55 Water Street Cafe Featured in Wall Street Journal Spaces Column

Mancini•Duffy's post-Hurricane Sandy transformation of the 55 Water Street Cafe is featured the Wall Street Journal Spaces. Principal, Scott Harrell discusses how the new design provides a variety of dining options for a multi-tenant cafe and cafeteria.

President Christian Giordano Profiled in Real Estate Weekly

Learn more about Christian Giordano's background, career and interests in this weeks Real Estate Weekly profile.

Mancini•Duffy Expands with Addition of Daniel Rojas as Architectural Design Director

Accomplished Project Designer and Leader Bolsters Team with International Pedigree 

Mancini•Duffy, a leading architectural and interiors practice, in expanding its team with the next generation of professionals, has named Daniel Rojas to serve as its Architectural Design Director. Mr. Rojas brings more than a decade of experience to the firm, and a background in high-profile, mixed-use, corporate, hospitality and cultural projects in the United States, Asia, South America and Europe. He brings his expertise and international perspective to complement the expansive architectural, design and planning experience present within the Mancini•Duffy team.

“Mancini•Duffy is an extremely well-rounded firm with an impressive history – I’m excited to add my design narrative to its ongoing story. Working with such talented and established design professionals is a truly wonderful opportunity, and I’m very pleased at the opportunity to become part of this established team,” said Mr. Rojas. “There are many intriguing projects completed and in the works, and it will be wonderful to be part of this firm’s future.”

Mr. Rojas’ experience is comprehensive, and he has been involved in projects such as the 63,000-square-foot conversion from commercial to residential at 15 Union Square West and the 75,000-square-foot James Hotel, both in New York City. Internationally, he worked on Media Corp’s 808,000-square-foot commercial development in Singapore and the 540,000-square-foot New Chongquing library in Chongquing, China, among other works. He received his M. S. in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, a B.S in Architecture from Pratt Institute School of Architecture, and also participated in Pratt’s Rome Program and other Bachelor of Architecture programs in Chile and Colombia. 

Mancini•Duffy Announces 2014 Staff Promotions

Forward-thinking Appointments Solidify the Next Generation  of Architecture and Design Professionals

Mancini•Duffy is pleased to recognize the expertise and talent it has nurtured on its team with a series of new promotions. President, Principal and Director of Architecture, Christian Giordano made the announcement, revealing all the positive changes at the firm. “Keeping with our innovative approach to architecture and design, and desire to take the firm into the future, we were pleased to name our promoted employees,” said Giordano. “We feel that these moves will further boost our strong team, our collective creativity, and attention to quality within our firm and with every project we undertake.”

The full list of promotions at the firm’s New York City office is as follows:

Promoted to Principal:

William Mandara, AIA

William Mandara is a licensed architect with over 20 years of successful experience in all areas of architecture, from new building design and adaptive reuse of existing buildings, to interior design for education, corporate, and retail facilities. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the New York Institute of Technology.

Promoted to Senior Associate:

Fran Ferrone
As Director of Workplace Innovation, Fran Ferrone is a skilled facilitator and communicator who helps clients prepare for and manage change. She has over 25 years of experience and received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Interior Design from Parsons The New School for Design, and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech from the Catholic University of America.

Ricardo Nabholz, Associate IIDA, LEED AP
Ricardo Nabholz has nearly ten years of experience in architecture and interior design and his areas of specialty include projects for academic and institutional clients. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and received his Bachelor of Interior Architecture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects.

Promoted to Associate:

Georgi Hubenov, RA
Georgi Hubenov is a licensed architect with over ten years of experience in architecture and interior design. He has a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Joacha Sullivan- Strange, LEED AP, BD + C
Joacha Sullivan-Strange has more than 10 years of experience in architecture and interior design, with a particular focus on office build-outs and consolidations for major corporate clients. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and  holds a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Science and Architectural Studies from Norwich University.

