On every project, we take our clients’ viewpoint by asking ourselves, “What if it were our building?” or “If it were our money, how would we spend it?” This professional perspective is part of why we’ve been retained for more exterior restoration projects than any other firm in NYC.

Our ability to anticipate and answer these questions stems from our 40 years of professional experience, supplemented by our experience outside the office. Our principals are on their condo or co-op boards and involved in nonprofits that develop and maintain real estate assets. Essentially, in those cases we are the client.

That experience is key to understanding clients’ priorities and expectations. No matter how accomplished our clients are in their own fields, if they aren’t architects or engineers themselves they don’t focus on the same issues that we do every day. So we try to translate our professional perspective into layman’s terms to help clients understand what we’re recommending and why.

We also understand that clients have many priorities and demands on their budgets that may have nothing to do with their buildings. An administrator of a hospital, for example, might be faced with a choice between a new MRI machine and a new roof. We understand the clients’ crucial mission and the difficulty of such choices. Ultimately, it’s their decision, but our job is to help them understand the value of preserving their greatest asset—their building.

Our approach to thinking like the client also means minimizing time and cost overruns. That control of costs and schedule hinges on producing the most accurate drawings and documents possible. Our drawings set the standard for the industry and contractors consistently say they appreciate this precision. Such exacting documentation is critical to avoiding unforeseen issues requiring change orders.

When unsafe conditions are identified in a building, there’s no choice but to act. But most other building maintenance or restoration choices are business decisions. In helping clients make these decisions, we’re dedicated to putting ourselves in their shoes before we put on a hard hat.