AN’s annual resource list may be published every year but it is never the same. Painstakingly drawn from extensive interviews by our editors with the architects and builders of the best architecture of 2011, these names are the too-often unacknowledged cornerstones that guarantee the quality and excellence of today’s architecture. We both herald and share them with you.
General Contractor / Project Manager |
Arroyo Contracting Corp. Balfour Beatty/Barnhill Barr & Barr Bernsohn & Fetner F.J. Sciame Construction Co. Graciano Jacobs Keating Building Corporation Kreisler Borg Florman L.F. Driscoll |
Lavada Lettire Construction Corporation MG & Co Mascaro Construction Company MJE Contracting Noble Construction Plaza Construction Procida Realty & Construction RC Dolner Construction Saunders Construction |
Schimenti SoHo Restoration Structure Tone Tishman Construction United American Builders VCD Construction Welliver Yorke Construction Corp. |
Brad Feinkopf (left) AND Albert Vecerka/Esto (right)
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“Arroyo Contracting did a good job on the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator. It was a complicated project with many angled walls and corners. They looked into new ways of working, moving from their background in traditional design to contemporary design.” |
“Graciano has experienced masons that know how to work with terracotta and its reinstallation, using pieces that were reconditioned and some that were brand new.” |
“We were fortunate to have RC Dolner build the Atrium. They had just finished the Greek and Roman galleries at the Met; we were confident they could make elegant and refined traditional detailing. At the Atrium they were able to apply their same high standards in a modern setting.” |
“Yorke’s level of service was outstanding. The site superintendent in particular was exemplary and always in contact with us about how the construction was affecting the design. That attitude then filtered down to the contractor and subcontractors.” |
Engineers |
Civil/Environmental Langan Engineering and Environmental Services Leonard J. Strandberg and Associates Pennoni Associates Geotechnical Geodesign Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers P.W. Grosser Consulting Pillori Associates MEP AKF AltieriSeborWieber AMA Consulting Engineers Ambrosino, DePinto & Schmieder Ballinger Ettinger Engineering ASSOCIATES |
Fiskaa Engineering ICOR Associates Jaros Baum & Bolles Joseph R. Loring and Associates P.A. Collins Rubiano Associates Multidisciplinary Arup Birdsall Services Group Buro Happold DeSimone HDR ME Engineers Rosini Engineering Thornton Tomasetti Watts Engineering |
Weidlinger Associates WSP Flack + Kurtz Structural Eipel Barbieri Marschhausen Gilsanz Murray Steficek Hage Engineering KPFF Macintosh Engineering Mulhern Kulp Murray Engineering Office of Structural Design Robert Silman Associates Severud Associates WSP Cantor Seinuk |
“John Riner of PW Grosser is one of the handful of consultants in this area who has substantial experience with open loop wells.”
“We have worked on several historic buildings in New York, but when they are as high profile or popular as the Puck Building, you need a consultant who understands these types of spaces. EBM Structural Engineers is one of the preeminent firms in New York with vast experience in adaptive reuse in a historic context. We worked with Ken Eipel and Rich Grabowski on the REI Soho project and their expertise as historians on New York architecture made them valuable partners for Callison.” |
“Joseph R. Loring and Associates anticipated issues at NYU SCPS and worked creatively with the design team to insert contemporary mechanical systems into an existing building with a complex new program.”
“Cantor Seinuk developed a core outrigger wall design that eliminated a lot of sheer walls, which helped a lot with the very complicated unit layouts at 8 Spruce. We just find them to be the best when it comes to structural engineers.” |
“Edward Messina at Severud Associates is known as ‘Fast Eddie’ around our business because you call him up and he’s right over.”
“DeSimone designed the tree column and the big spans for Centra. It was a big effort to make that happen. They’re a really great engineering firm, and one thing that they’re great at is keeping the design team and client comfortable with very complicated things and also working with the construction team, while keeping everything on schedule.” |
“The North Carolina Museum of Art is really all about daylight, and Arup did an extraordinary job calculating the amount of natural and artificial light and how it combined throughout the space.”
