Empire Projects Inc. (att. William N. Bernstein, AIA)

Mr. William Bernstein is a Yale-trained and registered architect, LEED accredited, with over 40 years of experience in the industry. He is the Founder/President of an architecture firm (Bernstein & Associates, Architects, 1990-present) and a project management firm (Empire Projects, Inc., 2003-present). Mr. Bernstein offers multi-faceted expertise in the areas of architecture, design and construction. He is a member of the American Institute of Architect, Construction Specifications Institute, and Project Management Institute. He is the author of two books on architecture and has written or had written above him over 50 articles on architecture and construction. He has provided expert witness services on (37) cases. These cases have been located across the United States, as well as internationally.

Mr. Bernstein is an intelligent, articulate, and well-spoken professional. His expert witness experience covers a wide range of project types and cases, including: ADA, Apartment Architecture, Apartment Design, Apartment Construction, Architect, Architectural Design, Architecture, Bank Architecture, Bank Design, Bank Construction, Behavioral Healthcare Architecture, Behavioral Healthcare Design, Behavioral Healthcare Construction, Building, Condo Architecture, Condo Design, Condo Construction, Construction, Coop Architecture, Coop Design, Coop Construction, Doctors' Offices Architecture, Doctors' Offices Design, Doctors' Offices Construction, Errors And Omissions, General Contractor, GMP, Healthcare Architecture, Healthcare Design, Healthcare Construction, Hospital Architecture, Hospital Design, Hospital Construction, Hotel Architecture, Hotel Design, Hotel Construction, Laboratory Architecture, Laboratory Design, Laboratory Construction, Long Term Care Architecture, Long Term Care Design, Long Term Care Construction, Medical Office Architecture, Medical Office Design, Medical Office Construction, Office Architecture, Office Design, Office Construction, Pharmacy Architecture, Pharmacy Design, Pharmacy Construction, Premises Liability, Rehab Facility Architecture, Rehab Facility Design, Rehab Facility Construction, Residential Architecture, Residential Design, Residential Construction, Restaurant Architecture, Restaurant Design, Restaurant Construction, Retail Architecture, Retail Design, Retail Construction, Townhouse Architecture, Townhouse Design, and Townhouse Construction.

Services

Mr. Bernstein offers the following services:

Site Selection
• Work with Owner to review and compare potential sites for the project

Consultant Selection
• Work with Owner to establish optimal procedure for selecting consultants
• Develop “short-lists” of consultants, based on reputation, specialty, and due-diligence reference review
• Develop RFP for consultants
• Distribute RFP to consultants
• Accept questions during bid process from consultants, provide written response to consultant questions
• Review consultant fee proposals, develop comparative matrix with ranking and recommendations for consultants
• Work with Owner to prepare consultant contracts
• Coordinate contract review and acceptance by all parties

Lease Review
• Work with Owner and Owner's Attorney to review facility issues in leases
• Negotiate with landlord on facility issues
• Coordinate consultant and contractor contracts to assure coordination with lease provisions

Design
• Establish Structure for Team, including Procedures, Lines of Communication, Schedules
• Due Diligence, Oversight of Architectural/Engineering/Design Programs
• Due Diligence, Oversight of Schematic Design Drawing Generation and Client Approvals, and Any Early Stage Approvals
• Due Diligence, Oversight of Design Development Drawing Generation and Client
• Approvals Due Diligence, Oversight of Construction Document Generation and Client Approvals

Contractor Selection
• Work with Owner to establish optimal procedure for selecting contractor
• Develop “short-lists” of contractors, based on reputation, specialty, and due-diligence reference review
• Develop RFP for contractors
• Distribute RFP to contractors
• Accept questions during bid process from contractors, coordinate written response to contractor questions
• Review contractor fee proposals, develop comparative matrix with ranking and recommendations for contractors
• Work with Owner to prepare contractor contracts
• Coordinate contract review and acceptance by all parties

Budget Analysis and Control
• Work with Owner and consultants to establish initial project budget
• Work with Owner and consultants to verify project budget at agreed-upon project benchmarks (example Schematic Design, Design Development, 50% Construction Documents, 100% Construction Documents)
• Work with Owner and consultants to reduce scope and/or value engineer project as required to keep project within agreed-upon budget

Schedule Analysis and Control
• Work with Owner and consultants to establish initial project schedule
• Work with Owner and consultants to verify project schedule at agreed-upon project benchmarks (example Schematic Design, Design Development, 50% Construction Documents, 100% Construction Documents)
• Work with Owner and consultants to establish initial project schedule
• Work with Owner and consultants to verify project schedule at agreed-upon project benchmarks (example Schematic Design, Design Development, 50% Construction Documents, 100% Construction Documents, and on a weekly basis during construction)
• Work with Owner and consultants to reduce scope and/or value engineer project as required to keep project within agreed-upon schedule