Layla Safiani, Associate AIA, LEED AP BD + C

Layla Safiani has nearly five years of professional experience in architecture and interior design, bringing an integrated approach to the design process. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Syracuse University School of Architecture.

Nicole Morgenthaler, AIA
Nicole Morgenthaler, a registered architect, has nearly ten years of professional experience in architecture and business consulting. She holds both Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from Tulane University.

Nora Alhasan, Associate AIA, LEED AP BD + C
Nora Alhasan offers a unique client-side perspective, having served for a year as an operations intern in Morgan Stanley’s International Securities Lending Division. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and holds a Master of Architecture degree from Parsons The New School for Design, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wagner College.

Mary DeLaurentis, Associate AIA
Mary DeLaurentis has been with Mancini•Duffy since 2012, and has gained experience in multiple fields, such as interior design and base building architecture. She received a Bachelor of Architecture from the Syracuse University School of Architecture.

Christian Giordano Speaking at New York City Construction and Development Summit

President, Christian Giordano will be speaking at Bisnow's 5th Annual NYC Construction and Development Summit on December 4th at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. Register here.

NBC Sports Group Featured in Interior Design Magazine October Issue

Mancini Duffy Designs an Unbeatable Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut

Mancini•Duffy's design for NBC Sports Group's Headquarters is the first home outside Manhattan in its 60-year history. The transformation encompassed two buildings: a two-story administration building that was completely renovated into 60,000 square feet of executive office space, and the former Clairol factory that was converted into a broadcast center housing six on air studios, a technical core that includes 6 control rooms, 50 graphics suites, over 50 edit rooms and over 1,000 miles of broadcast cabling, and office support space for over 300 producers.

To learn more about the transformation, view the article spread here or online. Courtesy of Interior Design.

Mancini•Duffy Survey Indicates More Than Three-Quarters of Workload Takes Place Without Face-to-Face Interactions

Survey Also Points to Generational Differences in Where Employees Work Within the Office 

Mancini•Duffy, a leading architectural and interiors firm, has released preliminary findings from The Coordinate, its survey on workplace trends. The most recent survey indicates that less than one-quarter of the work performed in a single day requires a face-to-face interaction. With the rise of technology, much of the workday – even the most productive morning hours – is spent corresponding via email or conference call.

“Employees want flexibility and choice,” said Fran Ferrone, Mancini•Duffy’s Director of Workplace Innovation. “The survey results show that being able to work at times that are most productive for workers and being able to have a choice of places to work is not a case of either/or, but of both/and.”

  

Additional findings highlight:

           

• Gen X and Y’s biggest dissatisfaction is “lack of stimulating atmosphere.
• While concentration is a problem for all, it is less so for Boomers and Traditionalists who occupy the majority of private offices.
• Despite the trend toward collaboration, all generations say “information overheard” is over-performing. 

These findings are the second in a series of surveys being conducted by Mancini•Duffy this year to test the hypothesis of “the dissolution of the traditional workweek.” The next survey,  addressing “sources of inspiration and motivation,” will round out the series. Complete results (and their implications) will be published in early 2015. To participate in the Coordinate survey, visit: http://www.cvent.com/d/d4q2kp. Contact CWI@manciniduffy.com for additional information or questions about The Coordinate.

Mancini•Duffy Provides Architectural Services for Normandy Real Estate Partner's Transformation of 25th Street Property

Design Team Re-envisions Interiors and Exteriors of 11-Story Chelsea Office Building; Property to Undergo Dynamic Redesign 

Mancini•Duffy, a leading architectural and interiors practice, has been commissioned by Normandy Real Estate Partners to provide full architectural design services for the renovation and modernization of Normandy’s 125 West 25^th Street. Initial plans call for prime ground-floor retail and expanded retail storage in the lower level of the 12-story, 140,000-square-foot loft office building located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. In addition to the retail component, the top ten floors will offer new office space with a fresh, modern infrastructure.

