Carol Sigmond Discusses Challenges of Transforming Office Space Into Living Space
Carol Sigmond was quoted extensively in the Construction SuperConference article “Transforming Office Space to Living Space.” The piece examines how “too much office space and not enough housing has continued to fuel efforts to transform office buildings into affordable (or luxury) housing,” particularly in the New York City region.
Discussing the challenges associated with converting office to living space, Carol said, “There are not a lot of really suitable buildings for conversion. A big issue is zoning. A bigger problem is complying with the multiple dwelling act. The city housing code, requirements for operable windows, and very heavy floor plates in modern buildings all make conversions complicated. Many buildings that are underutilized are really not going to be suitable for conversions, unless there are changes in the multiple housing code—and I don’t see that as likely.”
She added that conversion projects largely resemble other construction ventures, but attorneys would do well to pay even more attention to planning and approvals and that collaborations with engineers, construction managers and developers are crucial in getting the proper approvals. “When you’re dealing with conversion as opposed to new construction, you have all the issues that you would have in any renovation project—such as how accurate is the information that you have about the base building? Has someone done a thorough enough review of conditions? Specific concerns include the floor plate and the floor-area-to-window ratios.”
Carol also stated, “There are some conversions going in more modern buildings, but the floor plates got heavier and the style of the facades doesn’t lend itself to open windows. It really has more to do with the layout and whether or not you’ve got the necessary floor-to-window ratios for the multiple housing code—and whether you can get the proper bathrooms and kitchens in.”
Regarding the impact of return to office (RTO) mandates on the conversion market, Carol acknowledged that some RTO mandates are beginning to take hold but that the “hybrid work trend (some days in-office and some at home) is still prevalent.”
She closed by looking at office sizing challenges in the market saying, “Think about the old days when you were an attorney in a law firm. You had these monster offices, but you didn’t have monster offices because you needed a lot of floor space. You had monster offices because you might have two file cabinets and three bookcases for various papers. That’s not required anymore. The entire operation for my team is two file cabinets. Everything else is in the cloud.”