Construction
• Develop schedules of contractor deliverables
• Track project budget and schedule on a weekly basis
• Hold project meetings during construction on a weekly basis, issue minutes of meeting
• Monitor and expedite the shop drawing approval process
• Coordinate the services of Owner's testing firms
• Review items of change and change orders including Contractors' proposals, changes in quantity, contract time and price
• Review contractor applications for payment
• Maintain a central control file of design, engineering, and construction contracts, correspondence reports, and change orders

Furniture Procurement
• Work with Owner to establish optimal procedure for selecting furniture
• Develop “short-lists” of furniture manufacturers and vendors, based on reputation, specialty, and due-diligence reference review
• Develop RFP for furniture
• Distribute RFP to furniture
• Accept questions during bid process from furniture manufacturers and vendors, coordinate written response to furniture questions
• Review furniture fee proposals, develop comparative matrix with ranking and recommendations for furniture
• Work with Owner to prepare furniture contracts
• Coordinate furniture delivery and installation
• Coordinate furniture punchlist
• Work with furniture manufacturers and vendors to assure completion of punchlist items
• Review applications for payment from furniture manufacturers and vendors

Equipment Procurement
• Work with Owner to establish optimal procedure for selecting equipment
• Develop “short-lists” of equipment manufacturers and vendors, based on reputation, specialty, and due-diligence reference review
• Develop RFP for equipment
• Distribute RFP to equipment
• Accept questions during bid process from equipment manufacturers and vendors, coordinate written response to equipment questions
• Review equipment fee proposals, develop comparative matrix with ranking and recommendations for equipment
• Work with Owner to prepare equipment contracts
• Coordinate equipment delivery and installation
• Coordinate equipment punchlist
• Work with equipment manufacturers and vendors to assure completion of punchlist items
• Review applications for payment from equipment manufacturers and vendors

Close Out of Project
• Review closeout documentation from contractor
• Check warranties, guarantees, and service contracts
• Review shop drawings, cuts, and operating manual file
• Review final lien waivers and affidavits
• Review final pay request
• Assist in expediting final punch list activities
• Assist in obtaining certificate of occupancy
• Assist in establishing dates of Substantial and Final Completion
• Assist in the purchase, delivery and installation of furniture and equipment
• Assist Owner with move-in

Litigation Support Services

Mr. Bernstein offers architectural expert witness services, design expert witness services, and construction expert witness services in the following representative project types:

• Expert Witness for ADA Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Apartment Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Bank Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Condo Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Coop Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Doctors Office Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Government Project Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Healthcare Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Hospital Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Hotel Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for House Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Medical Office Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Premises Liability
• Expert Witness for Office Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Residential Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Retail Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for School Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Townhouse Design and Construction
• Expert Witness for Standard of Care

Areas of Expertise

Additional Expertise:

Alphabetized:
ADA, Architecture, architect, architects' liability, architects standard of care, architectural design, behavioral healthcare, behavioral healthcare architecture, behavioral healthcare construction, behavioral healthcare design, building change orders, building codes, building construction, building design, buildings, CM, CM contracts, construction management, construction management contracts, building design, change orders, condos, condo architecture, condo construction, condo design, construction, construction change orders, construction delays, construction scheduling, contractors liability, coops, coop architecture, coop construction, coop design, demolition, doctors' offices, doctors office architecture, doctors office construction, doctors office design, design change orders, engineering, engineering standard of care, errors and omissions, general contractor, general contractor contract, GMP, GMP contract, handicapped accessibility, healthcare architecture, healthcare construction, healthcare design, healthcare planning, hospital architecture, hospital construction, hospital design, hospital planning, houses, house architecture, house design, house construction, interior design, lab architecture, lab construction, lab design, labs, laboratories, laboratory architecture, laboratory construction, laboratory design, medical offices, medical office design, medical office architecture, medical office construction, pharmacies, pharmacy architecture, pharmacy construction, pharmacy design, premises liability, radiology architecture, radiology construction, radiology design, residential architecture, residential construction, residential design, townhouses, townhouse architecture, townhouse construction, townhouse design, and standard of care.

Profile

Mr. Bernstein/President of an architecture firm (Bernstein & Associates, Architects, www.bernarch.com, 1990-present) and a project management firm (Empire Projects, Inc., www.empireprojects.com, 2003-present).

Mr. Bernstein offers multi-faceted expertise in the areas of architecture, design and construction. He is a member of the American Institute of Architect, Construction Specifications Institute, and Project Management Institute. He is the author of two books on architecture and has written or had written above him over 40 articles on architecture and construction.

