336 Himrod Street: Water-Intrusion Investigation and Envelope Repair

AMA Architects PC provided building-envelope investigation, repair design, and construction-phase administration for 336 Himrod Street, a five-story occupied mixed-use building in Brooklyn, New York, following recurring water intrusion through the building's exterior wall assemblies.

PROJECT FACTS

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Building Type: Five-story occupied mixed-use building

AMA Services: Building-envelope investigation, exploratory review, diagnostic testing coordination, repair design, DOB documentation, construction administration, envelope QA/QC

Status: Repair implementation / construction-phase services

The Challenge

336 Himrod Street experienced recurring water infiltration through its exterior wall assemblies, affecting occupied units within the building. AMA Architects PC was engaged to investigate the source of the water intrusion, evaluate the condition of the building envelope, and develop a coordinated repair approach addressing the underlying causes rather than isolated symptoms.

Investigation and Diagnostic Testing

AMA directed and observed an exploratory investigation of the building's exterior walls, window and door assemblies, and through-wall penetrations to identify the pathways allowing water to enter the building. AMA coordinated diagnostic water testing performed by Intertek, an independent testing laboratory, on November 1, 2022, to confirm the location and extent of the envelope deficiencies under controlled conditions. The testing results informed AMA's repair design and the scope of the construction documents.

Repair Design and DOB Approval

Based on the investigation and testing findings, AMA Architects prepared construction documents addressing the removal and reinstallation of windows, doors, and PTAC sleeves, along with corrective flashing and waterproofing details at the affected wall assemblies. AMA filed the repair scope with the New York City Department of Buildings under DOB application B01034041-I1, which was approved on May 9, 2024, and administered the bidding and contractor-selection process on the owner's behalf.

Construction-Phase QA/QC

During construction, AMA Architects conducts regular site visits to monitor the contractor's work for compliance with the approved construction documents. Quality control includes mockups and water testing at 15%, 50%, 75%, and 100% project completion to verify that repairs are performing as designed prior to final sign-off. AMA also provides New York City Energy Code progress inspections and will perform a final inspection and punch-list review before obtaining DOB sign-offs and issuing a closeout package to the client.

Project Significance

336 Himrod Street reflects AMA Architects PC's work diagnosing and resolving water-intrusion problems in occupied multi-family buildings, coordinating independent third-party testing, securing DOB approval for repair scopes, and providing construction-phase oversight through project closeout. For related building-envelope services, see AMA's Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) page, or discuss a similar building issue.