Steve helped me to get a 19-year old outstanding DOB permit approved for an apartment in a landmark…read morebuilding. This wasn't a creative project for an architect. Actually I am sure it was very painful to deal with all the red tapes. During those 4 months, he even contacted me in the after hours to give me the progress. Thank you.

My answer to your response is - I guess you never worked with an expeditor. I never asked you to…read morepull permits yourself. ---------- Where do I begin? This architect is disgustingly unprofessional and more importantly, a bad person. He was 15 minutes late to our meeting, walked in while I was speaking to his co workers, Jasmine and Dong, and was completely dismissive about the entire meeting. When I started to ask him about the next steps to move forward, like how to pull permits and the pricing for the design, he completely FLIPPED out telling me why would he pull permits when that's the contractor's job? I was a bit taken aback since my previous architect pulled permits alongside my contractor. He then started to allege that I use unlicensed contractors. I started to wonder what he was getting at and why he was being such a rude jerk. He then had the nerve to pull out the BIS gov website and ask me about the contractor I used and the address. When I tried to tell him the architect firm, he got very angry and said why would I care about the architect? HELLO! You asked who pulled the permits! He found my previous project and everything was up to code. This guy is disgusting. There is NP way he's a legit architect because he doesn't have any skills on how to speak to clients. Stay away. You can find architects who pull permits alongside the contractors. This means he has very bad relationships with the DOB.

Stephen Wang + Associates were the architects on a gut renovation of an apartment we bought that…read morehad not been renovated since the 1940's. We were not quite ready to "hit the ground running" when we closed on the purchase as we were then still going through the process of meeting with different architects, reviewing their portfolios and checking with former clients. I don't know what higher compliment I can give Stephen Wang than to say that in a process that extended almost two year from the beginning of the design phase to the day we walked into our fabulous new home, there hasn't been a day, a single day, that we haven't said how lucky, and how grateful we are that we selected Stephen as our architect. During the design process the five traits that I think stand Stephen head and shoulders above all of the other architects I met became clear. First, and probably most important, he's simply a great architect. I won't elaborate here because I think his portfolio speaks louder and more eloquently to this than I ever could. Second, he truly listens. There was so much we wanted in our apartment, from my wife's desire not to be isolated from our guests when she's in the kitchen (he put a pocket door in the wall that had separated the Living Room from the Kitchen, so now she never feels like she's missing out when we're entertaining and she's cooking) to my wanting to keep an antique French fireback that was in our old apartment but didn't fit the fireplace in our new home (he mounted it as a beautiful bas relief in the Powder Room), and he listened to what was important to us and addressed both our concerns and our desires in professional and stunning ways that never smacked of an architect merely catering to the whims of a demanding client. SWA is all about collaboration, and while it's become a cliche today when people say "the client comes first," Stephen Wang uses his genius to make your dream a reality. The third thing I found so impressive about Stephen during the design of our apartment was, to borrow the refrain from the musical "The Music Man", "you gotta know the territory!", and Stephen does! Stephen's knowledge of every aspect of the design process was beyond incredible. When it came to the trades and professionals, Stephen was always the one leading the discussion because he was just so damn knowledgable, telling the HVAC consultant where the bends in the ducts should go and what angle would be most efficient, advising the acoustical consultant how to provide the best soundproofing, and directing the millwork guys how they could fit a closet in a seemingly inaccessible space. And the "knock your socks off" part of his expertise was how it extended to every choice we had to make during this adventure, from the selection of wood for the floors (and the best stains and finishes for the wood), to the best stoves (don't know any other architect who can talk at length about the pluses and minuses of dual-fuel oven vs. all gas) to the TVs for the Study (telling the AV consultant to wait to buy the TV as Samsung was coming out with a new model in a month), Stephen knew the marketplace as well as (better!) any of the experts. The fourth thing about SWA that really needs to be highlighted is Stephen's experience in the New York City design community and the broad range of contacts he has made who, I can tell from my experience, all have tremendous respect for him. When friends in other coops heard that our plans included a "wet over dry" relocation of the Powder Room, everyone said "no chance", and that was even before they learned that our coop had never before in its 85 year history approved a wet-over-dry proposal. While I think Stephen's planning and design were largely responsible for us getting this approved, I believe his long background of dealing with the building's architect was tremendously helpful; they knew that if Stephen put his name on something, that meant a lot. The fifth, and final qualification that I believe makes Stephen Wang so special is his calm and assuring (and re-assuring) manner. He never gets ruffled or excited, and views every insurmountable problem as just another challenge to be conquered. When my wife and I first interviewed Stephen, he said that his job was to break everything down into small discreet decisions and to give us a few options from which to chose in order to keep the process from becoming overwhelming. I don't know how he did it, but he did. Priceless. While I've spoken about Stephen Wang and SWA synonymously, I'm a bit neglectful and should mention the fabulous people he has working with him, who provide powerful support and follow-up, making dealing with this firm a very positive and truly rewarding experience. To anyone looking for an architect in New York, I would recommend Stephen Wang whole-heartedly and without reservation.

