Here’s a haunting challenge: If you had to prove you were a human user online by checking all images of gargoyles (as opposed to grotesques), which ones in this grid would you choose? First, you’d need to know the difference. What makes a gargoyle a gargoyle?

“Why was I not made of stone like thee?” asks Quasimodo in the 1939 film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. We can relate to his lament: our restoration practice requires—and fosters—architectural empathy, a sensitivity for the inherent quality of materials and the value of historic fabric.

When you’re facing a FISP filing, remember this mantra: “Fix, then file.” In other words, attend to the condition of your building’s envelope regularly and periodic filing of a FISP report becomes a formality.

While this post was produced by a human, technologies like AI offer incredible potential in our discipline. SUPERSTRUCTURES isn’t just an E/A firm; we’re also a technology firm. We do our part to shape the future of exterior restoration by staying at the forefront of technology, developing and implementing digital tools to benefit our practice and our clients.

A recent article in the Architect’s Newspaper characterizes the restoration of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House as a recipient of federally funded “green” improvements. We see it as an example of our maxim that “the greenest building is the one that already exists.”

We often feature our work restoring New York’s landmarks and irreplaceable, historic buildings. But NYC’s array of public housing forms part of the backbone of the city—one that SUPERSTRUCTURES is proud to help keep safe and viable for over 360,000 residents each year.

SUPERSTRUCTURES congratulates Associate Principal Lorie Riddle, RA for becoming a Recognized Professional of the Association for Preservation Technology (APT). Lorie’s credentials and work with SUPERSTRUCTURES make her a natural choice for this recognition.

SUPERSTRUCTURES’ team spotted this Red-tailed Hawk (from a respectful distance) while surveying the roof of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House. Perched on a sculptural section of the parapet, the urban raptor resembled a gargoyle as it overlooked Battery Park.

SUPERSTRUCTURES is proud to have been selected by the United States General Services Administration (GSA) for restoration work on the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, a National Historic Landmark. The 1907 Structure by Cass Gilbert is undergoing a $100 million, top-to-bottom restoration.

Characterized as a design that “simultaneously fits in and stands out,” the new Louis Armstrong Center features a curved facade composed of faceted flat glass punctuated by vertical metal fins. SUPERSTRUCTURES provided Special Inspections for DASNY to support construction of this unique cultural facility in Corona, Queens.