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Frank J. Gargiulo Campus Awarded LEED Gold Certification

Frank J. Gargiulo Campus Awarded LEED Gold Certification 789 444 DMR Architects

The Frank J. Gargiulo Campus, the new, 350,000 square foot high school that opened its doors in September 2018, has achieved LEED Gold certification.

The vocational-technical high school is an icon for sustainability and will soon be awarded the LEED Project of the Year: Schools award from the United States Green Building Council New Jersey Chapter.

The building is equipped numerous sophisticated sustainable elements, such as wind turbines, geothermal heating, 27,000 square feet of solar panels and 20,000 square feet of green roofs, all of which helped the building achieve a total of 75 points.

The project was an intense collaborative effort and included a team of numerous professional services and construction firms, with DMR serving as the architect of record and LEED specialist.

New state law for public-private projects is an opportunity for design, construction firms

New state law for public-private projects is an opportunity for design, construction firms 960 540 DMR Architects

By Joshua Burd

A new state law could be a game-changer for municipalities, school districts and other government entities, allowing them to tap into private capital for new facilities or infrastructure.

It could also be transformative for New Jersey’s design and construction industry.

The law, which took effect in mid-February, expands the use of so-called public-private partnerships in the Garden State, allowing public entities and agencies to enter agreements with the private sector for building or infrastructure projects within their jurisdiction. As part of the arrangement, the private entity assumes the financial and administrative responsibility for the development, construction and other improvements tied to the project, while the public agency makes regular payments during the length of the agreement.

The agency or entity then assumes ownership at the end of the agreement period.

“This is the future,” said Lloyd Rosenberg, CEO and president of DMR Architects in Hasbrouck Heights. “This is a very important thing for our firm to embrace and to develop, so we’re putting all of that together to attract municipalities or counties to turn over some of their projects, instead of going the traditional way.”

The law also provides a new opportunity for companies like DMR that have experience with so-called design-build projects, a procurement method in which architects and contractors bid together from the beginning. Design-build, which allows for greater predictability and better efficiency, has long been a favorite of state agencies such as the Schools Development Authority, but could be more widely adopted under the public-private partnership law.

As Rosenberg noted, the statute allows for design-build procurement by municipalities, school boards and state agencies, but in an expanded form that also includes plans for financing and operating the project. That framework also allows towns and school districts to avoid voter referendums, which can derail large capital projects in spite of an overwhelming need.

And while the law still requires procurement, the public entity is not required to select the lowest bidder. That can minimize issues such as change orders and other delays.

“You eliminate the public referendum and you eliminate the low-bid contractor,” Rosenberg said. “And they are two of the obstacles that have always been in the way for many communities to get things done.”

The so-called P3 legislation, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law last summer, expands a popular law that has helped reshape several of the state’s college campuses in recent years. Public institutions such as The College of New Jersey, New Jersey City University and Montclair State University have partnered with developers to build new facilities on state-owned land, in an effort to modernize their campuses without added tuition hikes.

DMR is especially well-positioned to tap into the new statute. Its leadership team also includes Charles Sarlo, its general counsel, who is also vice chairman of the state Economic Development Authority and helped vet many higher education projects under the previous law. The firm’s director of business development, Colleen Mahr, is the longtime mayor of Fanwood and is the president of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

Real Estate NJ spoke with Rosenberg, Sarlo and Mahr recently about the opportunity with the new legislation.

Real Estate NJ: This is a long-awaited expansion of the 2009 law that helped so many state colleges and universities. Who else do you think will share in those benefits under the new statute?

Charles Sarlo: It’s counties, school districts, municipalities, improvement authorities, housing authorities, fire commissioners (if they’re independent). It’s very broad — it’s anything that has a public purpose that can be used by the public. So it’s not only vertical infrastructure. It’s the roads and the bridges, but it could also be parks, it can be libraries, school buildings. It could be a boiler replacement for a school — it could be as simple as that. Someone may even stretch it and say senior housing, if the senior housing has a public purpose for particular municipality. Like any new law, there’s gaps in the law that could be tested in the courts, so we’ll see.

RENJ: When it comes to expanding beyond the design-build concept, how important is the added component of a private-sector entity being responsible for financing and maintaining a project?