“We’re truly looking forward to working with Normandy Real Estate Partners  on the renovation of its building at 125 West 25^th Street,” said William Mandara, Jr., a principal at  Mancini•Duffy.  “It’s a great opportunity to showcase the firm’s capabilities, while highlighting how efficient design provides a strong advantage to property owners looking to reposition their assets.”

For 125 West 25^th Street, Mancini•Duffy has designed a unique lighted glass curtain wall encompassing the first three stories and replacing the existing and antiquated metal skin.  The firm has also created a new tenant lobby for the eastern portion of the building along 25^th street, while a freight area will be constructed on the west side’s entrance.  Plans also call for the complete upgrade and modernization of the building’s mechanical, HVAC and plumbing systems we well as LEED Gold certification.

Mancini•Duffy Tapped to Create “Living” Interior Master Plan for Somerset Development’s Two Million Square-Foot Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ

Cohesive Vision for Adaptive Reuse of Historic and Architectural Landmark 

Mancini•Duffy, a leading architectural and interiors practice, has been retained by Somerset Development to create a master plan for the interior design of Bell Works that will provide cohesion for the iconic adaptive reuse development in Holmdel, New Jersey.  Christian Giordano, Principal and President, Director of Architecture at Mancini•Duffy, working with lead redevelopment architect Alexander Gorlin Architects, will spearhead the initiative, which will serve as a guiding blueprint for future developments, leasing practices, overall building renovations and tenant development plans at Bell Works. Mr. Giordano is joined by Alan Dandron, Principal, and Bill Mandara, Principal, also of Mancini•Duffy, who lend a combined 60 years of expertise to the assignment.

Formerly named Bell Labs, the Bell Works facility is currently undergoing a $100-million adaptive reuse redevelopment, the eventual result of which will be a modern, mixed-use complex. Originally designed by famed architect Eero Saarinen in 1962 as the headquarters of Bell Laboratories, the complex was constructed over a two year period, between 1962 and 1964, and was upgraded in 1982. In its new iteration, Somerset’s vision includes a pedestrian promenade within the building’s existing atrium that will serve as the central gathering space while connecting tenants and visitors to a host of dining, entertainment, and health and wellness services. The new property will also feature high-end retail and restaurants, high-quality office space, state-of-the-art health and wellness facilities, educational space, and a hotel with a conference center.

In addition to the creation of an interior master plan for the historic complex, Mancini•Duffy will also be reconfiguring the building’s various cores and infrastructure to accommodate the most efficient layouts for use by corporate tenants. The Garibaldi Group and M. Wilk Consulting serve as the exclusive office and retail leasing agents for Bell Works, respectively.

“It’s an honor to bring such a historic building designed by a truly iconic architect to the next stage of its life cycle. We are eager to begin work on the facility and play a vital role in its transformation,” said Giordano. “This extensive space has a fascinating past and even brighter future, and its presence will offer a great many opportunities to the businesses in and around Holmdel, which also happens to be the area in which I spent my formative years.”

Mancini•Duffy will also be involved in the building’s future, providing architectural services for tenants including visioning and programming, test fits, design development, construction documentation and construction administration. The firm has been retained to present area block outs and renderings to assist in attracting future tenants to the finished space.

Somerset Development selected internationally recognized architecture firm, Alexander Gorlin Architects, to serve as the lead architect for the redevelopment of the facility. The firm, which specializes in a wide range of projects including historically significant, adaptive reuse developments, will oversee the execution of programming, re-branding and restoration for Bell Works’ public and common area spaces.

Mancini•Duffy Names Christian Giordano President as Firm Heads into 100th Year

Industry Veterans Anthony Schirripa, Theodore Hammer to Co-Chair Architecture and Interiors Leader

Mancini•Duffy, a leading architectural and interiors practice, announces that Christian D. Giordano, Principal and Director of Architecture, has been appointed President of the firm. In this role, Mr. Giordano is charged with leadership of the growing firm as it moves into its 100^th year in 2015 and beyond. The announcement was made by Anthony P. Schirripa, FAIA IIDA, the firm’s CEO and Co- Chairman.

