SERVICES

The most beautiful old houses are often the best sited to take advantage of what a site has to offer such as views, exposure to the sun, shading trees, fresh air, and water.  Modern advances in engineering divided the design of buildings into two separate specialties, architecture and engineering.  This permitted architects to build anywhere in the world, but some wisdom is lost in this approach.  MVA’s approach is to restore this essential synergistic link of a building to its site.  The house and the environment become one durable entity, each feeding the other.  This is not to say engineering is not necessary, but if the sun can heat a house in winter and reduce space heating costs by up to 90%, why not use that energy?

Whether it is an old Brooklyn Brownstone, or an Upper East Side townhouse, MVA explores the practical questions: what works and is merits of preservation and what needs to be modernized or improved?  Our client-focused approach is to assess their requirements and to carefully craft a solution that enhances the old while upgrading to Modern comforts, to give new life to old buildings.

With ample experience working with coop boards and condo associations and their consultants, MVA can deliver a high-quality product on time despite all the constraints, whether they are specific requirement for the building, special filings with municipal agencies, or exceptional programmatic needs of clients.  Each building has a different character, and MVA can work with all of them.

Speed is the essence of this work.  MVA applies strategies with its consultants to deliver according to owners’ scheduling on time.

Many old buildings are found in a state of disrepair, often due to negligence, but more often because of ill-considered interventions by previous owners.  Our approach is thoroughly survey a building project as would a physician with a patient to derive a diagnosis.  Strategies for improving the long-term durability and efficiency of the building are explored.  An old drafty house need not remain so for the sake of preservation.