'Think before you build'

Real Estate Weekly, May 28, 2003

When Stephen Carter founded The Carman Group in 1992, he combined three key services into one package, i.e., project development, design and construction management. He brought skills routinely found in large commercial projects to the small business and residential markets.

His credo, "Think Before You Build," emphasizes that every detail is addressed and reviewed. It is a singular approach to planning, design and construction that focuses on protecting and enhancing a client's assets.

A skilled architect with 25 years of experience, Carter has worked for some of the country's most renowned firms, including I.M. Pei & Partners and Swanke, Hayden, Connell. But unlike so many of his architectural colleagues, he has always been fascinated by the actual construction process, and in 1988 he addressed this interest by accepting a position with Shears on Lehman/Herbert Construction as a Facility & Construction Manager. At the construction firm, he was responsible for pre-construction, estimating, scheduling, procurement, fabrication, installation and tenant construction for such projects as Shearson Lehman Plaza and the High School for Performing Arts.

"I thrive on the synergy of the design and construction processes," says Carter. "As an architect, I am always interested in the mechanics of construction and how my designs are being executed. As a project manager, I have a special insight into the intent of the design, and am able to communicate it to the construction team.

"For example, some years ago I worked as the architect's representative for the Arthur As the Stadium. It was an amazing experience on how everything that could go wrong can be made right."

"Most commercial and residential projects traditionally use a project manager or construction consultant to coordinate the work between architects, engineers, construction managers and subcontractors," he continues.

"They are responsible for everything from cost management and RFP's through relocation. However, smaller projects are most often run by a hapless layperson. It somehow becomes responsibility of the office manager, homeowner, co-op shareholder, etc., to coordinate the efforts between the architect and the contractor -- which is a daunting task even under the best circumstances."

The Carman Group's role is to develop a "master plan" for its clients that determines a thorough scope of the work, creates effective design solutions relative to the client's needs and establishes budget and scheduling guidelines.

By combining innovative planning, design and construction expertise, the firm builds its own designs and the designs of other professionals with whom it consults. It integrates both processes and can direct a project's progress from start to finish, while protecting the real estate investments of its clients.

In other words, The Carman Group takes the heat.

And that's okay, because the group's principal has quite a pedigree when it comes to both design and construction. Over the years, his projects have included Gilda's Club, Yale University School of Management, Smithsonian Institute's Dibner Library and Arthur Ashe Stadium. His interior design work encompasses American Express Tower, Mobil Oil R&D Center and NBC Studios. He has also been involved with the restoration efforts at The Statue of Liberty and High School for Performing Arts. His work in the public sector includes Gracie Mansion Conservancy, New York Botanical Gardens and NYC School Construction Authority. More recently, Carter has been responsible for the design and construction management of new single-family houses in Litchfield, Conn., as well as offices and co-ops in Manhattan.

A quiet man, he initially impresses you as a gentle scholar, yet his ability to communicate with construction workers at the end of a hard day is unmistakable.

The breadth and scope of Carter 's expertise is unparalleled and so is ability to project the requirements of the building process. He understands the participants, he knows the codes and rules and, most importantly, he listens to his clients.

The father of twins, he and his wife Connie, a stock analyst, reside in Manhattan.