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Megan Apostol

Blue Foundry Bank Debuts in Rutherford

Blue Foundry Bank Debuts in Rutherford 789 444 DMR Architects

Blue Foundry Bank’s Rutherford location redesigned by DMR Architects has opened at 19 Park Ave. reflecting the bank’s reinvention as the banking option of today’s movers and shakers.  Blue Foundry Bank offers a full service, crafted banking experience.

DMR worked with the financial institution on a design that reflects the bank’s brand through an open floor plan and a more connected approach to banking, replacing traditional physical divisions such as counters and desks with Universal Bankers, supporting an environment conducive to helping customers plan for their financial success. The branch also includes space for community collaborations.

The aesthetic in the 1,600 square foot branch incorporates elements of the bank’s  industrial history with exposed brick, steel, distressed wood, and concrete wall panels. The location features curated pieces of art, an art deco moss wall, three-dimensional logos, and modern new ATM designs.

“Our reimagined Rutherford branch experience and design elements represent Blue Foundry Bank’s new brand and commitment to the hard-working businesses and individuals that we serve in Northern New Jersey,” said James D. Nesci, President and CEO of Blue Foundry Bank. “At Blue Foundry Bank, we look beyond providing financial services. Our new location will serve as a hub for strengthening the Rutherford community, and we look forward to deepening our footprint in this wonderful town.”

“People want to feel comfortable—like they’re sharing their vision with a trusted confidante, not just entering into a transaction—when discussing their personal and professional financial goals,” said Lloyd Rosenberg, AIA. “By stepping away from the almost clinical banking décor, Blue Foundry has made an intelligent business decision that will set them apart when today’s investor shops for an banking institution.”

DMR and Hackensack BOE Celebrate Conversion of Middle School Field

DMR and Hackensack BOE Celebrate Conversion of Middle School Field 789 444 DMR Architects

On Oct. 3, DMR Architects joined the Hackensack Board of Education to celebrate the reopening of the Middle School’s turf field.

The artificial field at Hackensack Middle School will be used for the middle school’s physical education classes and team practices during school hours, and will be available for the larger community to use the rest of the week.

“Safe, well-maintained, and welcoming outdoor spaces are essential to the wellbeing of our school community,” said Hackensack Superintendent Robert Sanchez.  “DMR guided us in the design to maximize field use and kept the project on track. We are looking forward to watching our students use this space once again.”

“Schools and their outdoor recreational spaces are vital components of thriving neighborhoods,” said Donna Coen O’Gorman, AIA.  “We commend the Board of Education for prioritizing the revival of this space for the benefit of the entire Hackensack community.”

DMR managed the project on the 201 by 135-foot field which also includes new fencing and the installation of soccer barrier netting.

Kurt Vierheilig Talks Pandemic Related Residential Shifts

Kurt Vierheilig Talks Pandemic Related Residential Shifts 1644 925 DMR Architects

On the Aug. 31 edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Kurt Vierheilig joined editor Jeffrey Kanige to discuss how today’s largely at home workforce might influence the next evolution of residential design.

As DMR’s lead designer, Kurt has seen DMR’s portfolio of nearly more than 10,000 residential units through design, beginning with projects such as Metropolis Towers, designed in the early 2000s to Annin Lofts, which opened in 2018. During that time has seen the sector take several turns, most recently a largely amenity-focused approach that focused on impressive packages that brought people out of their units and into common areas.

However, today, with an unprecedented number of workers working from home, Kurt discusses how DMR’s commitment to creating functional, comfortable, and accommodating spaces to call home has taken on a new challenge – and offers some insight that might be helpful to those right now particularly eager to improve their home workspace.

Watch the full conversation or read a summary on our blog.

Henry Ossi Achieves Cost Estimating Certification

Henry Ossi Achieves Cost Estimating Certification 2000 1125 DMR Architects

We are proud to congratulate our Director of Construction Administration and firm Associate Henry Ossi, CPE, ICS, LEED AP on recently becoming a Certified Professional Estimator (CPE) from the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE).

The CPE certification process measures proficiency in general construction estimating and ethical awareness through a detailed process that included workshop attendance, a technical paper and a written examination.

Henry’s certification will greatly expand DMR’s services and credentials and strengthens our in-house services, while also improving estimating accuracy and helping to greater protect our client’s project budgets.