CS: The theory there is, if you’re a public entity looking to do a project and it’s the typical design-bid-build, you may have a certain budget that you want to fit in initially to keep your bond issuance down. But maybe the quality of the project to fit in that budget may get you through a 10-year life cycle.

If you’re now the PPP developer and design team and you have to actually build into your cost a 30-year lifecycle or a 20-year lifecycle — whatever the financing works out to be — you don’t want to build it and in 10 years, you have to replace that floor or that system or that roof, because the margin to replace it is going to be inherently higher than at the time of construction. If it costs you 10 percent more for a better product, you’re going to put that 10 percent more in rather than going back in year 10 or 11 and ripping off the roof and putting a new one on. So that’s where the value proposition comes into play.

RENJ: For local officials who are skeptical about these types of partnerships, how can you leverage the success that colleges and universities had under the 2009 law?

CS: If you’re a mayor and council, you probably did not pay attention to what went on there. So I think those are good case studies that, as we talk about it, we have to talk about the successes and the private investment that it brought and the fact that those projects probably would not have gotten done without the PPP process.

RENJ: Let’s look at it from a developer’s perspective. Is there a cluster of developers out there that are already comfortable with these types of public-private projects?

CS: There are national players out there that do PPPs. The minimum threshold right now for them to do a project is $50 million. Now, in New Jersey, a lot of the infrastructure that municipalities and counties have are not $50 million projects — a police station (for instance, costs) $10 to $12 to $14 million. So I think initially those national PPP developers are going to be interested, but they’re going to say the projects are not large enough for us. So it’s going to create a void for the New Jersey entities to come together and deliver these projects.

RENJ: Do you see the typical private developer in New Jersey, who is building office or retail space, getting into this sector?

CS: They really have to have a fundamental shift in their business model before they go into that. I almost see it as more of the design firms like DMR and engineering firms that are in the public sector joining with general contractors that are in the public sector and bringing the financing piece to the table. I see that to be the team because, interestingly, the PPP law doesn’t say ‘developer.’ It just says ‘business entity,’ so it kind of leaves it open.

RENJ: So you don’t necessarily need a traditional developer to take the reins here.

Lloyd Rosenberg: You need the elements — you need the contractor and you need the money. So that’s what we’re doing. We’re putting that together.

RENJ: So in that scenario, it’s technically the architect and the contractor that own the property and are taking care of the properties for the duration of the agreement. Is that something that the architects and contractors are really accustomed to?

CS: (It’s a question of) whether or not their business starts to include that piece or is that another player in the mix? And that’s all going to be shaking out as the law develops.

RENJ: Have you started to have those conversations with banks?

LR: We have banks and institutions that have said, ‘Call me when you’re ready.’ So we’re getting ready.

CS: And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bank or a financial institution. Depending on the size of the project and the type of project, just like the Opportunities Zones, it could just be a group of individuals that want to make a return. It could be corporate money sitting on the sidelines. … If you’re a manufacturer of gym floors, you’ve got a lot of cash on your balance sheet and a new gym needs to be done — well, why not be part of the team to finance that gym? You’re going to get your product installed, it helps your overall business, you’re going to make a return on the cash that was sitting on your books. So there are very creative ways to be able to finance this.

RENJ: Colleen, your background as a mayor must be especially helpful to both the firm and to prospective clients in the public sector. Can you elaborate on that?

Colleen Mahr: Working here gives us that unique perspective to bring to our clients and the municipalities. We’re under a 2 percent cap (as municipalities), so we are constantly getting pressured and our infrastructure is worn and tired. So we see a need to invest, but raising that capital or raising it through the tax levy or through taxation is a very difficult conversation to have. The PPP gives that confidence of where the number is going to be. You know the team is going to have a certain responsibility to do it and you’re going to get a product at the end that you had a lot of say in. So the timing, I think, is really good for this new industry to start and there’s a lot of interest, but first we’re going to educate.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

This article originally appeared in Real Estate NJ. 

DMR Plans 25th Project for Bayonne BOE in Long-Term Reinvestment Relationship

DMR Plans 25th Project for Bayonne BOE in Long-Term Reinvestment Relationship 789 444 DMR Architects

Upgrades at Bayonne High School marks the Board of Education’s 25th project by DMR Architects since 2013, a combination of reinvestment and design work at eight schools to accommodate the increase in its school-aged population, support new technologies, and respond to safety guidelines.

