HOTTEST PROJECTS
Patchogue-Medford Library Reopens Renovated Children’s and Parent’s Department
Following an extensive renovation, the Patchogue-Medford Library re-opened the Children’s and Parent’s Services Department (CAPS). Established in 1900 and boosting 32,000 members and more than 300,000 books, magazine subscriptions, and movies and programs on DVDs, the library serves the entire community of the Patchogue-Medford district.
Political and community leaders, including New York State Assemblyman Dean Murray and Patchogue Village Mayor Paul Pontieri, attended the ceremony. More than 300 children and parents witnessed the ribbon-cutting event and toured the newly opened children’s department. The ceremony was followed by activities for children and families, including face painting, balloon creations, art projects, and healthy snacks.
"This newly renovated Children's and Parents' Department is a beautiful facility for the residents of Patchogue and Medford to enjoy," said Assemblyman Dean Murray. "Our library is an important educational and community hub. The state funds used for this project are definitely money well spent, and will pay dividends for our children and their families well into the future."
Patchogue-Medford Library director Dina McNeece Chrils said: ”We are proud to provide families and children with the new, state-of-the-art children’s department, following the renovation performed by Stalco Construction and H2M. The new facility offers an exciting and comfortable environment for families to interact with literature and other learning resources. We look forward to continuing serving our community as a facilitator of learning and literary experience for all ages.”
The renovation team included general contractor Stalco Construction and architect H2M. Located within the main library building at 54-60 East Main Street in Patchogue, NY, CAPS houses a large book stacks area, 350-square-foot program and event room, toddler area, service desk, head office, family bathroom, and employee facilities.
The project was financed through the library’s capital reserve fund and a New York State Library Construction Fund’s grant of $150,000. The total cost of the project, including design, construction, and fixture and equipment expenditures, was $700,000.Mc Gowan Builders Completes Hebrew Institute of Riverdale
Mc Gowan Builders, Inc. (MGB) completed The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale’s new building located at 3700 Henry Hudson Parkway in the Bronx, NY. MGB served as general contractor for the three-story, 35,000-square foot project that encompassed a 24,000-square-foot addition and renovations to the 11,000-square-foot existing building. In addition to Mc Gowan Builders, the project team included SLCE Architects, owner’s representative Horizon Project Advisors, structural engineer DeNardis Engineering, and MEP engineer DiBari Engineering.
The $9-million facility serves religious, educational, and social needs of the local Jewish community. The institute houses a large lobby, religious sanctuary, Beit Midrash room, youth Minyan room, Sabbath elevator, offices, community rooms, nine multi-purpose rooms/classrooms, and an exterior patio.
In anticipation of a future upward expansion, the client requested that the new building accommodate the addition of a fourth floor. The engineering team accommodated this potential expansion by designing oversized foundation footings and the steel structural system. One of the interior design challenges was bringing natural light to the Beit Midrash study hall located on the lower level. SLCE addressed this issue through the use of clerestory windows and a 40-foot-long glass block window on the street level. The glass block window’s height varies from eight to 12.5 inches. The client requested that the new sanctuary be well lit and spacious, and feature a modern look. The designers achieved the reduction in number of fixtures and energy use through improved layout and more efficient fixtures.
Jarmel Kizel and MEP Studio Develop Design for New Rutgers Dormitory
Jarmel Kizel Architects and Engineers, Inc., is designing the mechanical and plumbing systems for a new 12-story dormitory on Rutgers University’s Camden Campus. As part of the design-build team, along with Brian Trematore Plumbing and Heating, Jarmel Kizel’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering studio is preparing engineering construction documents that will be used in permitting and constructing the project. “It is quite encouraging for New Jersey and our education system that there is new construction underway at one of our state’s most recognized universities,” said Matthew B. Jarmel, AIA, MBA and principal of Jarmel Kizel. “Our team is diligently working to provide Rutgers with a seamless HVAC and plumbing design to meets its construction schedule.”
This is the first new student housing facility to be constructed on the Camden campus since 1989. Located on the southern 300 block of Cooper Street, the 161,653-square-foot building will include 102 units to accommodate 350 graduate students. Most of the units will be configured as three- and four-bedroom apartments and will include bathrooms, kitchens and living areas in each. The housing facility also will include 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail.
