Permitting rules may become stricter for certain projects in New York City in the near future, due to a proposed air quality reclassification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A bill currently being debated by the New York City Council hopes to put a spotlight on the struggles – and potential solutions – for women, LGBTQ+, intersex, non-binary, and gender non-conforming workers in nontraditional careers, including those in construction.
See if and when your upcoming projects will be affected.
New York, NY – Since 2012, Outsource Special Inspections (OSI) has been a trusted source for special inspections in New York City. Led by a senior team of knowledgeable, highly qualified professional engineers, OSI performs NYC Department of Buildings-certified inspections across New York City every day, covering over 600 clients.
How the new Zoning for Accessibility initiative may affect design professionals.
Check out Decoder’s highlights from the past year.
Why construction professionals should care about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, and what to do about it.
On October 7, 2021, the Elevate Transit: Zoning for Accessibility initiative was approved by the NYCC and MTA.
On October 7, 2021, the NYC Department of Buildings approved a major overhaul to the NYC Construction Code.
In 2020, we talked quite a bit about what the future of work would look like.
Be advised: As of September 7, 2021, all FDNY services must now be filed exclusively online.
From redesigns to online license applications, here’s the latest on the NYC Buildings website.
The DOB recently announced a 5-month pilot program for designers to test new tools for a 100% performance-based approach to the current NYC energy code.
Earlier in 2021, two of New York City’s major transportation hubs, Penn Station and Port Authority Bus Terminal, released plans to the public for a major overhaul of the current infrastructure.
Learn more about the DOB’s pioneering effort to better address existing building repairs and alterations.
NYC Climate Code Updates and Energy Benchmark Deadline
How will this affect your projects?
Explore how this online dashboard tracks and resolves your critical building items.
Learn more on how to migrate Certificates of Occupancy from BIS.
As New York starts to reopen after months of quarantine from COVID-19 novel coronavirus, many workplaces are wondering how to get people back in the office while still ensuring employee safety. From simple solutions to new technologies, here are five things to keep in mind.
What will construction look like when the stop order is lifted?
How to navigate filing for emergency staging and temporary hospital projects.
Navigating filing and construction in the midst of New York on PAUSE.
The new code will go into effect on May 12, 2020.
To BIS or to DOB NOW?
What you need to know when Local Laws 92 & 94 go into effect.
Reduced plan exam appointments for Alteration Type 1 applications.
Here is what you need to know, in a nutshell.
The Department of Buildings released three Local Laws changing key definitions that broaden the types of buildings required to benchmark, upgrade lighting and install sub-meters. These Local Laws amend the Administrative Code to redefine covered buildings, city buildings and covered tenant spaces.
New York City and State will implement their new Energy Codes on October 3, 2016. New York State Energy Conservation Code (NYSECC) is based on the International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE 90.1-2013. The New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC) is the adopted version of Local Law 91.
The DOB released two memos declaring intent to increase penalties for Energy Code violations. The first memo concerns energy compliance during the construction process. The DOB plans to issue violations that can escalate into class 2 ECB violations, which require proof of a remedy and may carry hefty fines.
So many new codes have been released since 2014 that building professionals are still catching their collective breath. The FDNY released a memo simplifying some of the most important changes in the 2014 Fire Code. The changes can broadly be categorized to include codes relating to fire escape plans and those relating to road and rooftop accessibility.
As part of its Greener, Greater Buildings Plan, New York City targets its largest buildings for annual energy benchmarking. Backed by Local Law 84, benchmarking requires covered buildings to report their annual usage of water, electricity, natural gas, fuel oil and more.
On August 7th, 2015 the Health Department made mandatory the inspection of all New York City cooling towers within 14 days. The inspection is the result of the recent outbreak of Legionnaires Disease pinpointed to bacteria found in cooling towers. In the last month alone, Legionnaires’ Disease has claimed 10 lives and hospitalized 100, all in the South Bronx.
As expected, Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler released a Code of Conduct memo outlining the rules and regulations for industry professionals.
Integrity is a pillar of DOB Commissioner Rick Chandler’s Building One City blueprint. DOB employees have been subject to a Code of Conduct since 2009. The Code of Conduct establishes ethical codes and standards of conduct for DOB employees. In the summer of 2015 the DOB will release an industrywide Code of Conduct that will extend to developers, professionals and other project stakeholders.
Commissioning is a series of inspections by registered design professionals certifying energy performance of building systems are compliant with approved construction documents and the New York City Energy Conservation Code. Registered design professionals shall provide evidence of mechanical systems commissioning and completion prior to passing of final inspections. The NYCECC requires commissioning to ensure systems are not exceeding the energy use permitted by the energy and mechanical codes.
All mid-rise and high-rise building owners are required to paint Siamese connections, which are the two-headed pipes in front of buildings, red, green or yellow. Red represents a connection to the standpipe system, or the vertical pipes that run through a building. Green connections link to the sprinkler system of a building.
The New York City Council voted to adopt the ECCCNYS energy code changes proposed by the New York Fire Prevention and Building Code Council of New York State. The changes will have a significant impact in migrating commercial buildings toward the use of more energy efficient LED lighting. Similar changes to promote LED use in residential buildings will likely come when the ECCCNYS revises the residential portion of the code in May of 2015.
Before the proliferation of water bottles, drinking fountains were relied upon to quench one’s thirst. But water fountains aren’t thoughtlessly installed into buildings. The New York City Plumbing Code has clear-cut laws on access to water and water fountains.
Architects, engineers, contractors, and inspectors need to familiarize themselves with the new special inspections debuting with the 2014 Building Code that rolls out on December 31, 2014. Here are some of those new special inspections.
In 2011, the DOB digitized the job filing process in New York City with the launch of the Development Hub. The Hub was a pivotal change in job filing procedure. When it comes to document exchange, drawing edits, meetings, and access to plan examiners, the Hub has been instrumental in streamlining the filing process. However, filing within the Hub may not be the best option for every job.