There’s a subset of LinkedIn posts that emphasizes the daredevil side of facade inspections with dizzying pics of rope access team members hanging high above the city. We understand that rope access has its thrilling side, but should it be the go-to method for facade inspection?

Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. That’s the essence of Cornell Tech’s research report, “Rebooting NYC,” which asks the City to give drones a chance by conducting a thorough study to see how their potential plays out for FISP facade inspections.

This is SUPERSTRUCTURES' unofficial mascot, Bucky. He's name after R. Buckminster Fuller and his innovative solution to this maze sums up our mission: why follow convention when there’s a better, more direct path?

In Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, Bleak House, Mrs. Piper is said to have “a lot to say, but not much to tell.” We’ve encountered this quandary when performing peer reviews on unsuccessful restoration projects. Their specification books tend to be the size of an old Manhattan telephone directory—a proliferation of words (sometimes redundant, sometimes contradictory) in lieu of a tight set of drawings.

Whether you’re new to New York’s Facade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP), or a veteran who could use a refresher on its current requirements, this short video will bring you up to speed.

SUPERSTRUCTURES is proud to have worked on a number of projects related to the history and culture of Black New Yorkers. Among them is the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building in Harlem. SUPERSTRUCTURES provided investigation, design, and construction administration services to restore the facade and curtain wall of the 1973 structure.

What is "outfrastructure?" When you hear the word infrastructure, you may think of roads, bridges, airports, and the like—the built environment that links our homes, stores, schools, offices, and cities together. But in an urban environment like New York, building envelopes—SUPERSTRUCTURES’ specialty—are infrastructure. We suggest adopting the term outfrastructure to make this relationship more evident.

If your Latin is rusty, Praemonitus Praemunitus means “forewarned is forearmed.” The Boy Scouts said it more succinctly with their motto, “Be Prepared.” Either way, it’s an ultimate expression of the value of research and preparation, and words that SUPERSTRUCTURES lives by.

Medical school students are taught “when you see hoof prints, think horses, not zebras,” meaning that a doctor should first think about what is a more common—and potentially more likely—diagnosis. In our field of exterior restoration, there’s a crucial caveat: sometimes it is zebras. We’ve found that some conditions require our experts to look beyond the obvious.

From Harlem to Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, plus Hunt’s Point in the Bronx, Queens’ Kew Gardens Hills, Brooklyn’s Fort Greene, and Staten Island’s St. George, SUPERSTRUCTURES has restored buildings in virtually every neighborhood of the five boroughs. This map illustrates the storied origins of Manhattan’s major neighborhoods, reflecting the city’s Dutch roots as well as its social and economic history.