“At Clyfford Still, everything you see is structure. So KPFF‘s role was very key, especially in translating the structural design so it would be read in the perforated ceilings where the tolerances were very tricky, combined with reinforcing with rebar to maintain a crack-free finish.” |
Facade & curtain wall |
Consultants Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners Front Gordon H. Smith Corporation Heitmann & Associates R.A. Heintges & Associates Simpson Gumpertz & Heger |
Manufacturers/ Installers Airflex APG International Architectural Metal Fabricators ASI Limited Cladding Corp. EFCO GKD Metal Fabrics greenscreen |
Island International Exterior Fabricators Jakob/MMA Architectural Systems Jordan Panel Systems Kwaneer Permasteelisa Schüco W&W Glass |
david seide (left) AND Robert Garneau (right)
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“Gordon Smith is a tried and true Manhattan curtain wall consultant. He kept us out of trouble and found good value for the wall at Centra. We could barely afford a curtain wall for this building and he helped us sneak it in and detail it really well so we can sleep at night.” |
“There’s a learning curve on installing a European curtain wall system. Architectural Metal Fabricators took a real interest in jumping in and getting a technical understanding of the system.”
“Front was the key to unlocking the prefab facade at Via Verde. It cost a bit more, but it was faster to put together on site. They helped us translate that.” |
“They protected me! At 8 Spruce, the extremely unique wall was largely aesthetically driven but it’s just as advanced in performance and Heitmann took care of everything behind the wall in terms of feasibility, budget and schedule.”
“Island Fabrications knows how to bring all the components together; they ordered material globally and fabricated them locally.” |
Fittings & Furniture |
Carpet & Textile Bentley Prince Street Dune Gallery Seventeen Interiors Interface Maharem Re:Source of New Jersey Rose Brand East Custom Fixtures & Signage Artitalia Group Fleetwood REEVE Store Equipment Doors & Frames Dynamic Architectural Windows & Doors Goldbrecht USA |
PK-30 System Furniture Figueras International Seating Fproduct Greystone Seating Haworth Irwin Telescopic Seating Company Martela Moroso Resource Furniture Series Seating Tomas Osinski Design Hardware Assa Abloy Häfele |
Kitchen & Bath AF Supply Axor Hansgrohe Davis and Warshow Dornbracht Drimmers Purekitchen SieMatic New York Valcucine Zucchetti Rubinetteria Laboratory Casework Thermo Fisher Scientific Vintage Furniture RePop |
Michael Moran (left) AND Courtesy Forest City Ratner (right)
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Glass |
3form A-Val Architectural Metal Corp. CBO Glass Colory Metal & Glass EFCO Galaxy Glass & Stone J.E. Berkowitz John Lewis Glass |
Lhotsky Moduline Window Systems National Glass & Metal Company Oldcastle Glass PPG Industries Prelco |
Skyline Sky-Lites Viracon Vitrocsa USA Walch Windows Windsorsky Zecca Mirror & Glass |
“Interior glass subcontractor A-Val worked creatively to ensure design intent in extremely complex conditions including the three-story open elliptical stair at the NYU SCPS.” |
“You can get good window R-value in the United States but you can’t get the quality of high solar heat gain as you can with Walch. The combination is unmatched.” |
“CBO out of Buffalo did the glass veil and other curtain wall systems for the Buffalo Courthouse. The most difficult part was printing the Constitution on the glass with ceramic fritting. It took a lot of editing and laying it out and a very long time on our side and theirs.” |
“John Lewis Glass would work closely with Tony Dominski at West Edge Metal. Even though it was a custom bench, it was even more custom because of the collaboration of the two firms.” |
Sustainability |
Airside Solutions Aircuity Brownfield Consultant D.I.R.T. Consultants 7group Association for Energy Affordability Atelier Ten Bright Power |
BVM Engineering Crescent Consulting Natural Logic Steven Winter Associates TRC Environmental Corp. Veridian |
Green Roofs Emery Knoll Farms ZinCo Green Roofs Solar Namasté Solar Sunpower SOLAR SHADING Mechoshade Systems, Inc. |
“Aircuity did the recovery wheels and air handlers at Penn Medicine. Their system helped the owner meet their energy goals. It monitors the occupancy and the amount of CO2 in a space and optimizes the number of air changes so you wind up saving energy and money.” |
“Crescent was good in assisting the contractor in LEED complience during construction and helped focus the team on elements that really mattered.”
