Office Space Calculator: How Much Space Do You Need?
A quick starting point for estimating office space requirements. This calculator estimates office space from the number of offices, workstations, meeting rooms and support spaces,…
The Capital Project Hiding in the Repair History
Years of recurring mechanical problems had been documented, but the full cost of replacing the system had never been established. When a renovation finally forced…
The Phasing Plan Had Nowhere to Put the Business
The construction sequence identified where departments would relocate. Nobody had confirmed whether those spaces could support the operation. A contractor’s phasing sequence is a starting…
“Paused” Is Not a Project Status
What an owner needs to preserve when a capital project is put on hold. After an eighteen-month pause, the restart found the project manager gone,…
Substantial Completion Starts More Than the Closeout Clock
What owners should resolve before the certificate is accepted and the move date takes over. Substantial completion, approval to occupy, the physical move and operational…
Knowing the Building Commissioner Didn’t Speed Up the Permit
Political support, experienced attorneys, and well-connected expediters were expected to compress the building-permit schedule. Nobody could identify which review would move faster. Political relationships, experienced…
NYC Building Permits – What does NB, Alteration Type I, II, III and Directive 14 Mean?
A practical guide to understanding New York City building permit terminology, including the older terms you may still hear on projects. In DOB NOW, most…
What Does an Owner’s Rep Actually Do?
The architect designs. The contractor builds. The broker handles the transaction. Who is looking across the project for the owner? An owner’s representative works only…
What Makes a Capital Project? (And What the Forecast Can’t Tell You)
A five- or ten-year forecast identifies individual capital needs. The owner still has to decide which ones belong together. A five-year forecast placed lighting in…
I’m Renovating My Office. Does the Existing Bathroom Need to Be ADA Compliant?
An office renovation can trigger accessibility work beyond the construction area. The answer depends on what is being altered, what the restroom serves, and the…
Pencils Down. But Just One More Change.
Before the owner pays for more design, the team has to determine whether the project changed or the original scope missed it. A late technology…
What is the difference between an Owner’s Representative and a Project Manager?
The titles can overlap. The more important question is who the person represents, what authority they have, and what they are responsible for. An owner’s…
The Room Was Ready. Nobody Could Start the Meeting.
The technology worked exactly as designed. The employees still couldn’t start the meeting. The room had two displays, cameras, ceiling microphones and a control system,…
The New Office Opened. Everyone Else Started Comparing.
A workplace investment at one address changes expectations everywhere else—and leaves facilities to explain the difference. When one office got a new build-out while another…
The Business Unit Had a Project. The Capital Plan Didn’t.
The request sounded simple until someone priced everything required to make it work. A request to “move a few walls” can turn out to need…