For this project, Vladimir Ayzenberg, director of Jarmel Kizel’s MEP studio, is leading the team which includes Kordian Homentowski, senior project designer, and Lucian Nicolae, project designer.B.R. Fries Completes Sports Medicine Area For Hospital for Special Surgery
B.R. Fries & Associates, LLC, a New York-based general contracting and construction management firm, has completed a new Sports Medicine Suite for physicians in the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service at Hospital for Special Surgery on East 70th Street in Manhattan.
The $1.2 million dedicated floor, for which HLW International served as architect, had the goals of improving the patient and doctor experience as well as more clearly communicating the hospital’s brand identity. The 10,000 SF project, completed in 17 weeks, includes a reception center, 16 exam rooms, a radiology suite and men’s and women’s bathrooms.
The two-phase project was constructed while the facility remained operational. “Constructing occupied medical facilities marries the science of construction to the art of stringent and sensitive coordination so that daily routines and procedures are minimally disrupted by noise, dust and off-hour construction,” said Barry R. Fries, CEO, B.R. Fries & Associates.
Drawing inspiration from Special Surgery’s mission of restoring movement to patients, the reception area incorporates flowing three dimensional fiberglass feature walls. Ceilings are barrel vaulted and zebra wood paired with decorative columns with LED lighting and etched glass.
Doctors’ office fronts and corridors include anegre wood and frosted glass for privacy, with a clear glass transom running along the tops of the corridors to allow for the passage of light. An LED lit art display system incorporated into the walls showcases memorabilia from the hospital’s many elite and professional athlete clients.
B.R. Fries has completed a number of projects for Hospital for Special Surgery including the renovation of the Pre-Surgical Department, radiology facilities and most recently the high profile renovation of the hospital’s two-story drive-through entrance. Hospital for Special Surgery is nationally ranked No. 1 for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report (2010-11).Columbus Square’s Green Leisure
High-end amenities highlighted by one of the most unique indoor/outdoor
pools in the city are among the cornerstones of leisure at 808 Columbus
Avenue at Columbus Square.
A dramatic landscaped sundeck, one of the largest green rooftop open spaces in Manhattan, stretches three city blocks alongside the 299-foot-high building. Designed by M. Paul Friedberg and Partners, one of the most celebrated landscape architects, the sprawling outdoor refuge is set two stories above the ground floor, offering magnificent overhead views of the Upper West Side.
“The amenities offered at 808 Columbus rival that of any new condominium project in New York,” said Peter Rosenberg, Development Director at Stellar Management, co-developer of Columbus Square, along with The Chetrit Group. “There are amenities for everyone to utilize and enjoy that can offer the feeling of a vacation getaway.”
808 Columbus Avenue was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Costas Kondylis & Partners, LLP, with interiors by trend setting designer Andres Escobar. It features 359 rental units including a mix of studios with alcoves to four bedroom penthouses. The rental property is the first to open as part of Columbus Square, a project that will feature five unique rental buildings and more than 300,000 square feet of commercial and specialty retail space when complete.
Like all five buildings planned at Columbus Square, 808 Columbus was created with energy-efficient features such as solar panels and a co-generation system to promote healthy living. All five buildings have green rooftops.
The Rockefeller Group Breaks Ground for BASF
BASF Corporation and Rockefeller
Group Development Corporation (RGDC) announced
that they have signed a long-term lease for BASF to occupy a new 325,000
square foot office building RGDC will develop at The Green at Florham
Park, New Jersey. Construction of the new facility began in July with
completion and occupancy expected by mid 2012.
The new building will be home to BASF’s North American headquarters, which has been based in Florham Park since 2004.
“We look forward to occupying this new building and expanding our presence in Florham Park,” said Kurt Bock, Chairman and CEO of BASF Corporation. “The building design fosters the collaborative spirit of BASF and our commitment to sustainable development in all that we do.”
The Green at Florham Park is a world-class 268-acre master planned sustainable development designed to accommodate more than 800,000 square feet of office space, a full-service hotel, 425-unit active adult residential community, and the 27-acre site that is the home of the Atlantic Health New York Jets Training Center. Atlantic Health, a New York and New Jersey healthcare provider, already plans to build a 100,000-square-foot, four-story medical facility called the Atlantic Sports Health Institute within the park. The Rockefeller Group is currently marketing the remaining land which can accommodate up to 400,000 square feet of office space.
“This project continues RGDC’s commitment to the State of New Jersey and sustainable development. The Green at Florham Park will be a world class business park for years to come,” said Les Smith Jr., executive vice president, Rockefeller Group Development Corporation.