“Bright Power did a great job of administering and coordinating the LEED application and they were responsible for designing the photovotaic system which was an important part of the building’s design.” |
“We used Veridian as the sustainability consultant on Centra. Originally, we were just aiming for LEED certification. Now the numbers are coming in and they’re very good. It looks like we’re going to get Platinum.” “Julie Bargmann of D.I.R.T.’s knowledge of brown fields, Navy Yards, and their detritus, was a really nice fit.” |
Metal |
AccuFab Alcoa Armstrong World Industries Belzona New York Canatal Industries CCR Sheet Metal Doralco Eliou Ferra Design |
Firestone GageMetal KC Fabrications Lamcel Lecapife Corp. Maloya Laser Metalman Millenium Steel Nelson Industrial |
Paul C. Steck Precision Shape Solutions Robinson Iron Veyko Design West Edge Metal |
Ty Cole / OTTO (left) AND Robert Garneau (right)
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“Armstrong worked closely with us in providing customized, perforated metal ceiling panels that met the design intent of the Frick Chemistry Laboratory. Additionally, they did a excellent job field coordinating the installation of those panels with adjacent elements.” “The project involved finishing hundreds of custom fabricated steel elements—KC Fabrications was extremely flexible with the schedule and was able to turn around material on short notice. They are always willing to do what is necessary to achieve the highest quality finish work.” |
“For custom metal work that requires demanding precision and meticulous crafting, Metalman is an invaluable resource. If you can’t find the right piece of hardware from a manufacturer, he will design and fabricate a custom piece to fit the requirement.”
“Mani from Millenium Steel is very accurate, and very budget-oriented. We worked with him before. He was able to make big steel pivot pieces.” |
“We sent our drawings of pleated metal panels to a few people and got the impression that something custom would be too expensive. But a rep introduced us to Gage, who worked with our contractors to make our designs for the panels in a cost competitive way.” |
Wood |
Custom Fabrication/ Carpentry B & V Contracting Enterprises Bauerschmidt & Sons Benchcraft Concepts DKDI George Nakashima Woodworker |
Ivory Build JB Millworks Minzner & Co. Monarch Industries Propylaea Millwork Seetin Design ShoreTech Manufacturing |
Tom Kozlowski Suppliers Armstrong World Industries J.Padin Siberian Floors Terra Mai |
“The careful execution of the FSC certified teak screens and planters at Carnegie Hill House resulted from the close collaboration between our design team and Ivory Build. Their skill and rigorous approach to craft enabled us to unify this sequence of outdoor spaces through the meticulous stacking and subtle articulation of teak slats.” |
“Bob Seetin is irrepressible and has a ‘bring it on’ attitude. He created the metal tables, wine racks, and counters we needed for the Film Society cafe quickly and even joyfully, turning everything around within a few weeks.” “Tom Kozlowski is an exceptional carpenter. He was able to think around unpredicted problems. He comes up with very straightforward and quick solutions. It no longer looks like construction work, it starts to resemble millwork.” |
“A pivotal design goal for REI Soho was the adaptive reuse of the materials from the existing historic Puck Building and its subsequent transformation into a retail space. Callison’s vision from the outset was to bring the space back to its original context, from the wood cladding that was repurposed from the interior brick piers to the timber from the ceiling above the ground floor that was remilled and reused for the monumental staircase treads. Terra Mai was a collaborative partner through the entire reuse process providing expert guidance and advice.” |
Lighting |
Designers Amber Lite Electric Corporation Auerbach Pollock Friedlander Claude R. Engle, Lighting Consultant Clinard Design Studio Davis Mackiernan Lighting Fisher Marantz Stone George Sexton Associates Grenald Waldron |
Kugler Ning L’Observatoire International Leni Schwendinger Light Projects Lumen Arch Peridot Lighting Tillett Lighting Design Tillotson Design Associates Fixtures Amerlux Artemide |
BEGA Flos Holly Solar Lighting By Gregory Lithonia Lighting Lutron Rambusch Selux Sistemalux Zumtobel Lighting |
Iwan Baan (left); david seide (center); AND Ori Dubow (right)
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“Paul Marantz‘s lighting design is one of the most mesmerizing aspects of the 9/11 Memorial and plaza.”
