News
Who Should Actually Solve This? Rethinking How Housing Gets Built in New York
Either the public sector builds housing — funding it, managing it, and owning it — or the private sector is given enough incentive to do so at scale.
For decades, the city has relied primarily on the private market. There is an illustrious if limited history of nonprofit housing development, but it is not currently in wide use. Programs like 421-a, and now 485-x, are designed to bridge the gap between what it costs to build housing and what the market can support.
The Labor Crisis Nobody Is Talking About: Who Is Actually Building New York
Part 3: Michael explores how labor availability, immigration policy, and rising construction costs are adding another layer of constraint to New York City’s housing-production challenges.
The 99-Unit Loophole: How 485-x Is Reshaping What Gets Built
Part 2: Michael considers how 485-x is influencing development patterns, with project sizes increasingly clustering below key labor-cost thresholds.
NYC is Building More Housing Than in the Past 60 Years, Why Aren't Developers Optimistic?
Part 1: Michael Goldblum examines the gap between improving housing-production data and the continued caution he is hearing from developers navigating New York City’s regulatory and financial environment.
New Synagogue going through the approval process
A lot goes into getting a new project approved, especially when located in a protected district. The neighborhoods of Riverdale and Fieldston in the Bronx have the double challenge of being historically protected and also in a Special Natural Area District. This means additional measures must be taken to protect the environment. For this new 4,100 square foot synagogue, Community Board 8 met to give their approval.
Announcing our brand new apartment building in Brooklyn
On the site of an old ballroom, we are collaborating with Double U Development to build a new 7 story, 60 unit apartment building. Previous plans included a retail building that was scrapped in favor of much-needed housing
Interviewing for Design Firms
What makes design careers different? Your portfolio can include some of the aspirational concept designs you want to build someday, but the majority of it should be the skills you are selling right now!
Interviews
There is already plenty of content online regarding how to nail an interview. In this blog, we will explore what may be different for architectural and design careers, why this common advice actually matters, and where it can go wrong.
Announcing our exciting new collaboration with Ecosystems Energy
Announcing new sustainable energy pilot program! We are proud to share progress from our exciting new collaboration with Ecosystems Energy. At Chelsea’s Fulton Houses Campus the “UTEN” Utility Thermal Energy Network pilot project brings Con Edison and Ecosystems Energy into a partnership with NYCHA to create a cutting-edge low-carbon power source.
Communication
How you reply to an initial reach out tells potential employers loads about how you communicate and what kind of employee you would be. In this article I will share some common mistakes whether communicating via email or phone and what to do instead.
Michael’s remarks in memoriam for Robert A M Stern
Michael’s remarks to New York City landmarks Preservation Commission in Memoriam for Robert A M Stern architect upon his death.
Internet Presence
In this post, I highlight the three most important aspects of an online presence when you are searching for work.
Building Studio Acquires Gregg Rothstein Architects
We are excited to announce that Building Studio will be acquiring the practice of colleague and code expert Gregg Rothstein. We look forward to continuing to service his clients, while offering our clients his expertise, experience and resources.
Does anyone still write cover letters?
Does anyone write cover letters anymore? Let’s dive in with a new edition of Working Architecture
Midcentury Modern Sanctuary Transformed in New Haven
We’re proud to share new photos from our recent synagogue renovation at Beth El – Keser Israel (BEKI), a Conservative synagogue serving the Jewish community in New Haven’s Westville neighborhood
AI can write my resume! …right?
Welcome back to Working Architecture, our blog about all things working in architecture! This time, we dive into resumes.
Introducing: Working Architecture
Welcome to our new blog, Working Architecture where we talk all things working in architecture and architectural related fields!
Introducing AndMore: The New Marketplace at Starrett Lehigh
We’re excited to share recent photos showcasing the newly completed AndMore space on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Landmarked Starrett Lehigh Building; a full-block, formerly industrial building in Chelsea.
Capital Improvements: Amenity Upgrades and Owner Services
At Building Studio, we’re proud to work with a number of New York’s largest property owners such as Tishman Speyer, RXR and Beam Living [a Blackstone Company] on capital improvement projects for both commercial and residential buildings.