Broadway, only a block from my home, presents an opportunity—and…
Beauty, they say, is more than skin deep. At 33 Fifth Avenue, a luxury co-op in Greenwich Village, the board had to go more than skin deep to restore the beauty of their building and make it watertight. Time had…
The Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill Northwest Historic District in Upper Manhattan has some beautiful buildings with amazing stonework, but also sadly a lot of decay. Fortunately one cooperative board in the neighborhood has been working hard to maintain its building’s architectural integrity…
As the wife of Rand’s president, I have been around building construction in New York City for more than 25 years and appreciate the energy and vitality of urban revitalization. So when our new neighbors decided to gut renovate the dilapidated…