RAND Engineering & Architecture, DPC

When owners, boards, and managers are planning facade repairs, water infiltration concerns should be part of the conversation early. Water can travel through masonry, flashing, roof, parapet, window, or concealed wall conditions before appearing inside. When that leak history overlaps with FISP repair planning, it can shape the repair scope, access needs, budget, and long-term plan for the property. Following RAND Partner and Facade & Roofing Team Leader Luke Pantaleo, RA, NCARB’s recent Habitat Magazine feature on a FISP repair project complicated by water infiltration, we’re looking at why leak history belongs in the facade repair planning process. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gFWKBWxz #FISP #FacadeRepair #WaterInfiltration #BuildingEnvelope #LeakageEvaluation

It’s June 30. Today marks the end of the grace period for 2026 Local Law 97 reporting and the deadline to request an extension in BEAM. What should your building do next? Whether you filed or requested additional time, don’t stop there. Your LL97 report contains valuable information about your building’s energy performance, emissions, and where future planning should begin. The buildings that get the greatest long-term value from the reporting process are the ones that use it to prioritize capital improvements, budget strategically, and prepare for the next compliance period beginning in 2030. Learn what owners, boards, and property managers should be looking at next, and how the reporting process can help inform planning for the years ahead: https://lnkd.in/dEBaTYfn If you requested an extension, RAND can help you complete and submit the report by the August 29 filing deadline. If your report is complete, we can help you use the results to plan for 2030 and beyond. Contact us at 212-675-8844 or info@randpc.com. #LocalLaw97 #LL97 #NYCBuildings #EnergyCompliance #BuildingPerformance

For one cooperative building, a completed capital improvement project became the basis for a successful J-51 tax benefit application. RAND supported the application process by helping organize the required documentation and coordinate with the building’s expeditor. The result was an approval for J-51 tax benefits valued at more than $500,000 over the next eight years. We’re proud to recognize RAND Senior Project Associate Yessica Marinez for the knowledge, professionalism, and persistence she brought to the process. As Joseph L. Bavaro, Senior Vice President of Finger Management Realty, LLC, shared: “Yessica Marinez did an amazing job on our project. She is knowledgeable, professional, and handled every challenge. With Yessica’s help, along with our expediter, our building was approved for a J-51 tax benefit in excess of $500,000 over the next eight years. We couldn’t have achieved this success without her, and I will definitely be recommending RAND to our buildings in the future.” Congratulations to Yessica and the project team on helping deliver a meaningful result for our client. #J51 #FISP #CapitalImprovements #RANDEngineeringArchitecture

#sitevisitviews No matter how many times we’re up there, views like this of our city still get us for a second. From a house rig on a 64-story building, our team gets a close look at exterior wall conditions, from facade materials and sealants to connection points, appurtenances, and other details that matter for thorough FISP documentation and filing. RAND’s Facade & Roofing Team has filed more than 4,400 Local Law 11/FISP reports across NYC since 1987, with extensive field experience on buildings of many sizes, facade types, and access conditions. FISP Cycle 10 is underway across NYC. Visit our FISP fact sheet to review filing windows, inspection requirements, and what your building should be planning for now: www.randpc.com/fisp 🎥 by RAND Project Manager Claire Taylor, Assoc. AIA #FISP #FacadeInspection #BuildingEnvelope #NYCBuildings

Today, RAND joined Daylight Hour, a global campaign led by Building Energy Exchange that encourages participants around the world to turn off nonessential lights for one hour and use natural daylight instead. It’s a simple act, but an important reminder: energy efficiency is not only about major upgrades. It also starts with awareness, daily operations, occupant behavior, and the everyday choices that affect how much energy a building uses. Thank you to our teams for participating! Learn more about the initiative here: https://daylighthour.org/ #DaylightHour #EnergyEfficiency #BuildingPerformance #Sustainability #RANDEngineeringArchitecture

FISP Cycle 10 is moving quickly, and waiting can get expensive. We are now more than halfway through Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) Sub-cycle 10A, and Sub-cycle 10B is already open. Buildings in Sub-cycle 10A, on blocks ending in 4, 5, 6, or 9, must file by February 21, 2027. Buildings in Sub-cycle 10B, on blocks ending in 0, 7, or 8, must file by February 21, 2028. The deadlines may seem far off, but facade inspections take planning. For many buildings, owners should allow approximately 4–6 months for planning, access coordination, close-up inspection, documentation, owner review, and filing. If repairs are required, the timeline can be significantly longer. The later building owners wait, the fewer cost-effective options they may have. As filing windows advance, QEWIs, scaffold and rope access crews, sidewalk shed contractors, and repair teams can become harder to schedule. RAND is a recognized leader in FISP compliance, with nearly 40 years of experience, more than 4,400 facade inspection reports filed, and hundreds of repair programs successfully completed. As an industry leader in rope access inspections, RAND can help dramatically reduce compliance costs compared with traditional rigging where site conditions allow. The #1 way to control FISP costs? Start the process now. Read RAND’s FISP fact sheet: www.randpc.com/fisp

Summer interns with our Facade & Roofing Team recently joined RAND Project Architect Niria Kountouri, RA, QEWI, for Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) field work at a newer building in Astoria, Queens. The visit covered FISP condition identification, repair quantification, drawing markups, parapet measurements, and probe procedures and findings, giving the interns a practical look at how facade inspection moves from field observation to documentation: identifying conditions, locating them on drawings, understanding their extent, and turning observations into repair-planning information. Newer buildings still require careful exterior wall review. FISP inspections look beyond building age, with attention to conditions that can be influenced by weather exposure, construction quality, and facade component performance over time. . . . #FISP #BuildingEnvelope #FacadeInspection #Mentorship #SummerInternship

RAND is pleased to name Peter Scallion, Joanna Kuther, and Jason Damiano, PE, as Associate Principals. Leadership is built through steady work: solving complex problems, guiding teams, building client trust, and supporting and lifting up the people around you. Peter, Joanna, and Jason have each brought that kind of leadership to RAND through their technical expertise, judgment, mentorship, and commitment to the clients and communities we serve. Joanna’s promotion also marks a meaningful milestone for RAND, as she becomes the first woman to hold the Associate Principal title at the firm. Together, these promotions reflect the strength of leadership across RAND and the continued growth of our 100% employee-owned firm from within. Congratulations to Peter, Joanna, and Jason on this well-earned recognition! Read the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/geHPHbfe . . . #Leadership #Architecture #Engineering #AEC

Less than two weeks remain until June 30 for 2026 Local Law 97 reporting. June 30 is the end of the automatic grace period and the deadline to request an extension in BEAM. Owners that request an extension by June 30 may have until August 29, 2026 to submit the report. But whether a building is filing now or requesting more time, the larger question remains: What should our building do next? Our latest article looks at how owners and managers can use the reporting process to better understand current building data, system performance, near-term next steps, and longer-term planning for the next LL97 compliance period beginning in 2030. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dEBaTYfn . . . #LocalLaw97 #LL97 #NYCBuildings #EnergyCompliance #BuildingPerformance

A sneak peek at two new sidewalk shed prototypes coming to NYC streets! The new designs offer a look at how sidewalk sheds can provide required public protection while allowing for more light, visibility, and pedestrian space. Better shed design can improve the pedestrian experience, but the larger goal remains the same: sheds should be temporary. That requires timely facade inspections, clear repair planning, and a path to resolving the conditions that required the shed in the first place.