The cumulative construction cost of more than $10 million includes district-wide projects such as roof replacements, cafeteria renovations, window replacements, masonry repairs, security enhancements and similar capital improvement projects at eight of Bayonne’s 11 pre-k through eighth grade schools and one high school.

“We’re glad to support the Bayonne Board of Education and the important work they do to educate their school-aged population,” Lloyd A. Rosenberg, AIA. “We’ve done hundreds of school projects, and they are all special to us for unique reasons; the Bayonne relationship means a lot to me because I went to Kindergarten at one of the schools where we have worked, Horace Mann School.”

Projects to implement DMR’s design plans are currently underway at Bayonne High School, Lincoln Community School, Midtown Community School, and Woodrow Wilson School, and have been completed at Dr. Walter F. Robinson School, Horace Mann School, Philip G. Vroom School and Washington Community School.

DMR Redefines Fitness Facilities to Encompass 21st Century Uses

DMR Redefines Fitness Facilities to Encompass 21st Century Uses 789 444 DMR Architects

DMR is designing 21st-Century fitness spaces throughout North Jersey to support not just the physical well-being of the communities we serve, but also the mental and social well-being, with modern spaces in schools, community centers and sports facilities.

DMR’s designs reflect the needs for all ages including safe after-school programs for children, extensive exercise options for adults, and places for seniors to meet up or take classes.

“Our clients are looking for spaces to get people out of their homes—away from their computers and game consoles—so that they can get back to face-to-face interactions,” Lloyd A. Rosenberg, AIA.  “Technology is great for so many things, but it can’t replace the physical and mental benefits of sports and fitness, and shared experiences with your neighbors.”

DMR’s current portfolio includes the following physical fitness facilities:

Public Community Center

DMR’s plans for the renovation and expansion of the M&M Building Community Center at 116 Holt St. in Hackensack encompass converting the existing 8,000 square foot one-story building with 24-foot ceilings into a two-story structure, and the addition of 14,000 square feet to accommodate a new lobby on the first floor and a multi-purpose gymnasium on the second floor.  Plans addressed the city’s need for more space to accommodate for more athletic team practices and game spaces, an after-school program for elementary and middle school-aged kids, and classes and activities for retired seniors.

The first floor will offer community meeting and classroom spaces, new restroom facilities, a snack bar, storage area, an office for the center’s administration, and elevator for access to the second floor.  In addition to the new gymnasium space, the second floor will have more meeting and classroom space, two offices, a kitchen and restrooms.

Renovations to convert this underutilized building into a center of activity are expected to be completed in summer 2019.

Private Community Center

DMR repurposed the former NBA Nets training facility at 390 Murry Hill Parkway in East Rutherford into an 83,200-square-foot Meadowlands Area YMCA which answers the needs of today’s health-conscious population in a modern accessible environment.

Using the building’s already-existing NBA-grade basketball courts as the facilities focal point, DMR converted the rest of the building, previously used for offices, into spaces traditionally expected at a YMCA including an expansive fitness center with Technogym cardio machines, an aquatic with a six-lane, Olympic-sized competition pool, and daycare at the Mara Center for Early Childhood Learning, with modern add-ons like informal meeting spaces throughout the building, group exercise classes, and education space for students and adults of all ages, mental and fitness levels.

The Meadowlands Area YMCA is the first centralized location for the organization’s 15,000 members from eight municipalities in almost a century.  It opened in 2017.

Indoor Athletic Facility

DMR’s plans will convert a currently vacant 2.5-acre lot on Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus into a 51,750 square foot indoor sports facility for the Town of Secaucus to fill the recreation department’s gap in adequate centralized space for group youth and adult sports activities, training and league competitions in sports including football, soccer, wrestling and lacrosse.

In addition to a 24,300-square foot synthetic turf field that can be divided into up to four fields, the new facility will include administration offices, lockers, a convenience stand, storage, and bleachers with a forced air heating system.

Construction on the project will start in summer 2019 and is expected to be completed in summer 2020.