I have never written a review on the internet until today. I read the review on Stephen Wang…read moreArchitect by Viola E and I felt an overwhelming need to respond. I am a Department of Buildings filing representative/building code consultant and have been working with Stephen Wang for over 20 years. During these years, I have never been retained by Mr. Wang's firm. I have been retained directly by the apartment owner or building owners. As such, I have gotten to know the owners relatively well and not once has there been any complaints against Mr. Wang. During the years that I have worked with Mr. Wang and his office, I have experienced first-hand how Mr. Wang treats every project and every client. He treats each client exactly the same regardless of the size of the project, cost of the project and wealth of the building owner. It has been my experience that Mr. Wang pays exceptional detail to every aspect of the project. It is Mr. Wang's personality to insure that the apartment/building owner gets the best possible result and is completely satisfied with the finished project. Viola E states that Mr. Wang's "team made many mistakes including false filing with the DOB....". This statement can be considered libel or slander against me and my firm because a "false" filing can be punished by the DOB. I take this statement personally because I too provide the best product possible without taking any short-cuts in the DOB filing process. The DOB filing process includes the preparation of DOB forms which is complicated, tedious and time-consuming. As such, there is always a possibility of a discrepancy in the preparation of forms versus the information on the plans. In fact, it is very common for many projects to require an amendment because of some discrepancy on the forms. Therefore, this discrepancy is far from a false filing!!! The review by Viola E is unfounded and unfair, she is extremely unreasonable. Mr. Wang has been the architect in close to a hundred projects in New York City with not one review that has been less than stellar. Could it be that Viola E blames the architect Stephen Wang when in fact she was the problem on her project.

Jim consulted with me several times on my gut renovation project and provided expert advice. He…read morebrings expertise from two decades of experience to the table, and also his work is of impeccable quality. I saw a passive house he was gut renovating in Park Slope, and it was absolutely stunning! Jim knows how to preserve historic details while bringing the design into the modern era in a tasteful, classic way. He exudes calmness and wisdom and is a pleasure to be around. Full disclosure in that I ultimately had to choose a less experienced architect because Jim's fee, although completely reasonable given his level of skill and expertise, was a bit out of our price range.

Jim was great to work with. We did a semi-gut renovation in 3 bedroom/2 bathroom apt. The quality…read moreof his work and suggestions were exactly what we wanted based on my husband and my feedback. Jim is very detailed and each week during renovation, we had him manage the project with the contractor to ensure the final output was done properly. Most Manhattan apartments are not symmetrical, so the early stage on doing things a certain way goes a long way on the final look. He understands plumbing, and electrical well to communicate to our contractors. He referred us to a HVAC engineer. When it came to interior design, we had Sarah who provided feedback and suppliers information. She was also very helpful. Jim knows the DOB process well and helped us resolved many issues even during covid and DOB rule changed in 2020 and 2021. We also had him manage the project with the contractors. The contractors don't have the same design eyes and were a bit sloppy and forgetful so it was imperative to have Jim help us. Urban charges by the hour and provided an accurate estimate of the cost. Make sure what projects he's working on so he can allocate time properly. In the beginning with the design drawing schematic, it took a while cause he was on a couple of brownstone projects but overall still have a very positive experience with Jim. He was responsive.

Charles Diehl is my go to Architect from now. An absolute pleasure to work with!…read more My wife and I are super happy with the outcome of our place and the whole experience overall with Charles Diehl's office. I am a client for life!

A truly professional service. Compared to other architects that I have worked with in the past he…read moreis the only one I will go to in the future..

The board of our building has worked with Rand for over 15 years on various capital improvements…read more(I've been on the board for 10 years) including Local Law 11 facade inspections and repairs, and we always turn to them for plan reviews. We just finished a large multi-year repair project and I cannot say enough good things about them. The engineers we've worked with have been a pleasure to interact with and are very knowledgable and responsive. I highly recommend them.

I am still in the middle of an endless nightmare dealing with RAND. They take an obscene amount of…read moretime to review the most basic documents, and have endless minute changes that delay the process. They also BS you with platitudes and promises of due dates that they blow right through. It took 2 months for the first review, almost another month for the 2nd review... and the most minor comments preventing the process from moving forward. It is the worst process ever, and all parties involved in the project are frustrated with them. Would absolutely not recommend working with them.

Excellent design, and communication. As a Mechanical Engineer I work with many Architects, James…read morePrisco is good enough for me to use on my own home. Nuff Said!!!

Worked with Jim and his team to design our home after Hurricane Sandy. They have been responsive…read moreand professional and are clearly aware of the "paperwork" and requirements that are often daunting. D Snyder

William has been consulting on an off now for a couple of years on the up state house that I have…read more He's very attentive incredibly considerate and always has your best interest in mind. Very Knowledgeable on historical houses.

It would be prudent to avoid William. He seems to have little residential experience and has…read moreterrible project management skills. Does not listen to the client. Pros: Decent high level design concept Cons: Rude, arrogant, and mistake prone architect that does not hold himself accountable for errors. He does not check even the most basic of forms. He admits he signs DOB forms from expeditors without reviewing. His surveys "measured" rooms incorrectly by feet, not inches. Black box style billing practices leads to wasted time disputing charges. His answer to one query was to "just pay the damn bill". In summary, a person who only adds enormous stress to an already stressful project. Avoid.

If you are thinking of going with Vanguard...don't hesitate. Just do it! Oleksii and his team did a…read morefantastic job with our long and complicated project. The quality of his work is tremendous, he has a great eye for design and is extremely hardworking! He is also able to work with you on your budget. I highly recommend him for all of your design and architectural needs!

what can I say about Vanguard development? I went in the process of buying a home that was in need…read moreof complete renovation. I personally know virtually nothing about renovating or decorating. As you can imagine, this can be a rather stressful situation to be in when you consider that you will be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. It is my unequivocal opinion that hiring oleksii and vanguard is the best single investment you can make throughout this process. Vanguard creates extremely detailed 3-dimensional representations of all of your spaces. I consider myself to be a person of pretty good taste, but having reviewed the images I realized I would have made many costly and disheartening mistakes if left to my own devices. As it goes now, I rely on Vanguard to create beautiful, functional, and unique designs and concepts for each area of the house. as I begin the construction phase, I know exactly what I will be getting and I couldn't be more excited. To add to all this Vanguard displays an exemplary level of professionalism, courtesy, and are just plain wonderful to deal with. I would recommend them to all my friends and family without the slightest hesitation.