A landmark Upper West Side co-op thought its terracotta facade just needed another round of repairs. Instead, it uncovered nine cycles of patchwork that had made things worse. Raul Mayta, principal architect and co-founder of M+S Architects and Engineers, walks through how his team used laser scanning and hands-on investigation to find hidden cracks masked by old waterproofing, and why some sections had to be fully replaced rather than repaired again. He explains the real difference between stabilizing and replacing terracotta, how digital documentation can save future boards time and money, and why accurate surveys set the tone for an entire project's budget and timeline. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.

Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Replacing a roof sounds straightforward — until it isn't. For co-op and condo boards, a routine repair can spiral into a cascade of unexpected consequences, all triggered by something as small as a change in thickness. In this episode, Craig Tooman, principal at CTA Architects, talks about how today's energy code is quietly rewriting the rules of roof replacement in ways most boards never see coming. There's a high-tech solution that sounds almost too good to be true, but Tooman explains why it might not be the right call for every building. The tradeoffs are real, and boards who hear them now will be far better prepared when the time comes. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.

Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Switching managing agents sounds straightforward — until it isn't. In this episode Meredith Wettach, manager at WilkinGuttenplan, unpacks the financial surprises that quietly derail co-op and condo buildings during management transitions. Wettach has seen it all: missing records, dormant accounts nobody knew existed, and six-figure expenses that slipped through the cracks for years before anyone noticed. She walks boards through the specific documents, accounts, and vendor relationships that demand immediate attention when a new agent takes over — and explains why even well-intentioned, hardworking boards so often miss them. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.

Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!