Educational Athletic Facility

Students at the newly-opened Frank J. Gargiulo Campus in Secaucus are taking physical education and elective classes that rival options more likely found at a spa or private club with its 12,000-square foot gymnasium complemented by indoor spaces for yoga, dance, cross fit training, cycling, Martial arts, weight training, and climbing.  The school’s campus includes a paved outdoor path for walking and running with fitness stations throughout the path.

The design team included numerous professionals who paid special care to keep the fitness areas separate from each other and the rest of the school, employing a sound engineer to ensure that sound and vibrations from one area of the school do not affect the utilization of other areas.

Space was also dedicated to faculty to encourage their use of the exercise options with locker rooms separate from those used by students, complete with showers and saunas.

Green building isn’t far flung anymore, and a NJ firm is celebrating that fact

Green building isn’t far flung anymore, and a NJ firm is celebrating that fact 960 540 DMR Architects

Written by Christine Fisher. Produced by Brandon Bagley.

There’s a Nelson Mandela quote that reads, “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” In a way, Lloyd Rosenberg, founder of DMR Architects, has done just that.

When Rosenberg founded DMR Architects in 1991, the first buildings he designed were schools. He had been designing them since graduating from architecture school, and he’d amassed potential clients who agreed to give his new company a try.

Twenty-five years later, Rosenberg is still building schools, returning in a sense to his roots, but lots of other things have changed. For starters, DMR Architects has diversified, and it’s become a leader in green building.

Hudson County’s $144 million high school

In 2016, DMR Architects celebrated its 25th anniversary, a milestone Rosenberg is especially proud of. The company has a staff of 40, and is currently building a $144-million high school for Hudson County, New Jersey.

“The high school we’re doing now is spectacular. It’s going to be a building that’s going to set the bar for high schools throughout the country.”

DMR Architects is the lead designer on that 350,000-square-foot design-build project, for which it’s seeking LEED Platinum Certification.

“The high school we’re doing now is spectacular,” Rosenberg says. “It’s going to be a building that’s going to set the bar for high schools throughout the country—the technology and programs and infrastructure and energy savings, all the things you’d want to put in a school.”

The building will have solar power, geothermal heating and cooling, a partial underground garage for employees and water retention systems. A roof will capture storm water to irrigate landscaping, and all of the mechanical systems are being built with the best green building products on the market.

The building was designed to suit what educators hope to teach, and it will have a fabrication lab, applied science labs, a television production and radio broadcasting studio, digital media labs, a culinary lab, architecture and engineering labs, a hydroponics lab, musical theater, a dance and drama studio, yoga, judo and other fitness rooms.

Rosenberg has always designed schools, but now the green technologies, and the administrators’ willingness to embrace them, have changed.

An easier pitch

Rosenberg has designed thousands of schools and public and private buildings in New Jersey, and says he was “very much in the forefront” of sustainable design.

In the beginning, he had to make presentations explaining why green buildings cost more than traditional buildings. In the early ’90s, when DMR Architects started, green buildings often cost 10 to 30 percent more.

“I don’t have to make that pitch anymore,” Rosenberg says.

Today, he says, the difference between an energy-efficient building and a non energy-efficient building is almost negligible. That’s partly because all of the required products are readily available.

“The cost is in the certification, the paperwork, the testing, going back and doing some examinations and reports to prove that it’s been done [right], but the basic building doesn’t cost any more, it may even cost less,” Rosenberg says.

The motivation has changed, too. DMR Architects’ first green building clients sought LEED Certification as a marketing tool. Clients today opt for green buildings to save money through energy efficiency and utility savings.

The benefits of diversifying

DMR Architects has taken on medical buildings, public and private buildings, institutions, even a train station.

“I’d always hoped to be a midsized architectural firm that was diversified in what we do,” Rosenberg says.

He sought variety so that staff wouldn’t feel pigeonholed in one sector and to help protect the company during economic downturns. At times, the residential market has boomed for a few years and then gone flat. At other times, it’s been the public sector.

Outside of providing resiliency, trying out different sector projects has given perspective. Clients benefit from that different view, Rosenberg says.

“We built a train station, not necessarily in our sweet spot, but we were actually complimented because we took a fresh approach, not one that someone had done over and over and over again,” Rosenberg says. “We actually proposed to the user a different way of doing something, which they embraced, and now it’s the standard for them.”