Monmouth County Breaks Ground on Security Vestibule

Monmouth County Breaks Ground on Security Vestibule 789 444 DMR Architects

Construction for the West Wing Security Vestibule addition to the Monmouth County Courthouse, designed by DMR Architects, began last month following a groundbreaking ceremony in Freehold Borough.

DMR Architects designed the 3,400 square foot screening area to address modern security equipment and measures that the existing facility, built in 1954, could not accommodate.  It will be used as the lone entryway for all employees and visitors to the building, replacing the courthouse’s previously- used East and West wing entrance hallways.

DMR’s design supports easy sightlines, an intuitive and efficient queuing system, ample space for machines including metal detectors and up to four x-ray machines, and technological upgrades with access to restricted areas and video monitoring systems.

“By investing in the space and technology required to support the most sophisticated safety protocols available today, Monmouth County is demonstrating its commitment to the safety of all those who work in the County courthouse and the hundreds that visit daily,” said Lloyd A. Rosenberg, AIA.  “We’re honored to provide the infrastructure that will allow Monmouth County’s judicial machine to continue running effectively.”

In addition to the construction of the West Wing Security Vestibule, the project provides for the reconstruction of the East Wing main entrance stairs, landing and handrails, along with the restoration of additional exterior entrance stairs throughout the building. All improvements will comply with standards enumerated in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“It was important to address the practical needs of the county while seamlessly integrating the new addition with the aesthetic of the original Courthouse,” said Kurt Vierheilig, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Design and Partner at DMR Architects. “The new security Vestibule will be the new public lobby to the Courthouse, expressing an appropriate Civic presence with its modern exterior design, while improving the efficiency and safety of security screening and interior circulation.”

The Monmouth County West Wing Security Vestibule is one of hundreds of municipal buildings that DMR has designed in New Jersey, and one of ten municipal projects either recently completed or currently underway.

DMR’s Culture of Collegiality Keeps $1B in Construction on Track During Pandemic

DMR’s Culture of Collegiality Keeps $1B in Construction on Track During Pandemic 789 444 DMR Architects

Despite the challenges we are all facing due to COVID-19, today we are happy to share some good news: nearly all of the 150 projects that make up our nearly $1 billion pipeline have remained actively under development or construction throughout the pandemic.

These projects include significant progress in projects across all sectors. Construction is near completion on The Residences at 30 Court, a luxury apartment building in Morristown and the design of Wyndham Place at Ridgefield Park is underway, bringing our rental unit count to 4,500. The DMR team is also currently working at 80 schools, including renovation projects at 44 facilities in New York City, and new schools in Carteret, Plainfield, and Paterson in New Jersey. Our team also continues to marry functionality and aesthetics at public facilities throughout New Jersey and is currently working on municipal building projects for Monmouth County and the municipalities of Montgomery, Ridgefield, and Red Bank. DMR’s municipal planning team is now working as the municipal planner in Dunellen and Roselle.

“I’m very proud that across all our practice areas we’ve maintained our culture of collaboration despite our staff being physically separated by shelter-in-place directives,” said Lloyd A. Rosenberg, AIA. “Each of our team members are trained in the most innovative planning and communication tools available, and take personal pride in each project to ensure that the long-term goals of our clients are met in the same way they would without a quarantine and its complications.”

Integrity Health Cuts the Ribbon on Partnership Health Center in Brick

Integrity Health Cuts the Ribbon on Partnership Health Center in Brick 789 444 DMR Architects

On March 2 Integrity Health cut the ribbon on their newest Partnership Health Center, an on-site healthcare office, at the Warren H. Wolf Elementary School in Brick.

DMR designed the project in approximately 7,000 square feet, converting five existing classrooms and connecting corridor spaces into a new Partnership Health Center, an on-site healthcare office where members of the board of education can receive primary care, pharmacy, laboratory and physical therapy services in one location. The space includes general exam rooms, a procedure room, X-Ray equipment, lab and blood draw, pharmacy, physical therapy, behavioral health and staff support spaces and offices.

Founded by Doug Forrester, Integrity Health teams up with employers to find and renovate space in existing, employer-owned buildings for Partnership Health Centers, where members can receive routine medical services in one location. The services are provided without fees or deductibles and are available only to members and their dependents, resulting in convenient and fast routine medical services.

A rendering shows the exterior of the Carteret Junior High School, located on the corner of a main intersection.

Voters Approve Carteret Referendum Projects

Voters Approve Carteret Referendum Projects 789 444 DMR Architects

Voters in Carteret approved a $37 million referendum to fund renovations to each of the district’s facilities, and also construct a new, state-of-the-art Junior High School.

