Do I Need an Architect for My Brooklyn Renovation?
SERIES #02, ARTICLE #01
Renovating often starts with a deceptively simple question:
Do I actually need an architect?
Sometimes, yes.
Sometimes, no.
If your building doesn’t require an actual stamped permit, the client can provide the documentations themselves (this assumes they have the time and knowledge to logistically draw the plans).
So the better question is not whether you are technically required to have one, but whether the project has become complicated enough that you probably want one anyway. A new coat of paint is one thing. Moving walls, rethinking a kitchen, changing plumbing, dealing with an old brownstone, or renovating inside a co-op is something else entirely.
The line moves surprisingly quickly.
A simple NYC rule of thumb: Cosmetic work usually does not need a permit. Permits (architectural, electrical, plumbing, etc) are more likely once you:
Move or remove walls
Alter structure, beams, joists, or openings
Relocate plumbing or gas
Add a bathroom or kitchen
Change exterior openings or add square footage
Change occupancy, use, or number of dwelling units
An Architect Does More Than Draw the Floor Plan
I think this is one of the more common misunderstandings about residential architecture. The drawings matter, of course. But the drawing is really a record of a much larger series of decisions.
Can this wall move?
Should the kitchen move?
Can it actually be built for the budget?
A good renovation is often less about having one brilliant idea and more about coordinating hundreds of small ones before they become expensive problems. That is a large part of the architect's job.
Editorial concept visualization by From David Designs
Architect, Interior Designer, or Contractor?
There is overlap between architecture and interior design, but they are generally treated as two different disciplines.
An architect is thinking about the building: layout, code, construction, detailing, approvals, and how all of those pieces fit together.
An interior designer may focus more closely on materials, finishes, furnishings, lighting, color, and the experience of the interior.
A contractor builds the project.
In my own practice, though, I tend to approach architecture and interiors as one continuous design process. I may be thinking about where a wall should move at the same time I am thinking about the cabinetry against it, the material wrapping around it, the lighting above it, and how the furniture ultimately sits within the room. For me, separating those decisions too much can create a strange disconnect. The architecture establishes the space, but the interiors are how you actually experience it. A beautiful floor plan means very little if the rooms do not feel good to live in. As a practice, I try to wrap up the design aspects as all encompassing for better design and client convenience.
Nevertheless, that does not mean one person needs to control every decision. Renovations tend to be better when architects, contractors, fabricators, consultants, and clients are actually talking to one another. But it does mean that I prefer to think about the home holistically from the larger architectural moves down to the details you touch every day.
Holistic teamwork; what a revolutionary concept, I know.
When an Architect Becomes Especially Useful
The more a renovation changes the bones of the home, the more valuable architectural involvement becomes.
Layout and structural changes.
Historic details or built-ins that need to integrate with existing conditions.
And, of course, work that requires drawings and filings with the city.
In New York City, many construction projects require DOB permits, and filings that require construction plans are generally submitted by a Registered Architect or Professional Engineer. But I would not choose an architect simply because someone needs to file paperwork. You are changing your home. The more important question is whether someone is helping you understand what those changes mean before construction begins.
Because a wall is rarely just a wall once you decide to move it.
