Matt Kocyba is one of our award-winning Principals here at VAKOTA. His diverse background in commercial and residential design across the country packs a real punch, and brings a unique and important perspective to the work that we do. “My specialty of late has been on our ‘living’ projects – residential homes, particularly in the New England area – but I have worked on projects all over.” Matt says. “I have done retail showrooms in the city, which was exciting, but the satisfaction I get in re

We started our journey five years ago, focusing on projects in New York, and have become well acquainted with the rules, regulations and techniques used in New York City. We love the work we have done here and there is so much more to learn and do! But it was always our plan to grow and expand into new territories, new locations and start new innovative projects. Now in 2020, we span multiple states, working on design and build projects for housing, education, culture and commercial clients. In

The 3rd Street Music School Settlement in New York is the longest-running community music school in the United States. It was founded in 1894, with a goal to help poor children with music, and provide a source of spiritual and cultural nourishment to children of all backgrounds. This remains its mission today. In the early 1970s the school moved locations to an old hospital building on East 11th street that was built in 1927. This property had undergone minor renovations throughout the years wi

One of our most recent projects here at VAKOTA has been the redesign of a New York-based music school in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for schools to welcome students in a safe way that accommodates social distancing, changes must be made – and swiftly. The first and most obvious step to make is to reduce the number of students in a classroom at any given time; with that in mind we have been looking at classroom modifications that allow for smaller classes to move around the build

The last few months have been a remarkable and – though we’re not the first to say it – unprecedented experience. With no clear answer to how the Coronavirus pandemic ends, the most important skill we have learned of late is how to adapt. Fortunately, VAKOTA has been flying the flag for agile working for some time now – so when it came to moving our existing projects to a remote format, we were already reasonably well equipped. Our data storage was already cloud-based, and our phone system and

Work on site at our Mamaroneck house renovation has been given the green light by construction officials to carry on. In the town of Mamaroneck in Westchester, NY we began renovating this 1980s Spanish revival style home late last year, however the current situation with the coronavirus pandemic meant work has been understandably delayed. The home, which is built on the site of a former barn, saw a full construction team back at the property this week along with VAKOTA to check on the installa

When a major fire destroyed this beloved Upper West Side apartment, our client was naturally devastated. The 2,600sqft 3-bedroom property was a luxury home on W 86th Street with stunning views of the Hudson River, but it has now been brought to its knees by extensive fire damage – damage which is particularly heart-breaking given the historical significance of the building in which it is situated: Riverside Drive, which was once the home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. However, wi

We were asked to refurbish the storefront of a Brooklyn-based indie music label and to give it an Instagram-ready façade. The building that we are set to transform was once an auto repair shop; we will start this refurbishment project by replacing the old garage doors that currently front it with an updated modern storefront design. Part of the requirement for the storefront is to make it more thermally efficient and fit to embrace the extreme polarizing New York temperatures. As a result, we

Over the past decade, society at large has become increasingly conscious of how its decisions and consumption have had a negative impact upon the planet and its wildlife.We’ve ditched plastic bags, we’re eating less meat – the number of vegans in the UK has quadrupled to 600,000 since 2014 – and we’re being more conscious when it comes to fashion and beauty. So when it come to fashion we’ve put together some of the information you need to help you shop more consciously:One of the first things to

It is with great sadness then that the EPDA has decided not to lead a global #UniteForParkinsons campaign in 2019. There are a number of important reasons for this, and if you want more information, please email worldpdday@epda.eu.com. But fear not, we (the EPDA) plan to develop further global #UniteForParkinsons activities in future years! The EPDA had its six-year strategy plan agreed in November 2018, and building on the #UniteForParkinsons campaign’s previous successes forms part of that st

In 2017 we provided more support than ever before: to 11,500 people in person and over 16,000 people over the phone. We built on the success of our local groups and increased local searches online by over 250%. [I project managerd and produced the Parkinson's UK 2017 Annual Report]

We're the Parkinson's charity that drives better care, treatments and quality of life. Because we're here, no one has to face Parkinson's alone.

Parkinson's UK has been made aware by Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) that there is currently a supply issue with some of their Sinemet products in the UK and other countries. MSD has informed us that this has been caused by current manufacturing capacity constraints, and that the following Sinemet products are expected to sometimes be unavailable: MSD expects that the most commonly used Sinemet 12.5/50mg 9x10 tablets will have supply issues from now until Mid-September. We are aware that th

On 26 May 2018, I sat checking my phone as I waited for the result of Ireland’s abortion referendum. I am pro-choice, and at Nopebook HQ, we had a fundraising campaign in place knowing that, whatever the result, the law wouldn’t change immediately. Knowing that Irish people would still need to access safe and legal abortions in the UK. Knowing that they would need help covering the ensuing costs. We had been campaigning for our Irish siblings, and we were nervous. The result came in. Yes. Rep

NBC has confirmed that Brooklyn Nine Nine will move to the network after Fox announced on 10 May that it would not be renewing the show for a sixth season – and despite a loud online campaign from fans. The hashtag #RenewB99 trended on Twitter worldwide following the announcement, as fans and celebrities alike express their bitter disappointment at losing the much-loved programme. When we said we didn’t deserve Brooklyn Nine Nine, that didn’t mean we wanted it taken away. Since the 80s sitcom

I have been a musician for as long as I can remember. I honestly don’t remember it starting, it just always has been. A vocalist, to be precise. My parents met in a band – my mum sang, my dad played guitar. I have three brothers – two DJ’s and one guitarist. My aunt sings, my uncle sings, my cousin is, as we speak, on a touring run of Dirty Dancing. Music is in my blood. And it doesn’t stop there – I’ve never a person who wasn’t a musician. Literally every single person who has seen me naked ha

Activism has more or less surrounded my personality, my being, for my entire adult life. Perhaps it was solidified when I undertook my first piece of volunteer work, or when I went on my first march. Maybe it goes all the way back to my first Blue Peter Bring and Buy sale at age eleven, when I commandeered a school classroom and flogged my classmates’ old crap to raise money for charity. Maybe it was somewhere in between those two points. Or–more likely–maybe it has been a constant evolution.

Georgia Sanders & Hannah Bundock, in conversation on the constant comments about their reproductive lives. ‘When are you going to start trying?’, ‘Will we be hearing the patter of little feet soon?’ ‘You’d make a great Mum’… Hands up who’s sick of hearing this type of thing? HB: I certainly am and no one’s even saying it to me at the moment! I’ve already popped out a sprog so the pressure cooker has been turned down a notch for me, but for the childless mid twenties woman, there is just so muc

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of eating disorders and depression. It is spat like venom, mouthed across rooms, and even gasped in horror. One syllable that has engulfed conversation after conversation, has pulled focus of the masses. “I feel so fat,” someone says after a large meal. “She’s a fat bitch,” friends snipe behind the backs of their foes. “I could never wear something like that, I’m too fat,” we say cruelly to ourselves. Diet and exercise, they say. 70% diet, 30%