“The Borough of Florham Park is pleased BASF will become one of the anchor tenants of The Green at Flor-ham Park,” said R. Scott Eveland, Florham Park Mayor. “The Rockefeller Group has been a great partner with Florham Park in achieving the goals of this community.”
Battery Park City Community Center Underway
Stalco Construction, Inc. has begunwork on the 60,000 SF Battery Park City
Community Center, one of the most interesting civic projects currently
under- way in Manhattan. The center’s owner, the Hugh L. Carey
Battery Park City Authority, recognized internationally as a leader in
sustainable construction, continued its commitment to green building
by setting a goal of LEED Platinum certification for the project.
“We are proud to begin construction on the Battery Park City Community Center as a member of one of the best green construction teams ever assembled in New York City. This project will crown Stalco Construction’s portfolio of LEED certified and environmentally responsible projects throughout the Northeast,” said Stalco Construction President and Principal Alan Nahmias.
Located at the base of Liberty Luxe and Liberty Green high-rise residential towers on North End Avenue, the facility will encompass two cellar levels, the street level, and a mezzanine. The center will house a main lobby, adult swimming pool, children’s pool, gymnasium and fitness center, theater/auditorium, dance studios, classrooms, offices, locker rooms, cafeteria, kitchen, bathrooms, and storage and equipment rooms.
Headquartered in Islandia, NY, with a regional office in New York City, Stalco Construction, Inc. is a full-service general contracting and construction management firm active on Long Island and in the Greater New York area.
$225 Million Master Plan for St. Michael’s Medical Center
Architecture firm Francis Cauffman announced that it has started on Phase
One of a comprehensive, $225 million master plan to address the projected
needs of Saint Michael’s Medical
Center (SMMC), a member of the Catholic
Health East system. The master plan will expand the hospital, dramatically
upgrade its capacity, and improve circulation on its urban campus.
The 357-bed hospital is a regional healthcare, teaching, and research center located in Newark’s central business district. SMMC, which was established by the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in 1867, currently has 750,000 SF of space in nine buildings that are an average of 66 years old.
“Saint Michael’s has played an important pioneering role in the history of the New Jersey health care,” said Terence French, executive vice president at Catholic Health East New Jersey. “This project maintains and strengthens that role, advances the growth strategy of our hospital and enables us to build upon our long tradition of compassionate service to the local community. Francis Cauffman understands both our vision for the future of St. Michael’s and our respect for the hospital’s past.”
Future phases include a new medical education building; the conversion of the historic St. Michael’s Hospital Buildings into retail space, administrative offices, and living quarters for medical residents; St. Michael’s Court, a new vehicular entry that improves access to and from the campus; and a new cancer center.
Francis Cauffman has coordinated its master planning efforts with the NJIT, the Newark Museum, and Rutgers as part of Newark’s Broad Street Station District Redevelopment Plan. The SMMC project, which also includes landscape and streetscape improvements, contributes to the plan’s estimated investment of $1 billion to revitalize this urban area.
Fordham Plaza Set For Conceptual Revitalization
On behalf of the New
York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC),
WXY architecture + design (WXY) has completed a conceptual master plan
for the design and management of a renewed Fordham Plaza in the Bronx,
across from Fordham University. WXY, the new identity for Weisz
+ Yoes Architecture, is a design practice specializing in the realization
of innovative architectural and environmental work.
“Fordham Plaza poses many transportation, economic and public space challenges, but it has the potential to be a real model for connecting communities and mass transit through innovative open space design,” says Claire Weisz, AIA, principal of WXY. “Our multi-faceted master plan is intended to address these issues, with a host of recommendations. It’s also meant to align with many of the goals and initiatives of PlaNYC 2030.” The Fordham Plaza Conceptual Masterplan is expected to be implemented through the New York City Department of Design and Construction’s Design Excellence program.
Another significant aspect of the master plan is beautification of the plaza. The plan includes a new entrance to the MetroNorth station and bus terminal with a café, and more seating and additional trees and plantings. The master plan also incorporates strong principles of sustainability including structures with solar panels, a vertical wind turbine, and improved stormwater management featuring a bioswale, a grove of trees and perennial plantings.
“This proposed master plan not only addresses Fordham Plaza’s current challenges; it solves the difficult issues and makes for a public space that will reinvigorate the neighborhood and enhance the experience for all those who use it,” adds Ms. Weisz.