Mr. Schirripa also announced that Theodore Hammer, who most recently served as president of Mancini•Duffy, is taking on the role of chief operating officer and co-chairman.  Mr. Schirripa said, “Together, Ted, Christian and I will take a century of knowledge – the firm’s and our own combined experience – and put it to work to inspire Mancini•Duffy for a new generation of excellence and innovation.”

About Mr. Giordano, Mr. Schirripa said, “Christian brings the remarkable combination of design talent and business savvy to his leadership at Mancini•Duffy, and instills a creative, optimistic team spirit and environment for our continued growth.”  Mr. Hammer added, “We have long been a firm prized for smart, cutting-edge design that enabled our clients’ businesses to flourish. With Christian as President, we will build upon that reputation to earn recognition for our own innovative work environment and our ability to deliver architectural solutions as well as interior designs that help our clients achieve their goals.”

Mr. Giordano brings almost two decades of experience to his role as President at Mancini•Duffy, including work for major corporations and developers at HLW and Swanke Hayden Connell in New York as well as the firm Morphosis in Los Angeles. In his role as Director of Architecture at Mancini•Duffy, Mr. Giordano’s portfolio of work and relationships have helped the firm establish a new presence in hotel and multifamily architecture, as well as broadening the company’s service on behalf of some of the largest creative corporations in the nation, especially in the broadcast and advertising worlds. He studied architecture at University of Miami and received his Master’s degree from UCLA. He was recently named to Building Design + Construction’s “40 Under 40” list featuring 40 esteemed industry professionals with distinguished careers, who demonstrated service to their professions and communities, and who are actively participating in charity work.

“For 100 years, Mancini•Duffy has set a standard for merging both great design and smart business practices to inform our work, and we will carry that forward to a new level in our next century,” Mr. Giordano said. “First, we will be our own best client – putting the ideas we identify in our Center for Workplace Innovation to work in our own space, making sure we are fostering an environment that lets us test concepts and flourish with best practices. Equally, we are going to continue to be a fantastic, progressive firm, where the overall happiness of our team elevates our work and our service to our clients and the community.”

Mr. Giordano said his partners share his commitment to the enhancement of Mancini•Duffy’s inventive culture, and the drive to attract exciting young talent to work on both the growing architecture and interiors practices. “We will put great, thoughtful design front and center, and leverage this expertise to solve our client’s problems,” Mr. Giordano said. “Watch for us to elevate our game – a game that we already play at the very highest level.”

Mancini•Duffy Amplifies Law Firm Interiors Practice Under Leadership From Dina Frank And New Senior Design Professional Stephen Gertz

Industry veteran retains leadership, bolstered by additional expertise.

Mancini•Duffy has retained a new senior design professional to bolster its law firm practice led by industry veteran Dina Frank, AIA,IIDA, principal and president emeritus. Stephen Gertz, a widely recognized expert in the design of corporate offices, with particular expertise and extensive experience with law firms has joined the team as the Director of its Law Firm practice.

Mr. Gertz comes to Mancini•Duffy with nearly four decades of experience as Executive Vice President and Principal with Keiser Associates. There, he brought, designed, and managed a broad range of law firm projects including those for Mound Cotton Wollan & Greengrass, LLP and BuckleySandler, LLP. His most recent finished work was a renovation project for Morgan Lewis & Bockius, LLP. The work involved upgrades to a 14,000 square-foot conference center, the integration of full AV systems in all rooms and a new 25,000 square-foot practice floor featuring new planning and design standards which were implemented throughout the firm. 

His success in developing working relationships—some as much as 20 years long—with his clients has led many of them to follow him to Mancini•Duffy, where he can effectively continue to serve them in a larger, more diversified firm with a strong history of quality design and service. Gertz holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame.

