The Repairs That Made a Facade Worse

A landmark Upper West Side co-op thought its terracotta facade just needed another round of repairs. Instead, it uncovered nine cycles of patchwork that had made things worse. Raul Mayta, principal architect and co-founder of M+S Architects and Engineers, walks through how his team used laser scanning and hands-on investigation to find hidden cracks masked by old waterproofing, and why some sections had to be fully replaced rather than repaired again. He explains the real difference between stabilizing and replacing terracotta, how digital documentation can save future boards time and money, and why accurate surveys set the tone for an entire project's budget and timeline. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.

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