Mr. Bernstein has provided expert witness services on (37) cases as of January 2025. He is an intelligent, articulate, and well-spoken professional. These cases have been located across the United States as well as internationally. His expert witness experience covers a wide range of project types and cases, including: ADA, Architecture, architect, architects' liability, architects standard of care, architectural design, behavioral healthcare, behavioral healthcare architecture, behavioral healthcare construction, behavioral healthcare design, building change orders, building codes, building construction, building design, buildings, CM, CM contracts, construction management, construction management contracts, building design, change orders, condos, condo architecture, condo construction, condo design, construction, construction change orders, construction delays, construction scheduling, contractors liability, coops, coop architecture, coop construction, coop design, demolition, doctors' offices, doctors office architecture, doctors office construction, doctors office design, design change orders, engineering, engineering standard of care, errors and omissions, general contractor, general contractor contract, GMP, GMP contract, handicapped accessibility, healthcare architecture, healthcare construction, healthcare design, healthcare planning, hospital architecture, hospital construction, hospital design, hospital planning, houses, house architecture, house design, house construction, interior design, lab architecture, lab construction, lab design, labs, laboratories, laboratory architecture, laboratory construction, laboratory design, medical offices, medical office design, medical office architecture, medical office construction, pharmacies, pharmacy architecture, pharmacy construction, pharmacy design, premises liability, radiology architecture, radiology construction, radiology design, residential architecture, residential construction, residential design, townhouses, townhouse architecture, townhouse construction, townhouse design, and standard of care.

Areas Served

United States, Canada, Caribbean, Middle East.

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Professional Experience

Architecture, Engineering, Project Mgmt., Expert Witness (1990-present)

2003-Present : Empire Projects, Inc. - President
Capacity: President
Services: Project Management, Expert Witness

1990-Present : Bernstein & Assoc., Architects
Capacity: President
Services: Architecture and Engineering

Architecture, Urban Design, Historic Preservation (1980-1989)

1/89-2/90 O'Brien Architecture (Chappaqua, NY)
Capacity : Partner
Projects : Residential and Commercial Projects (Westchester County, NY)

3/86-12/88 Davis, Brody & Associates, Architects (NY)
Capacity : Project Architect
Projects : Columbia University Science Center (NY), Cornell University Science Center (Ithaca, NY), AT&T Solid State Technology Facility (PA)

Summer/84 Landmarks Preservation Commission (New York)
Capacity : Project Urban Designer
Project : Upper West Side Study (NY)

12/83-6/84 Office of Downtown and Harbor Development (New Haven)
Capacity : Project Urban Designer
Project : Audubon Arts Center Development (New Haven)

5/82-7/83 Sankey Partnership Architects (Toronto)
Capacity : Design, construction documents, client liaison, contract administration
Projects : Canadian Embassy (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

6/81-4/82 Shore Tilbe Henschel Irwin Peters - Architects and Engineers (Toronto)
Capacity : Design, construction documents, client liaison, contract administration
Project : Western Nuclear Training Center (Ontario), Hanscomb Roy Head Office (Toronto)

6/80-5/81 Dunlop Farrow Aitken - Architects and Engineers (Toronto)
Capacity : Design, construction documents, client liaison, contract administration
Projects : Grace Hospital (Windsor, Ontario), Oakville Hotel (Oakville, Ontario)

Licenses

Registered Architect NY, CT, NJ (NCARB certification facilitates licensing in entire USA and Canada)

Affiliations

- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
- LEED (LEED®AP)
- Construction Specifications Institute
- Project Management Institute

Qualifications

Mr. Bernstein is the Founder/President two firms: an architecture firm, Bernstein & Associates, Architects (founded 1990) and a project management firm, Empire Projects, Inc. (founded 2003). He offers multi-faceted expertise as a company owner in the areas of architecture, design and construction. He is a Yale-trained and registered architect, LEED accredited, with over 40 years of experience in this industry. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Construction Specifications Institute, and Project Management Institute. He is the author of two books on architecture, and has written or had written about him over 50 articles on architecture and construction. He has taught architectural design and history at Yale University, and Lehigh University. Mr. Bernstein has provided expert witness services on (37) cases. These cases have been located across the United States as well as internationally. Mr. Bernstein is an intelligent, articulate, and well-spoken professional.

Awards & Honors

Licenses:
- Registered Architect NY, CT, NJ (NCARB certification facilitates licensing in entire USA and Canada)

Work Featured in:
- Architects FORUM, Architectural Record, Crain's New York Business, Design Solutions, Hospitality Design, New York Real Estate Journal, Progressive Architecture, Sound & Communications, The New York Times

Winning Entry:
- Progressive Architecture Design Review

Visiting Architectural Lecturer:
- Yale University, Lehigh University, Columbia University

Consulting Preservationist:
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

Managing Editor:
- Architects FORUM

Columnist:
- Hospital Newspaper

Author - Books:
- Two books on contemporary architecture

Articles:
- Have written or been the subject of over (50) articles

Seminars & Training

Panelist:
Construction Management Association of America
American Society for Health Care Engineering

Publications

Publications available on request.

Professional References

References available upon request

Education

1983-1985 : Yale University - Master of Architecture
1975-1980 : University of Toronto - Bachelor of Architecture
1974-1975 : McGill University - Bachelor of Arts program