“As client and industry needs change, we felt it time to deepen our expertise and bring Stephen to our team. His insight will further enable Mancini•Duffy to make bold, prudent moves in the future, especially as the firm moves into its next 100 years,” said Dina Frank. “We are excited to add Stephen’s skills to the law firm practice team, and I am thrilled to be working with him.”

Mancini•Duffy’s law firm practice has served many of the nation’s premiere legal powerhouse firms, including Latham & Watkins, Dorsey & Whitney and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan.

Mancini Duffy Names Rudy Espiritu Technical Director-Senior Associate

Prominent Design and Construction Professional Brings Broad Experience In Architecture and Construction Management

In an effort to further expand its industry-leading architectural and interiors practice, Mancini•Duffy has hired prominent design and construction executive Rudy Espiritu to serve as a Technical Director/Senior Associate. Mr. Espiritu brings over 13 years of experience in architecture and construction management to his new position at Mancini-Duffy, joining an accomplished team of professionals at the firm.

“I am very excited to work with some of the most talented architects and designers in our industry at Mancini•Duffy, a firm with a tremendous history and many exciting projects in the works,” said Mr. Espiritu. “Personally, I am also looking forward to expanding my knowledge base as I learn from some of the best people in the business.”

Prior to joining Mancini•Duffy Mr. Espiritu was an Associate Partner, Project Manager and Project Architect with Foster + Partners. Among his many noteworthy projects while with the firm, he was involved in the complete renovation of the New York Public Library at 42^nd Street.

Additional former senior leadership roles include Mr. Espiritu’s tenure with HLW International, where he oversaw 4.5 million square feet of new construction. While at HLW, he served as Project Architect on the ESPN Digital Center II, a 190,000 square-foot, ground-up Digital Release Facility. He was also involved in the 6,000 square-foot, fit-out of the flagship food service and public assembly facility for the NY headquarters of Google. He was Project Architect/Project manager for the 83,000 square-foot, mixed-use retail and residential tower at 300 East 79^th Street. Mr. Espiritu also worked on the Hilton Grand Vacations Club, a 130,000 square-foot, ground-up project which consisted of a 27-story timeshare unit building, with 161 hotel units, including lobby, spa, and back –office operations, on 57^th and 6th Avenue in Manhattan.

“Rudy is extremely talented and well-respected in the industry,” said Anthony Schirripa, FAIA IIDA, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Over the past year, our practice has grown significantly - in all aspects - and we believe that Rudy will help us to further facilitate this expansion as we seamlessly combine his skills and past experiences into our team dynamic.”

Mr. Espiritu is a registered architect in New York and Florida. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from Temple University in Philadelphia and started his career in the same city with Flatiron Building Company, Inc. before moving to New York for a position with Swanke Hayden Connell Architects.  

Mancini•Duffy Heads for its Second Century with Confidence in Growth

Recent Hires in Business Development, Marketing, & Leadership of Law Firm Practice Support the Firm’s Strategic Plan

As Mancini•Duffy gears up for its 100th anniversary in 2015, the firm has given its strategic plan a strong foundation with several important new hires: Morgan Gorospe, Business Development Director; Kristin Valente, Marketing Director; and Stephen Gertz, who will co-share leadership of the law firm practice with Dina Frank.

Ted S. Hammer, Mancini•Duffy President, said, “There’s no question that Mancini•Duffy is hitting the ground running into its next 100 years. Our new strategic plan balances prudence with boldness: we are capitalizing on our historic strengths and excited about our near-term growth.”

Hammer, himself a relative new-comer to Mancini•Duffy, notes, too, that the firm’s ability to attract exceptional talent is a measure of wide-spread confidence in its future. “I joined Mancini•Duffy a year and a half ago because I saw such terrific opportunity and wanted to help realize it. Then last year, Christian Giordano came on board as Principal and Director of Architecture and is making building design a powerful and growing part of our practice. Now,” Hammer says, “three more experienced and gifted professionals are lending their skills and enthusiasm to our business development.”

