Wednesday, August 27, 2014

The Struggle of Building Surveyors: Why are Building Drawings Under-appreciated?

The role of a building surveyor cannot be reduced to,"someone who draws buildings". Creating a professional existing conditions document requires knowledge which spans across residential, commercial, industries, luxury, landmarks, and many more projects. In the most fundamental sense, building surveyors represent a binary profession of both the architectural and construction industries. 
The nature of the work is dangerous, and often requires 2 man crews or more. Entering a burned out tenement, a chemical factory, underground tunnels, etc. is dangerous for anyone, but is necessary for a surveyor to obtain the most accurate measurements. Proper gear is required, as is physical endurance considering larger-scale projects that could take a couple days to measure. 
Measuring Queens College Tunnels
In other countries, such as Scotland and Great Britain, building surveying is a revered profession and the highest-profiled surveyors come from abroad. Why is that? Some argue that the United States doesn't appreciate architecture the same way other countries do, especially European countries. Others will say that the United States doesn't have as much antiquated architecture for there to be a demand of surveyors. Both points of view are erroneous; surveyors deal with all real estate professionals and all forms of architecture. Although slow to catch fire in The States, BSC is a proud surveying company and growing more everyday. 


Monday, August 25, 2014

Building Surveyors in Hell's Kitchen

With the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project underway, its no wonder that developers and brokers are gearing up over properties in Hell's Kitchen. The seedy reputation that used to define this neighborhood is no longer applicable, partly due to its' artsy revival and partly for its increasingly high-end location. Disgruntled tenants from the Village are migrating to Hell's Kitchen for roomier living at a discounted price, and for good reason*. Hell's Kitchen is a Historic District, so its old New York City charm still exists. Additionally, with the completion of the Hudson Yards project, this NYC neighborhood will be much more accessible. One example of these historic buildings is 444 West 55th Street. Measured by BSC in 2012 and sold in 2013, this building houses galleries and antique stores such as Hutter Auction Galleries. 








*http://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/fired-up-over-hells-kitchen/