Defining parameters,
To redefine perimeters.

Profile

Breaking Boundaries,
Not Rules.

Unlock the full potential of your project with The Zoning Lab, our in-house service designed to help you navigate the complexities of zoning regulations.

With over 35 years of expertise, our team provides clever and creative solutions to maximize the value of your property while ensuring both legal compliance and elevated design.

From concept to construction, we seamlessly integrate design with zoning laws to create spaces that not only meet legal requirements but also elevate the human experience.

Services

We Zone In,
So You Can Zone Out.

Our services leverage our expertise in architecture and zoning to create spaces that exceed expectations. We’re not just building structures, we’re building experiences.

Consulting
Our in-depth study provides creative solutions to maximize value while adhering to all regulations, giving you a clear understanding of zoning requirements and opening up new possibilities for your property.

Zoning Analysis
Our thorough analysis uncovers the opportunities and limitations for your project, ensuring compliance with all NYC Zoning Resolution requirements. Our envelop study goes beyond the basics, exploring the potential for creative design solutions that push the boundaries of what’s possible within legal limits.

Property Assessment
Gain a comprehensive assessment of your property’s potential with our site analysis. This guides us to use the rules to our advantage to create a building that meets all requirements and maximizes value.

Creative Envelope Study
Our team blends architectural creativity and zoning expertise to develop a compelling and functional massing design that seamlessly integrates your zone’s regulations. With a deep understanding of the building’s intended use, we prioritize both form and function to optimize the layout.

Rezoning
We oversee the entire rezoning journey, from DCP (Department of City Planning) meetings to construction. Our team is experienced in managing potential obstacles that may arise with HPD (Housing Preservation Department) and DCP, ensuring a smooth and successful process.

Rockaway Residential Complex

Type New Building

Location Queens, NY

Size 500,000 SQ. FT.

Completion In Progress

Rockaway Residential Complex was built in response to the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy. While environmental changes were the motivating factor for our zoning approach, the development is also built to address a critical housing shortage in the area, add more public space, and sustain neighborhood continuity.

The Zoning Lab worked closely with the Department of City Planning to have the project permitted as a large-scale general development, the first of its kind in the area. With R6 zoning and proximity to the shoreline, it was necessary to be inventive about structuring a set of buildings that ensured the safety and longevity of the project in the face of any possible environmental impact.

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Xadia

Type New Building

Location Manhattan, NY

Size 120,000 SQ. FT.

Completion In Progress

The Zoning Lab transcended several complex zoning challenges to enhance the design and efficiency of Midtown Manhattan’s H Hotel, enabling the expansion of the building’s capacity from 140 units to an impressive 173 units.

The remarkable transformation of the redesigned hotel leverages extensive knowledge of zoning regulations paired with expressive design and technical prowess. This ingenuity is realized with the addition of a 25-foot cantilever over the adjacent property, which substantially increases the building’s square footage and augments an additional 68 units.

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Apple Store Williamsburg

Type New Building

Location Brooklyn, NY

Size 20,532 SQ. FT

Completion 2016

Navigating zoning requirements was the key to unlocking a more efficient and timely construction process for Apple’s Williamsburg store while maximizing the available retail space.

When we determined that constructing a new building would be more suitable to meet Apple’s specifications, we determined that a new building would mean extra requirements that would decrease retail space. Instead, we optimized the existing property and avoided triggering those additional requirements.

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Case Studies

Shaping
New Territories.

If you are interested in seeing other projects we’ve worked on and helped to achieve optimal zoning and space requirements, please visit the links below.

Case Study

Xadia Hotel