Page 24 - CooperatorNews New York Expo May 2022

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We are won’t\] give the building a certificate of occu- pancy.” Refat adds that first and foremost, when a them efficiently and effectively.” board heads into negotiations with an engi- neer, they should come to the meeting with a few fundamental facts in hand: first and of permits, codes, logistics, and requirements foremost, the age of the building or com- munity, as well as any capital improvements the interior designers, decorators, and/or ar- that have been made already, and when. This chitects. Those interviewed for this article say information will give the engineer an idea of that the majority of condos and co-ops ap- which codes could be triggered by the work point a design or decorating committee made being proposed, which agencies will need to up of board members, owners/shareholders, be involved in inspections and approvals, and or both to do this outreach and to research which elements might be allowed to bypass ideas and choices and make recommenda- certain requirements or restrictions because tions to the full board. coming into compliance might be logistically or financially impossible. Refat gives an example of a lobby renova- tion at one of his buildings that had to comply New England, says that a problem with this retroactively with Americans with Disabilities structure is that the ultimate decision-makers Act (ADA) regulations. “The lobby entrance should be few, and should be part of the en- had a little step that the town wanted re- moved, because it impeded wheelchair acces- sibility,” he recalls. “That sounds simple. But makers are, and you want those people on in reality, we had to remove the entire flooring board from the first meeting,” she says. When from the lobby to where it connected with the we discuss how frequently boards turn over, sidewalk. So now we had to address the side- walk, which had landscaping. And we had to tifamily communities as owners/shareholders address the size of the doors—the width and come and go, she emphasizes the importance the height, and what we call the ‘clearance.’ of getting information up front and setting How far will the door open into the lobby? priorities and decisions from the beginning to How many seconds should it take to open mitigate the inherent attrition. electronically? Et cetera. Everything we do now in redesigning a lobby or a hallway has meeting,” she says, “to find out what the bud- become attached to some law.” Given this complexity, it is important to much has already been started—has anything have a point person—someone who is in- volved in the project from inception to com- pletion, who can manage the various vendors make sure that what you’re designing meets and agencies and be on site on a regular basis, those needs and encompasses all of the deci- and who addresses problems or questions sions that have already been made.” when they arise. While these tasks can be as- signed to the property manager (and often tee, Milazzo Smith says it’s ideal to have a wide are), most management contracts stipulate range of stakeholders with a wide range of in- that the client will incur additional fees for terests—“not just people that are interested in such services—sometimes on an hourly ba- sis, sometimes a percentage of the project the needs of the community.” budget, sometimes a set fee or a combination or charges. Given that most board or com- mittee members do not have the time or the the decision made. However, everyone wants expertise to be engaged in a project on such to feel like they’re being heard. … You might a granular level, even though it’s an extra line send out a questionnaire, or have a broader item in the project budget, it pays to hire a meeting to make sure the board or the deco- specialist: a project manager, an owner’s rep, rating committee hears everyone’s needs and or a construction manager who will handle concerns. People can be passionate about everything from acquiring permits to liais- ing with residents to finding innovative ways they’re doing or not. And a space like \[a lobby to cut costs and create efficiencies over the or a hallway\], where people walk through ev- course of a project. John Dimaras, COO of New York-based they’re personally invested in those decisions.” construction management firm EmpireCore, which has clients throughout New York, New Mullendore Architecture & Interior Design Jersey, and Connecticut, notes that the inter- dependencies involved in most capital proj- ects require a range of knowledge, connec- tions, and strategies. “The value proposition day and age, the internet makes everybody we bring is in our expertise,” he says. “Avoid- ing the snags, the headaches, the potentially major snafus—and the resulting costs—that can occur on most any project outweighs the aware of those pitfalls and can preempt them; where they are unavoidable, we can navigate Design By Committee Once the groundwork—and paperwork— has been laid, then it is time to incorporate Gia Milazzo Smith, owner of Designs by Gia, which provides interior design and reno- vation services to associations throughout tire process. “From the beginning of a project like this, you have to decide who the decision not to mention the mercurial makeup of mul- “You would start by having a fact-finding get is for the project, what the needs are, how already been purchased or approved? It’s im- portant to ask all the right questions. And you In terms of who should be on the commit- decor,” she says, “but a wider representation of She continues, “The more people that are involved in the decision, the harder it is to get design decisions, whether they know what ery day—it’s an extension of their home, so Often, says Eric Mullendore, owner of Eric based in Chicago, this becomes the biggest challenge for the designer or architect. “I think the difficult thing in terms of design is, in this CAPITAL DESIGN... continued from page 1