Shared success

The firm makes a point of hiring “top talent from the top” and “top talent from the bottom,” which gives it the experience of senior staff and the technological expertise of recent graduates. While the new hires helped more experienced employees stay relevant, the senior people help new hires “learn what they don’t know.”

“I love young people that come in with enthusiasm,” Rosenberg says. “They want to learn and the more you throw at them the better job they do. I love to see people who came here as a graduate and now they’re project managers. I’m proud of those people that I’ve given the opportunity to do it. I’ve helped them, but they’ve really done it on their own.”

When DMR Architects turned 25, the firm hosted a series of employee-engagement activities—like a company boat ride and company picnic—to celebrate not just the success of the firm, but the success of its individual employees.

“When we started in 1991, we had three people; we now have 40,” Rosenberg says. “People that are here have been with me some 24 years. Most of the staff has over 15 years with the firm… so I think it’s successful when you have the vast majority of the staff that has been here that long.”

This article was originally featured on US Builders Review.

Former Annin Flag Factory Is new Standard for Luxury Apartment Living

Former Annin Flag Factory Is new Standard for Luxury Apartment Living 789 444 DMR Architects

The rehabilitation of the former Annin Flag Factory and completion of a new sister building at 151 Bloomfield Avenue into Annin Lofts marks a new standard for luxury rental options in Essex County.

Joint venture partners Russo Development and Dinallo Construction Corporation used the original building’s industrial history and façade as inspiration incorporating exposed brick, beams and duct work, shiplap accents, industrial lighting, high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows into the design of its 52 loft-style apartment homes and common areas.

The 60 apartment homes in the second building complements the first with large windows and expansive floorplans but with finished walls and ceilings for those going for a more traditional vibe.

“Annin Lofts is the only residential rental option in the area that offers homes in a rehabbed historic building and a brand-new build in the same place,” Edward Russo, CEO of Russo Development, said.  “Our design team seamlessly married the vintage industrial vibe with modern conveniences to meet the market’s desire for diverse and unique living spaces.”

“Converting a 100-year old industrial building into modern, diverse living spaces always presents unique challenges,” Donald N. Dinallo, President and CEO of Dinallo Construction Corporation, who built the project, said. “Each apartment home has something special—a private outdoor space, original materials, or an imaginative floorplan—providing a distinctive canvas for residents to make their own once they move in.”

DMR designed the project, which includes a sixth floor penthouse structure to the Annin building to accommodate a large indoor club room and two outdoor entertaining spaces that residents of both buildings can use. The design also included four penthouse homes with wrap-around porches and 180-degree views of the surrounding valley.

The name of the project was chosen to respect the legacy of Annin, the largest and oldest flagmaker in the United States. The Annin Flag Company occupied the property from 1919 to 2013 where it made numerous flags of historical significance including those flown atop Mt. Suribachi during World War II, on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, and during America’s bicentennial celebration in 1976.

The $150M Frank J. Gargiulo Campus Opens

The $150M Frank J. Gargiulo Campus Opens 789 444 DMR Architects

The Frank J. Gargiulo Campus, described as the “gem of high schools in Hudson County,” is open.

Following an aggressive design and construction schedule of less than 2 1/2 years, last week marked the first full week of school on the 20-acre campus in Secaucus, home to High Tech High School, KAS Prep and Hudson Technical.

The new, $150 million facility educates nearly 2,000 students in more than 70 leading-edge classrooms and specialty spaces. The Hudson County Improvement Authority (HCIA) managed the design and construction process for Hudson County Schools of Technology (HCST) through a team of numerous professionals, which along with DMR Architects, included RSC Architects as bridging architect, MAST Construction Services as owner’s representative and construction manager and Terminal Construction Corporation as general contractor.

The 350,000-square-foot county vocational magnet school combines technically-focused, hands-on learning with a challenging academic curriculum.

“The Frank J. Gargiulo Campus will quickly become the gold standard for technical high schools across the country. Our design team, working collaboratively with our educators, have created something truly revolutionary. I know that it will serve our students and staff with the resources to drive learning to the next level,” says Amy Lin-Rodriguez, acting superintendent of HCST.

