Category: Building Operations

A building’s roof serves as the first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at its inhabitants—wind, rain and blazing sun, even snow and ice in some climates—so it’s crucial for that roof to be sound and well maintained. All it t…

When it comes to living in close proximity with others, conflict is inevitable. It’s not always the big things that lead to the biggest conflicts either, over time even the smallest of issues can explode into a huge fight. “The sources of …

For boards, having some restrictions in place as to what an owner can do with their pets is just good sense. But, with the emergence of extreme policies either pandering to pet owners, or, the yin to that yang, a police procedural televisio…

New York City buildings have achieved 100 percent compliance with Local Law 43, a part of the overall Greener, Greater Buildings Plan put in place in 2009 to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings and reduce the city’s carbon f…

From major energy providers to niche sustainability innovators, it seems as if everyone these days is clamoring to get a piece of that celebrated green market. New York condo and co-op boards have taken note, and many have begun to explore …

Change is a part of life; and that’s especially true if you’re talking about living in a New York condo or co-op, where no building ever stays the same for too long. Renovations are done, capital improvements are required and even upgrades …

For better or worse, color affects human behavior. Research indicates that practical and aesthetic applications of color, in public and private spaces, can manipulate mood and perception. A board planning to redecorate or refurbish common s…

In New York City, a great source of pride equates from owning an apartment in a landmark building or living in one of the city’s historic or architectural masterpieces. Though, along with such ownership arise unique challenges involving rep…

With a recent push by Mayor Bill de Blasio to extend former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's "Carbon Challenge" program to hotels (the program had previously encouraged universities, commercial properties and multifamily residences to reduce emiss…

So far in 2016, as of February 5, exactly 1,187 people have been killed by guns in the United States.  Of those deaths, 287 were children under the age of 17. In the first 10 days of the 2016 over 100 people had been shot in the city of Chi…