Reviewing the Architectural Floor Plans for the Brownstone Remodel

Project: Manhattan Remodel and Cape Cod Affordable, Episode 1, Part 2



Bob is on Manhattan's Upper West Side to renew a 2,000-square-foot Brownstone apartment. First, he looks at what made Brownstones significant, including their details and façades.

Inside the building, Bob shows how the space was cut up in the 1940s to make a warren of rooms. These walls and finishes will be removed as the space is gutted to prepare for new studs, walls, plumbing, and finishes.

Pieces will be salvaged for architectural resale, including the pink sink from the bathroom and the retro cabinets in the kitchen, but everything else will go. Bob also visits Central Park, its caretakers, trees, and monuments.
Part 1: New York Brownstone Development & Design
Part 2: Reviewing the Architectural Floor Plans for the Brownstone Remodel
Bob and Chris Vila work their way to the back of the apartment, through the hallway with its Victorian wallpaper, past the closet with original built-ins, and into the bedroom with high ceilings and a door to the back balcony.

They are joined by architect Brian O'Keefe who shows the plans for the remodel. To take advantage of the light in the front of the building, O'Keefe has designed a live-in and eat-in kitchen that will move family space to the most desirable spot in the apartment.

Bob meets Jim Kweskin of Fort Hill Construction who will serve as the project supervisor for the Brownstone remodel. Kweskin points out the salvage work that is taking place, including the removal of the pink sink.

Mario Pagano of Pagano Plumbing removes the sink and tells Bob how unusual and desirable both the sink and faucet are to salvage specialists and remodelers. He also points out how important it is to save things during demolition.

Bob reviews the demolition schedule with Kweskin and learns that asbestos tile was discovered in the kitchen, which meant calling an asbestos abatement contractor and slowing the demolition schedule by a couple of days.
Part 3: Touring Central Park in New York City
This project deals with two very different notions of home. Bob begins on New York City's Upper West Side, where an 1890s Brownstone is revitalized through high-quality craftsmanship and sensitive design. New York's past meets its present, as the entire floor is recaptured and refurbished to create a spacious urban apartment on the doorstep of Central Park.

At the same time, Bob works with a Cape Cod developer to apply Massachusetts land use statute 40B to create affordable housing, and a neighborhood of homes in Mashpee, MA. These Energy Star certified homes show how quality building practices and reasonable asking prices can work together to provide livable, affordable homes and neighborhoods to those who work in our communities.

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