Among many advanced features, the new campus includes a fabrication lab, a black box theater, a performing arts auditorium, 80-inch interactive monitors in classrooms, and a TV production studio with a functioning control room. Outdoor features include a hydroponic rooftop garden where students will grow food to be used in the culinary kitchen lab.

This school was designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s (LEED) rigorous gold standards and requirements for sustainability. Features like water efficient landscaping, geothermal heating, green roof and wind turbines were implemented to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases and wastewater emitted from the campus.

The new campus was dedicated to the former superintendent of HCST, Frank J. Gargiulo, during a ceremony on September 7.

“I am humbled by the decision to dedicate this campus in my name,” says Frank J. Gargiulo, former superintendent of HCST. “These students are among the brightest in the country and deserve a quality space to study and prepare themselves academically for the future.”

East Brunswick Route 18 Redevelopment Moves Forward

East Brunswick Route 18 Redevelopment Moves Forward 789 444 DMR Architects

The redevelopment of one of New Jersey’s busiest commercial corridors, Route 18 in East Brunswick, is underway, with the latest step forward coming in the form of two RFPs to developers.

Last summer, the East Brunswick Redevelopment Agency retained DMR to develop several redevelopment plans on numerous tracts of land within the Township.

On one of those tracts, 88 acres that includes the Route 18 shopping center and Loehmanns Plaza, DMR developed a redevelopment plan that will bring these lots, all currently under performing or vacant, to life. Despite traffic of more 100,000 cars daily, Route 18 has one of the highest vacancy rates in the State, a challenge that the Township needed to address among other issues including a lack of a downtown center, a growing suburban population and a high volume of commuters who travel to the Township on their way to New York City.

As part of this effort, DMR developed multiple concept plans which called for a town center, including 95,000 SF of retail, 700 units of residential, 62,000 SF of office space, and a parking structure. The plan also includes a hotel, a boulevard and open space.

The RFPs to developers, released last week, are an important step toward implementing needed change.

“We are so excited to welcome a developer to our dedicated team of professionals who are pushing forward our 2020 Vision,” Mayor Brad Cohen said, “Located at the center of the State and close to Rutgers, every major highway and the shore, we are hopeful this project will attract significant interest from the development community.

Hunterdon Healthcare Opens Ambulatory Surgery Center

Hunterdon Healthcare Opens Ambulatory Surgery Center 789 444 DMR Architects

On June 14 DMR joined Hunterdon Healthcare for the ribbon cutting of the new Ambulatory Surgery Center at the healthcare system’s Bridgewater facility, the second phase of a project that transformed a former Bank of America building into medical office space.

“While healthcare system expansion is now becoming the norm, Hunterdon Healthcare was ahead of the curve, recognizing and responding to changing residential patterns years ago,” Lloyd A.  Rosenberg, AIA. “New Jersey residents are moving farther out from urban and suburban areas where a high quality of life is more affordable, and businesses of all kinds are smart to expand or move close to potential customers, or in this case, patients.”

“Patients shop around for healthcare the same way they do for other products and services,” he added. “We’re reimagining spaces to support Hunterdon Healthcare’s goal to provide personalized care in easily accessible office spaces.”

This project is DMR’s latest in a thriving portfolio for the rapidly-expanding Hunterdon Healthcare system, a portfolio which also includes the imaging center, a third phase, at the Bridgewater facility; two phases that brought pediatrics, podiatry, behavioral health and other specialties to the system’s facility in Hawk Pointe; and a family practice to the system’s Hickory Run Medical Office Building in Califon. DMR also previously completed the Maternity and Newborn Care Unit at the Flemington facility.

How DMR Architects took ‘design’ into multiple business areas

How DMR Architects took ‘design’ into multiple business areas 2000 1125 DMR Architects

In our continuing series of interviews with members of the Rutgers Center for Real Estate’s Advisory Board and Emerging Leaders Council, Kevin Riordan (KR) of the Center sat down with Lloyd Rosenberg AIA (LR), President & CEO of DMR Architects to get his insights and perspectives on the firm and its business model.

KR: Lloyd, while your company’s name includes the word ‘Architect’, your firm is actually involved in a number of various design and planning initiatives. Please give our readers an overview of how your firm evolved and the different segments of the real estate business you currently serve.

