Our clients acquired a development site in Brooklyn with exceptional potential and exceptional complexity: building directly above the L subway line with contaminated soil conditions. Most developers would walk away. They needed an architect who could navigate multiple regulatory agencies to make the project viable. 

The challenge: design and permit an 8-story, 8-unit residential building over active MTA infrastructure while managing EPA soil remediation requirements. Each agency brought its own technical requirements, approval timelines, and non-negotiable constraints that could sink the project if not coordinated perfectly. 

We managed the regulatory gauntlet: coordinating with MTA on foundation design and construction protocols over subway infrastructure, working with EPA on contaminated soil remediation and environmental compliance, and maintaining NYC Department of Buildings approvals throughout. Simultaneously, we designed a building that respects its dynamic Brooklyn context—white brick with black metal window frames and balconies creating a quiet, confident presence rather than shouting for attention. 

The result: successful completion in Summer 2020. The clients transformed a complicated site into 8 residential units plus ground-floor commercial space, proving that challenging sites can deliver strong returns with the right technical and regulatory expertise. 

Project Scope: 

• Location: Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (over L subway line) 
• Type: New construction mixed-use building 
• Size: 8 stories, 8 residential units, ground-floor commercial 
• Completed: Summer 2020 
• Major challenges: MTA coordination (building over active subway), EPA compliance (contaminated soil remediation) 
• Design approach: White brick with black metal accents, contextual integration 
• Services: Design, MTA coordination, EPA compliance, permitting, construction administration