Architect Profile: Robert Scarano, Jr.

Today is another entry for my series "Architect Profile", which focuses on prolific architects in New York City. The subject of this entry is somewhat controversial and somewhat eye-opening to the world of new development. Few people can drive through New York City, especially Brooklyn, without passing a building designed by long-time premier architect, Robert Scarano, Jr.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Scarano is schooled in architecture, engineering, building construction, construction management, real estate development, and real estate finance. Due to his well rounded education, he was qualified for an architectural program known as Professional Certification, or "Self Certification". This enables architects to certify that their own projects comply with all applicable building laws and codes. This eliminates a middle man, which in turn streamlines construction projects, and made self certified architects especially desirable to developers, who frequently work on a tight timeline.

Scarano's office at 110 York Street, Brooklyn is a landmark driving over the Manhattan Bridge.

Scarano began his career in Staten Island in 1985, and eventually grew Scarano Architects PLLC to a staff of about 50 including designers from Brazil, Bulgaria, Columbia, Israel, Russia, and Ukrane. At his firms height, he was representing major developers, and receiving distinguished awards on his building designs. He was working with developers from Harlem down to Lower East Side and over to Brooklyn.

52 East 4th Street aka 351-353 Bowery - Manhattan

144 North 8th "The Finger Building" - Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Problems began for Scarano in 2006 when the NYC Department of Buildings charged Scarano with violating zoning or building codes on 25 projects in Brooklyn. This was a culmination of concerns over a  loophole that Scarano found where he included mezzanine/second-level spaces in his buildings that were outside of the official square footage granted to the building. These "extra" spaces were not taxable and added considerable height to all of this buildings.

On top of this, Scarano was under a lot of scrutiny as three workers from different projects that Scarano represented died due to unsafe working conditions. The architect averted blame, be the DOB and the public eye was tightly focused on him.

In 2006, Scarano lost his "Self Certification" privileges and in 2008 the DOB cited his false or misleading statements on applications that he submitted as grounds to bar him from filing any more projects with the DOB. This severely limited his ability to practice in NYC, and, according to the Judge presiding over his hearing, Joan R. Salzman, his filings were "so deceptive that they call to mind out-and-out fraud."

The halted project at 333 Carroll Street in Carroll Gardens has been dubbed "The Hell Building" and "Steel Birdcage" by various bloggers.

Over the next few years, dozens of projects that Scarano had partially constructed were halted and numerous neighborhood meetings were held to determine what to do. In the case above, 333 Carroll Street was nearly resumed by architect Karl Fischer, but ultimately stopped again. The majority of the buildings, including above, will eventually be taken down and the projects cancelled.

Despite a trepidus exit from the architectural world, Robert Scarano has left behind a legacy of iconic buildings all around New York City. The brilliance of using a loophole to get around the DOB, however, ended with the suspension of his practice and marring of his name. For now, Robert "Mezzanine" Scarano can only watch as his projects are slowly deconstructed and brought back to the ground.