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Combining two townhouses is always a challenge. Creating a seamless transition from one house to the next with no steps up or down, is especially complex. Reis was excited to take on this unique project, which combined a previously rebuilt townhouse with one that required a complete structural rebuild, excavation, underpinning, a rooftop addition and rear curtain wall installation.

Our team tackled the floorplate integration with the help of our Virtual Design and Construction team, led by Chief Technology Officer Shaun Frazier, which used LiDAR scanning to assess the conditions and create a plan on where every floor would be set before construction started.

The wearable LiDAR SLAM device collected all the data needed to start construction in a fraction of the time compared to the traditional, terrestrial method of site analysis. We were also able to eliminate the back and forth of probing the site for conditions with this technology, which enabled the client to live on-site without disruption.

Reis’ technology system is a powerful asset for any high-end residential construction project. To learn more about it, download our brochure here.

Reis Contracting’s Principal and CEO, Ed Reis, spoke on a panel about how builders, along with architects and owner representatives, can help residential brokers and their clients find success at Our Trusted Network’s inaugural meeting in Las Vegas. 

Reis was invited to take part in the event where attendees came from countries as far as France, Australia and India. Stan Ponte, Senior Global Real Estate Advisor and Associate Broker of Sotheby’s Realty hosted the conference. Ed Reis spoke alongside Grant Bowen, Founding Principal of Peak Projects and Joe Di Napoli, Founding Principal of STUDY Architects. The panel was moderated by Reis’ Senior Vice President, Eric McLaughlin and Monica Wright, Divisional Principal, Estate & Asset Management of Peak Projects. We were thrilled to partner with both teams with whom we share a passion and expertise in working alongside residential clients and brokers.

Panel topics focused on the intersection of our three disciplines and Ed discussed several unique projects and how we problem-solved alongside our partners and clients, including a triple townhouse facing complex structural issues and a mountainside ground-up house. The panel concluded with an open conversation centered around market trends, such as supply chain and labor challenges, and the ways that brokers, builders, architects, and owner representatives can work together to optimize client satisfaction and project success.

Surrounded by the light installations of Stickbulb, some of the most talented designers, architects and industry influencers joined Reis for a celebratory evening with food by Chef Ben Walmer of the Highlands Dinner Club. Many thanks to the generous support of our cosponsors Merritt and Hyde Park Mouldings, and to Stickbulb for graciously opening up their studio for an incredible evening!

We are excited to see another Reis project featured in ELLE DECOR. This was a complete renovation of a West Village townhouse with the design team at Robert Couturier. 

The scope of the work included selective demolition, carpentry and finished carpentry as needed to accommodate new systems throughout, including a new HVAC, electrical, lighting and an upgraded heating system. D.Reis Furniture fabricated and installed all the cabinets and millwork items, including vanities, closet interiors, kitchen, pantry and hidden storage units for the AV equipment.

Each project comes with its own set of challenges. In this case our team was tasked with salvaging many of the existing historical elements during selective demolition as they integrate new systems into the property and then restore and refinish all surfaces for seamless finished product.  A few of the salvaged items include the red oak wood floors, staircase and existing plaster crown moldings.

Because the project began in the fall of 2019, and finished in winter 2020, we were directly impacted by the effects of the COVID lockdown. When the job site was shut down, the team took a proactive approach, working on shop drawings and turning to Zoom to hash out design issues, update site conditions and strategically set a return-to-work schedule. We also worked diligently with our subcontractors to ensure that all equipment and products were ordered. We managed and mitigated the many delays that resulted from the pandemic, including swapping out certain products or equipment for similar items to make up for issues with supply chains without compromising build or design standards. Our transparent approach with the client and our partners enabled everyone to manage expectations in terms of cost and completion dates.

Special thanks to the many members of the Reis team who made this project possible and the amazing design team at Robert Couturier for allowing us to build a beautiful home with him, again. To see more photos of this home, visit the project page here.

Gallery Shulamit Nazarian opened their doors to Reis guests for a special exhibition preview with artist Annie Lapin.  The evening included cocktails and inventive bites by The Fine Art of Events and guests mingled throughout the gallery spaces and viewing rooms.  Special thanks to our sponsor, Merritt.

Zen Studios LA Photography

On June 22, Peter Lane opened his studio to Reis and a select group of designers, architects and industry influencers for an evening of art and food by Chef Ben Walmer and the Champions of the Highlands Dinner Club. A special thanks to the cosponsors, Merritt, Hyde Park Mouldings and Marblecrafters, as well as Scott Daniel.

Reis hosted a fine-dining experience at Arcana: Books on the Arts in the historic Helms Bakery on June 8th for over 50 of Los Angeles’ leaders in high-end architecture, design, art, and real estate. Food and wine provided by Kathleen Sacchi. Special thanks to our cosponsors, Merritt, Powerful Group, Salas O’Brien, and Stoneland.

More than 100 industry friends gathered on September 15th at the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm in honor of Brick & Wonder. Guests dined on an elevated menu by Chef Ben Walmer of the Highlands Dinner Club, with ingredients sourced just a few feet away. Many thanks to our co-sponsors, Global Real Estate Advisor Stan Ponte of Sotheby’s International Realty, Metrica, Revival Sash, Marble Crafters, and NY Little Elves.

A Reis built West Village townhouse has been featured in September’s Architectural Digest.

The owners have called this West Village townhouse home for decades, including through two comprehensive renovations. In 2017, SKOLNICK alongside Steven Volpe Design engaged Reis Contracting to reimagine what a classical townhouse could be.

Among the many dramatic structural renovations, the largest was removing the rear brick façade and replacing it with glass, introducing natural light and rear-yard views into all but three rooms of the house. In addition, a large part of the rear second-floor ceiling was removed, creating a dramatic vaulted kitchen, further letting light into the home. There are several other natural light features in the house, including a custom cantilevered staircase from the first through the fourth floor with an enormous skylight above that floods light into adjoining spaces.

The combination of these natural light-producing elements creates the illusion one is in an open loft, rather than a downtown townhouse. The large-scale structural changes and excavation seem natural to the surroundings. The front of the house is in fact landmarked and behind it is a modern retreat from the city. See the project here.

The New Reality of Architecture, Technology and Construction was a panel discussion on the integration of technology, design and construction featuring Reis’ Chief Technology Officer Shaun Frazier, Colin Slaten of Peter Pennoyer Architects, Adam Lowenthal of Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Lindsey DuBosar of Hart Howerton. This panel discussed how to leverage technology for a higher level of dynamic communication and collaboration with your design teams, consultants and contractors.

Program Overview:

Terms like Building Information Modeling and Integrated Project Delivery have been around for years. Despite their advantages, we often find ourselves working in isolation and in linear workflows and communication throughout design and construction. This is in part is due to legacy workflows, intellectual property practices, lack of client awareness, or simply the challenge of technological implementation. 

Since the advent of COVID, we are seeing more firms lean towards cloud modeling software with points cloud technology, hosting coordination review meetings over a web conference and communicating clash avoidance with contractors. Whether using CAD, ArchiCAD or Revit, the opportunity is ever more present to take full advantage the “I” in Building Information Modeling and foster a closer partnership with our consultants and contractors.

This panel of Technologists from classical architecture and high-end residential design and construction will gather to discuss design coordination, collaboration tools and workflows that can be utilized to better leverage a higher level of dynamic communication and collaboration with your design teams, consultants and contractors.