“A company in California called Holly Solar fabricated the LED lights in the facade of the Nitehawk Cinema. It’s a small little company, but they do custom light fixtures. They’re good.” |
“Kugler Ning is on board with understanding the world architects work in—working with tectonics—to create the right effect. Sometimes lighting designers can be more interested in the fixtures than the final effect. Kugler Ning helped to make the lighting fixtures disappear.” |
“We worked with Lumen Arch on the lighting design of Penn Medicine. They just did a fabulous job. We implemented a lot of lighting controls, occupancy sensors, daylight sensors, and things of that nature in the labs to bring down the energy usage and Lumen really knew their way around those systems.” |
“We worked with Lighting By Gregory who helped us get the most energy efficient fixtures for the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator. We as architects know what’s out there, but Lighting By Gregory opened our eyes to more LED opportunities.” |
Paul Warchol Photography (left) AND peter aaron/esto (right)
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Photography |
Esto Photographics Halkin Architectural Photography Iwan Baan Jock Pottle Photography |
JoPo Photography Michael Moran Photography Nic Lehoux Paul Warchol Photography |
Scott Frances T.G. Olcott Photography Ty Cole Photography |
Aislinn Weidele/Ennead Architects (left) AND don pearse photopgraphers (right)
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Concrete, Masonry, Stone, & Tile |
ADM Concrete Construction American Precast Concrete Art In Construction Blenko Glass Company Boston Valley Terra Cotta Cathedral Stone Products Commodore Extech Industries Fusion Floors Get Real Surfaces |
Helical Line Products James J. Totaro & Associates Kings County Waterproofing and Masonry L&L Stone & Tile Masonry Solutions Modern Mosaic North Carolina Granite Corporation Pavestone Porcelanosa Port Morris Tile & Marble |
Reginald D. Hough Concrete Construction RNC Industries Roman Mosaic and Tile Company Savema Sheldon Slate Speranza Brickwork Stepstone Stone Source The Pike Company Vermont Structural Slate Company Zanaglia |
“Peter Dagostino at ADM Concrete made it possible to get the building up. He coordinated everything. ADM is a very smart company and did a quick job.” “Boston Valley is one of the premier companies to go to for very careful matching of terracotta.” |
“The excellent stone work by Port Morris Tile & Marble helped us make this a place of permanence and beauty. They worked with our vision and found the spectacular green marble for the benches.”
“The slate siding from Vermont Structural Slate was naturally resistant to spray paint.” |
“We used Reginald Hough as a concrete consultant for Milstein Hall. They came in during construction process to facilitate the subcontractor, Pike, and help us to decide on some of the materials to test and techniques to use. The lower levels have a smooth concrete dome ceiling with integrated lighting. Because it is both architecture and structure, it required a very precise installation method. Hough was invaluable in achieving that.” |
Consultants |
A/V & Acoustics Acentech Acoustic Dimensions Akustiks Clarity Custom DHV Electrosonic Jaffe Holden Acoustics Kirkegaard Associates Polysonics Scharff/Weisberg Blast Consultant RSA Protective Technologies Commissioning Strategic Building Solutions Cost Estimator VJ Associates Fire Protection/ Code Consulting Code Consultants Professional Engineers JAM Consultants |
Montroy Andersen DeMarco Property Intervention Consultants Food Facility Planning JGL Foodservice Consultants Green Wall Vertical Garden Technology Historic Preservation Building Conservation Associates Office for Metropolitan History Powers and Company PreCon LogStrat IT/Telecommunications Archi-Technology TM Technology Partners Laboratory Planning Jacobs Consultancy Landmarks Higgins Quasebarth & Partners |
Owners Representative Levien & Company Radiant Consulting Services The Stone House Security Ducibella Venter & Santore The Clarient Group Tritech Communications Specifications Heller & Metzger Theatrical Fischer Dachs Associates North American Theatrix Turf and Sports Regulations Stantec Vertical Transportation Van Deusen & Associates Wind Analysis CPP |
“Acoustic Dimensions was great. They were really hands on, heavily involved in the Nitehawk. We have apartments above the movie theater so acoustic isolation is a big part of this project. They designed the second floor’s ceiling to hang on springs. They also tested the sound transmission when it was all done and you can’t hear a thing.”