Morgan Gorospe has 13 years’ experience in business development and project management for leading construction management firms including Structure Tone, Swinerton Builders and Perini. She has not only had great success in introducing new business, but in developing excellent long-term relationships with clients. In addition to a BA in Fine Arts/Emphasis in Interior Design from the University of Southern California, Morgan holds a Graduate Degree in Construction Planning & Management from UCLA. She is an active member of the New York Building Congress, CoreNet, USGBC, and ASHE.

Kristin Valente comes to Mancini•Duffy with more than a decade in marketing, as marketing coordinator for Perkins Eastman for seven years and, more recently, as Northeast Regional Marketing Coordinator for the civil and environmental engineering firm of Greeley and Hansen. A graduate of the University of Vermont with a BA in English, Kristin co-chairs the SMPS New York Chapter Professional Development Committee.

Stephen Gertz is a widely recognized expert in the design of corporate offices, with particular expertise and extensive experience with law firms. During his nearly four decades as Executive Vice President and Principal with Keiser Associates, he brought to that firm, designed, and managed a broad range of law firm projects. His success in developing working relationships—some as much as 20 years long—with his clients has led many of them to follow him to Mancini•Duffy, where he can effectively continue to serve them in a larger, more diversified firm with a strong history of quality design and service. Stephen holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame.

All three of these professionals have expressed their excitement at joining Mancini•Duffy because of the firm’s excellent history, its vision going forward, its focus on the practice of architecture and interior design, and its Center for Workplace Innovation. They look forward to telling the firm’s story.

Happy Holidays

John Sadlon: New York Office Managing Principal

Congratulations to John Sadlon on his new role as Managing Principal of our New York office. He took up the helm in May, and now oversees all aspects of practice-related activities for New York, in addition to maintaining his client relationships. Before joining our firm in 2002, John spent a decade working in Boston on a variety of projects including mixed-use architecture and corporate interiors. Read more on officenewswire, or see the notice in the “Executive Moves” section of Crain’s New York Business (for those with a digital subscription). He’ll also be profiled in the August issue of the Mann Report.

John shows off his executive moves at last year's holiday party at the SICIS showroom.

Happy Holidays

Miami Experience

Last weekend, I was invited by Floor Focus magazine to attend an awards celebration in South Beach, Florida. Sponsoring the event were Bentley Prince Street, Centiva, Crossville Tile, Floor Focus, and Johnsonite. The magazine honored four design firms for dynamic integration of flooring within the overall design of a space. Mancini Duffy received the Grand Prize for our design of new offices for the law firm Fitzpatrick Cella Harper and Scinto, in Manhattan. A brief interview that followed the event can be heard here.

While in South Beach, I enjoyed a walking tour of the Art Deco District, focusing on the Ocean Drive properties located south of 15th Street. Art Deco made its debut in 1925 at an exposition in Paris, creating a new design vocabulary based on early neoclassical styles with the application of bas-relief motifs including flora, fauna, and strong geometric patterns. From the 1930's until the 1970's, the neighborhood was primarily home to many retirees, as well as a mix of transients, and the buildings fell into a severe state of disrepair. It wasn't until 1979, when the neighborhood was under threat of being razed to make way for new high-rise construction, that the buildings were recognized for their significance within the urban fabric of South Beach. It was at that time that preservationists first added subdued tones of color to pronounce the clean lines and finely crafted details of the Deco style. See images below.

A few blocks away, in sharp architectural contrast, I also visited Herzog and de Meuron's recently opened car park at 1111 Lincoln Road. The seven-story structure features varying slab-to-slab heights and an elegantly sweeping ramp which spirals upward, revealing spectacular views of Miami. The evolution of parking structure as pedestrian destination creates an interesting and utterly unique mix of form and function. The structure itself is quietly poetic in details, including knife-edge slab cuts and complex folding stairways, which further create a sense of theatre and discovery as you experience the building. The lasting impression is one of refinement; by eliminating any exterior curtain wall system, the building appears to be very light and airy. See images below.