Architects Share Helpful Tips From Their Own Home Renovations
These expert insights will help you navigate the dos and don’ts of the remodel process.
Text by Melissa Dalton
When an architect decides to remodel their own home, the design vision is usually the easy part. The realities of the renovation process can present numerous hurdles, such as budget
constraints, resale concerns, or unexpected roadblocks that only reveal themselves when demolition starts. We asked several architects who recently completed their own home renovations for their best tips on navigating the journey.
Assemble a Trusted Team
Before: New York City–based architect Ali Höcek and his partner, Cynthia Corsiglia, put together a talented team to help them remodel their midcentury building in Newburgh, New York. In the backyard, the landscape was regraded and a dry well was installed to avoid chronic flooding and protect the structure.
After: A new gabion wall holds the slope and serves as a decorative feature. The couple can step out of their bedroom and enjoy the new back garden. "We feel a part of the city, but there’s still this sense of privacy," says Ali.
After: A new door and window combination improve access to the private garden.
Photo: Stefan Hagen
A fantastic design isn’t much without the proper execution from a trusted construction team. "I cannot stress enough the value in finding a consistently responsible local contractor and subcontractors," says architect Ali Höcek, who renovated a 1973 building in Newburgh, New York, to include a commercial space at the front and a one-bedroom apartment in the rear. "The latter may include electricians, carpenters, and plumbers," continues the founder of the eponymous New York City–based architecture firm. "If a reliable or available local crew is not possible, it might be worthwhile—and in the end, a financial savings—to bring in a trusted builder from someplace else and provide them lodging for a period."
See more of Ali’s remodel: A Crumbling 1970s Building Is Revived as a Dual-Unit Home with a Barbershop