“Richard Demarco is the most informed architect in New York City about building code and law. This guy is a joy to work with.” |
“Clarity Custom is a terrific ‘full system’ provider and installer who took the lead on specifying A/V equipment and lighting control systems. There was an excellent interface with the general contractor and architect to minimize coordination issues. Clarity did a great job of integrating hardware, wiring and controls in a project where every detail matters.”
“Building Conservation Associates have areas of expertise that bring refinement and an ability to find the resources.” |
“At the Museum of the Moving Image, Scharff/ Weisberg and Jaffe Holden had a real hand in setting the stage to accommodate different uses in terms of all the data and audio visual systems that allow the museum to be a plug + play environment.”
“Bob Powers is very keen in navigating the historic restoration tax break. He’s tech savvy and politically savvy, which helps get city, state, and federal approvals.” |
“Laurent Corradi of Vertical Garden Technology has created two grand and beautiful green walls that are loved by all. His knowledge of the botany and technical aspects of plant walls will insure that these features will thrive for generations to come.”
“The Musuem of the Moving Image faced a lot of challenges not to mention being a publicly-funded project in hard economic times. Levien took it all in stride and helped us meet the extra demands on budget cutting without sacrificing quality.” |
Other Services & Suppliers |
Arborist Paul Cowie Associates Art Restoration Rustin Levenson Art Conservation Artist Casework Lab Crafters Curtain Design Inside Outside Petra Blaisse Custom Fabrication Associated Fabrication Custom Materials Panelite Electrical Arthur Metzler and Associates Graphic Design/Signage & Wayfinding 2 X 4 Amuneal Manufacturing Corp. C & G Partners Duggal Entro Communications Karlssonwilker Pentagram Design Enclosure Testing / Facade Maintenance Architectural Testing |
Entek Engineering Epoxy Specialists and Supply Aspen Supply Corp. Felt artist Finishes and Coatings Creative Finishes Fountain Consultant Dan Euser Waterarchitecture Heat Recovery Ventilator Zehnder Interior Decoration Pamela Banker Associates Irrigation Distributor Storr Tacktor Landscaping Capri Landscaping Plant Specialists Light Fixture Restoration Robert True Ogden Modular Units Capsys Murals Stingray Studios |
Nursery Shemin Nurseries Painting & Epoxy Installation Anton Berisaj Plastic Lumber Tangent Technologies Plastics E&T Plastics Radiant Systems Barcol-Air Riggers to the Arts Dun-Rite Security S.O.S. Advanced Security Security Bollards/ Traffic Barriers Delta Scientific Moli Metal Theatrical Equipment Gerriets International Vertical Transportation Persohn / Hahn Associates Waterproofing Systems Sika Sarnafil |
peter aaron/esto (left) AND courtesy wxy (right)
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“At Queens Plaza, we collaborated with Michael Singer, an artist whose commitment to the public realm complements Margie Ruddick’s environmental sensibility for landscape. He designed and produced special pre-cast components integrated into the architecture of new social spaces that withstand the site’s powerful infrastructural presence.” |
“Claudy Jongtstra’s artistry is present in two monumental tapestries that cover both long walls of the Atrium. These extraordinary artworks were made possible by her artistic vision as much as her involvement in the technical aspect, managing all from Europe.”
“Fountain consultant Dan Euser is really familiar with the potentials and limits of water dynamics. He’s visionary in terms of creating things of beauty and simplicity.” |
“When the graphic designers Karlssonwilker joined the team, the design of the Museum of the Moving Image was fairly well resolved, but they were able to complement and add to its strength in a way that carried through the branding of the entire institution”
“The reception desk at the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator is custom designed and Panelite made it easy for me because they built a model on site for approval and I was able to see our 3-D computer drawings in real life before the desk was fabricated.” |