Every project at SUFFIX ARCHITECT starts with an in-person site visit — not a phone consultation or a set of assumptions based on listing photos. Before any design work begins, we need to understand a building's actual existing conditions: structural layout, mechanical systems, any visible code issues, and how the space's current configuration compares to what's shown on file with the Department of Buildings.
This step exists because so many NYC renovation delays trace back to conditions that weren't caught early — an unpermitted prior alteration, a structural element that limits what a design can do, or a discrepancy between as-built conditions and what DOB has on record. Catching these during an initial assessment, rather than mid-construction, is what keeps a project's timeline and budget realistic from day one.
During a site visit, we evaluate the building's zoning classification and any applicable overlays, check for landmark or historic district status where relevant, review DOB's records for the property (open permits, prior violations, existing certificates of occupancy), and assess the physical scope of what the client wants to achieve against what the space and its systems can actually support.
The result is a feasibility assessment that tells a client, before any design fees or filing costs are committed, what's realistic: the likely filing type (ALT-1, ALT-2, or new building), whether landmark or board approval will apply, and a realistic timeline range based on comparable work we've completed. For larger or more complex sites — particularly pre-development scenarios — this can take the form of a full feasibility and zoning study, as we did for a private developer evaluating a residential site in Brooklyn's Navy Yard.
Site visit and assessment FAQs
Why start with an in-person visit instead of a phone call?
Existing conditions in NYC buildings rarely match listing photos or old drawings. Walls have been moved, prior work may be unpermitted, and structure or building systems can limit what a design can do. Seeing the space in person is the only reliable way to give you a realistic scope, timeline and filing path before you commit to design fees.
What do you review besides the space itself?
The property's zoning, landmark or historic district status, and its DOB record: open permits, past violations and the existing Certificate of Occupancy. Open items left by a previous owner are common, and we can resolve them through our open job filing closeout services.
What do I get after the visit?
A feasibility assessment covering the likely DOB filing type (ALT-1, ALT-2 or New Building), whether landmark or co-op/condo board approval will apply, and a realistic timeline range based on comparable projects we've completed.
What should I have ready?
The property address, any existing drawings or past permit paperwork you have, your building's alteration agreement or renovation guidelines if it's a co-op or condo, and a list of what you want to achieve. Photos and inspiration images help too, but they aren't required.
Related services
After the assessment, most projects move into construction documents and permit plans and DOB permit filing. We also handle the full renovation, including co-op and condo renovations and brownstone and townhouse renovations.
