Tribeca Duplex Penthouse by IPD Partners
My colleague David Silverstein’s understanding of the business has led to engagements with the likes of Tiffany & Co, Giorgio Armani, and Vera Wang, to name a few. Read our interview with him, CEO of IPD Partners, if you want to learn how construction in NYC really goes.
What do architects not want in a partner?
Silverstein: Architects are reticent to have a partner that creates copious amounts of change orders; everyone dreads seeing additional costs that must be explained to their clients. A close second is having a partner who strays from the architect’s original design intent; suggesting, or worse, installing, equipment and finishes contrary to what the architect is looking for.
What are 3 major questions or concerns expressed when discussing a project?
Silverstein: Schedule always comes into play, beginning on day one. The economic demands of New York City seem to trigger a hyper-realistic idea of when projects will be completed, and discount the environmental delays that may alter the dates when Owners may move into their apartments/open their retail stores, etc. The reality in NYC is that most residential buildings have very short work hours as well as building holidays when work cannot be done. This affects whether the schedule can be pushed forward. Also, there is a shortage of good, qualified labor at the moment. Subcontractors and managers who are reasonably priced and very competent are in extreme demand.
The second concern is generally price. The reality is, things in NYC cost two to three times as much as in the rest of the country. We often see that the owner may have an idea of price and the architect has an amazing design aesthetic that a relatively few artisans can achieve. As the General Contractor we’re often the voice in between; trying to mitigate expectations while still maintaining the quality outcome expected by all stakeholders.
Reputation risk is also a matter of concern. A quality NYC architect is generally uninclined to bring a contractor or subcontractor on board who may pose a risk to the firm’s reputation, often despite the “attractiveness” of a low price.
What do people have the most to learn about on a project?
Silverstein: Technology changes so rapidly that generally most professionals need to spend some amount of time coming up to speed with technical changes on virtually every new job. To give you an idea, in twelve months we could see 75% of legacy technology replaced by newer connectivity technology.
Streaming media is one of the rapidly evolving technologies that often comes up. Implementing either too many or two few services will diminish the user experience. Wireless connectivity is coming into its own in terms of bandwidth and, with that bandwidth comes its own equipment with its own set of challenges.
How do builders respond to the needs of homeowners using software?
Silverstein: We use construction management software to track our jobs on a daily basis, everything from manpower to resources to site safety.
Recently we installed a third-party app called Raken that’s worked quite well for us in terms of tracking site progress day to day. It allows us to post pictures and share daily reports with architects and owners. This has changed our business quite a bit in terms of the real-time communication between the field, the office, the architects, and the owners.
Do you offer any home maintenance services after construction?
Silverstein: Currently we don’t. Service and maintenance are a vastly different business than General Contracting and construction, and requires, in my opinion, a separate team to do it. We’ve seen at the end of a project the roles between warranty and periodic maintenance become blurred. We try to eliminate any confusion by presenting the Owner with a close-out booklet containing maintenance procedures and clear warranty policies.
What challenges do architects have with finishes such as window treatments?
Silverstein: With finishes such as window treatments, it’s about educating the end user as to how these systems work. Often times, introducing technology can be perceived by the client as complicated. They simply want to flip a switch to turn the light on or pull a chain to close the shade. But once they understand the technology, they can appreciate the convenience and time saving that can come from tools such as scene control and remote management.
How do you ease stress?
Silverstein: I feel a lot of project stress is caused by a lack of Expectation Management.
Every construction project has is own unique set of issues. Unless you’re working on a mass retail roll-out, such as building a Starbucks or a Home Depot, almost every job is a unique prototype. In a custom-built environment, you’re creating something where those specific materials are being joined in that particular space for the first time and there’s going to be some amount of trial and error. Something will always come up that affects the schedule and/or the budget. If you’ve anticipated this and have built in some tolerance for it (such as a Budget Contingency or allowance for additional time at the end of the project), you’ll be fine. One observation I’ve made in my nearly 20 years of doing this, at the end of the day everyone moves in to their renovated homes, all the stores open for business and the stress disappears.
What does it take for a vendor to join your team/be removed from your team?
Silverstein: It takes a track record. We like to see that a vendor is working in the same types of buildings on the same types of projects that we’re working on. Usually it’s referral based.
To get rid of someone? There must be a pervasive lack of coming through on what they’re expected to do. We are performing at the highest level and we expect our vendors to do the same. We’re all in it together.