In preparation for the referendum, DMR worked closely with the town and the district to include projects at all schools in the funding, closely adhering to a strict budget to reduce the impact on taxpayers, and to provide schematic design services.

The proposed Junior High School is expected to educate approximately 600 seventh and eighth grade students. Completion of the project will allow for a reassignment and realignment, resulting in the three existing elementary schools serving pre-K-4; the existing middle school serving grades 5 and 6; the new junior high school serving grades 7 and 8; and the existing high school serving grades 9-12. In addition to addressing overcrowding, the construction of the new school will open up space to provide full day kindergarten and additional pre-K programs. The 60,000 SF school will be arranged in a departmentalized environment, with 24 classrooms, enhanced art and music education spaces, a think tank and STEM lab.

Renovations at each of the district’s five existing schools include upgrades to the high school auditorium and bathroom and HVAC and stair tower upgrades at multiple schools. 

Video Release Celebrates Building 3 Opening at The Grande at Metro Park

Video Release Celebrates Building 3 Opening at The Grande at Metro Park 789 444 DMR Architects
Tonight DMR will join the Township of Woodbridge and developers and residents of The Grande at Metro Park to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Building 3, the third of four buildings at the residential development which will ultimately be a 355-unit rental community. Today we are also celebrating the building’s opening with a video release highlighting a key feature of the development, its expansive amenity package.

Lloyd A. Rosenberg Honored with NJBIZ ICON Award

Lloyd A. Rosenberg Honored with NJBIZ ICON Award 150 150 DMR Architects

We are excited to share that our President & CEO, Lloyd Rosenberg, was among the honorees this week at the 2019 ICON Awards presented by NJBiz.

Lloyd is the driving force behind the phenomenal growth and success of DMR Architects, a firm with New Jersey roots, strong relationships with the business community and a passion for advancing the facilities and communities where we live. Lloyd founded the firm in 1991, and continues to lead the firm today as President & CEO.

When Lloyd founded DMR Architects, it was a three-person operation with no office, no staff and no clients. Originally committed to designing exclusively educational facilities, over the years, Lloyd steadily added expert talent and responsibly diversified the firm’s capabilities, resulting in a firm today that employs a staff of 40, consistently ranks among the top architectural firms in the state, provides a diverse range of services and completes an average of 100 projects a year across all market sectors. For its entire history, DMR has called northern New Jersey home, with all employees working from the office’s sole northern New Jersey location and the majority of the firm’s projects being located within the state.

Lloyd was a leading architect who enjoyed a more than 25-year, award-winning career with plenty of professional highlights prior to the founding of DMR. The physical environment of his professional work ranged from projects close to home to around the globe.

Despite a storied career prior to the firm’s founding, Lloyd’s greatest career accomplishments have come during the last 28 years, where he has grown DMR Architects into the team it is today, a thriving professional service firm that employs a uniquely qualified staff; architecturally serves all market sectors; and has also positioned itself as a leader in pioneering redevelopment planning and sophisticated sustainable design services. As part of a strategic and responsible diversification program, today the DMR team also includes professionals with backgrounds in economic development and community outreach, municipal government, real estate, project finance, engineering, and land use, as well as in-house general counsel, positioning the firm as a team that provides unparalleled services to its clients.

Lloyd has played a role in overseeing thousands of design and construction projects while leading DMR, a volume of work that represents hundreds of millions of dollars in construction. Among these projects are many that have had a great impact on the landscape of New Jersey, including the State’s first nature museum; the first school for the blind and the first LEED certified public school; Bergen County’s first brewery; the rail station that first brought train service to the Meadowlands; and the new Frank J. Gargiulo Campus, the $150 million vocational/technical high school in Hudson County, one of the most technologically-advanced schools in the country. The thousands of other projects completed under Lloyd’s direction include sophisticated healthcare facilities, elementary schools, luxury lofts, downtown master plans, police stations, parks, modern offices, academic facilities, sports complexes, renovations to an elementary school forced to close following Superstorm Sandy and construction oversight of the much-anticipated American Dream project.

Lloyd is involved and hands-on, with an everyday presence and involvement in the functions of the firm. He is a supportive leader dedicated to the professional growth of employees, empowering them to take on new responsibilities, expand their capabilities and immerse themselves in the business community, without fear of failure.

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