Back to the original thread below is another architect I know, he has been doing gut reno on houses on Manila and 4th. He is from Argentina but licensed in the States and has a structural engineering background (it can always be helpful), with experience in small buildings and bigger ones. His sense of space and interior designs are superb and his fees were pretty reasonable last I checked.

Good luck with your reno!

j o r g e m a s t r o p i e t r o a r c h i t e c t s a t e l i e r
137 Varick st. office #503, New York - NY 10013 - T 646-248-6664
www.JMAPC.com
jm@JMAPC.COM

Quote:

If you're Downtown I'd bet that's sewer water not groundwater.

Without meaning to hijack this thread, I have a somewhat related question regarding builders in JC:

The basement of my 3-unit condo has started emitting a bad, musty smell that seeps to my unit (3rd floor) possibly through the wall cavity next to an exposed brick wall. The smell is strongest in the gap between the drywall and the masonry.

Obviously, the issue of the smell in the basement needs to be addressed (which seems to come from water in the neighbor's yard seeping into the foundation), but so does the issue of vapors emanating from the basement into my unit.

Question is who you would even call for something like this. Do you need someone who specializes in masonry, for example, or would a general contractor do?

The place is brand new, so the builder is still in the area, but completely useless.

Hi. We are a design build firm and have completed, and are in process of completing, townhouses in jersey city. We'd be happy to be considered:

www.agenciegroup.com
212-203-0265

All best - aC

This is excellent advice. Thank you very much! I'm actually looking for local architects as we speak. Hopefully I can find someone good, soon.

Don't have recommendations, however my advice is to get a reputable local architect who has done extensive work in JC, have them recommend 3-4 builders in addition to one or two you scout on your own by walking the neighborhood and checking out buildings you like. Pick a builder who has a long history in JC..it will come in very handy to smooth any problems you might encounter navigating the building process.

Be especially careful if the house you will renovate is attached because damaging a neighbor's house in the construction process can get very expensive and nasty fast.

Hire competent professionals with proper references and insurance, gutting or tearing down a whole house is not a DIY project.

Hi All -

I have a one family near 4th street and Newark Ave. it's a total gut job. In fact, I'm looking to tear down and rebuild.

Does anyone have any builders they can recommend?

Thanks
Sam