LR: Given my background as an architect, the firm started out in 1991 with that as its primary focus. However, an interesting confluence of events began to occur which caused our company to expand beyond our basic discipline of architecture. First, we recognized that our clients were not singularly focused on delivering solely built environments, but rather, we saw there were opportunities to work with our clients to build, expand and plan entire communities and environments. We were able to build on this and expand into planning. We expanded into sustainable design in a similar way. Members of our staff were some of the earliest to embrace sustainable design, which led us to designing the first LEED Silver public school in New Jersey. While I am proud that we have been able to watch trends and expand our capabilities in that way, adding talented staff has been a large part of our growth as well. I think we offer a very uniquely qualified and diversely talented staff, and that has helped us take on a very diverse set of projects.

KR: So what project comes to mind where you combined these multiple disciplines to present a turnkey solution for a client?

LR: The best example I can think of would be in the City of Hackensack, where we have supported the City from both a professional planning and architectural design perspective. The planning work and its successes have been significant in downtown Hackensack, and some of these projects have required architectural support as well. Just last month, the City cut the ribbon on the new Hackensack Cultural and Performing Arts Center. This was the final phase of a four-phase project that brought a public park and cultural arts center to the downtown. In addition to serving as the redevelopment planner, DMR designed the park and the Cultural and Performing Arts Centers.

KR: 1991 was a bad time for real estate. So tell us your thought process on starting a company in an environment where not only credit but RFP’s from building owners and developers were not piled high on your desk.

LR: Well let’s start by clarifying that 1991 was not just a bad time for real estate, the sector was in a depression. So my thought was ‘it can’t get any worse from here’ and we started the company. Something is always happening in real estate. At the time it was tenant retention; less value creation. And since we were a much smaller organization at the time, we could afford to take on some projects at breakeven levels of profitability just to establish our name. There was also a change in ownership of properties due to foreclosures, which opened up a new group of potential clients. Looking back, I don’t think we were calling a bottom to the cycle but we were pretty close to it. And to add to the previous question, the addition of the different services has allowed us to diversify our revenue over the cycles.

KR: Is it simply a diversification model that has led to DMR’s success or can you point to other factors?

LR: Experience is certainly a good factor to have continued success. But the additional capabilities of the firm have helped brand us that we can provide turnkey solutions for clients. But what I see as a source to grow our brand has been our willingness to embrace challenges that were not necessarily within our bandwidth. For example, we designed the train station for the spur link to the sports complex in the Meadowlands. Since we never did something like that before, I think it energized the staff. And that engagement has now enabled us to be the designer of the train station in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

KR: Staying with trains for a moment, what are you trying to achieve with your station design in Bloomfield?

LR: If you know this station, you know that the platforms are about 20 feet above grade. So the first issue that must be addressed is accessibility. And while people need and want accessibility, they will also want it to be convenient. The Township of Bloomfield, which owns this station, wants an aesthetic to the site. So given the significant development around the station, we have to incorporate both current structures as well as future projects. Those requirements serve DMR well since we are designing both the existing building as the environment it is in. Finally, the station has to be comfortable. This will probably not be limited to just padded benches. Again, while this type of project may have challenging aspects, it is also the type the team gets excited about.

KR: You have been in business 26 years. You started out as three employees and now have more than 40. You have expanded your lines of business as you have seen an increase in the scope of services required. So what are the challenges to your business? What is rewarding?

LR: First and foremost is retaining employees. When you are a service provider, staff longevity and experience provide prospective clients the confidence to check that box. As clients have sought solutions for projects that are both the built structure as well as its surrounding environment, it has become very important to manage the expectations of your client. As you add complexity or even more entities to work on a project, unforeseen results can occur. This is particularly acute as the clients are more informed also. Since we have become more involved in community planning, it is rewarding to see the energy and enthusiasm the staff expends on these assignments. It may be a result that someone either lives in that community or near it or knows a person who lives in it and a connection is created. Other times it is simply seeing the completion of a project knowing that one + one equals three.

KR: Lloyd, great spending time with you and providing some insight to the design and planning business.

This article originally appeared in Rutgers Center for Real Estate – Blog.

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