Gertler & Wente Architects

Article written by Ysabelle Gamoso

Pictured above is an old version of what we now refer to today as a “hearing aid”. It was used to passively detect approaching enemy aircraft by listening to the sound of their engines. These, and many more, were the early warning acoustical devices used to foresee attacks during WWI. But acoustics is not just used for enemy detection- it is equally important when designing space. Physicist Wallace Sabine, who studied the effects of sound reverberation in any interior space, has revolutionized the way acoustics is applied in architecture. Prior to his time, sound quality was not controlled at the design stage making the acoustic performance of any given structure almost coincidental.

Article written by Jeffrey Harrigan, AIA LEED AP, Sr. Assoc. & Shao-Chen Lu, Assoc.

Humanity has been building for millennia. Can we imagine a world without The Pyramids, The Acropolis, Notre Dame Cathedral, The Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House, or even the humble adobe pueblo? These splendid structures are part of who we are - timeless sentinels that speak to our imagination, ingenuity, and innate collaborative capabilities.

Buildings have a lot of components in them – plumbing, electrical wiring, computer network cabling, security systems, ductwork, lighting – and our job is to fit everything together. We also want the buildings to look good. This requires coordination between the owner, architect, and a team of consultants. We find that our firm’s use of Revit to help design projects has been helpful throughout all phases of design and construction. One project that has benefitted from the use of Revit is the ongoing expansion and renovation of the Addabbo Family Health Center in the Rockaways.

Our challenge for this project was to bring four existing 1920s era buildings, linked together across a full block near Times Square, back to life. The new rentable space totals 79,000 square feet of retail and office space. In addition to fully gutting the buildings, which existed in various states of disrepair, new elevators, exit stairs and MEP systems were installed, and a fresh presence was brought to the building facades.

Site

Sharing the same block with MoMA PS1, Gertler & Wente Architects was asked to design the new retail and event environment for Extra Butter to house sneaker and street fashion.

Storefront/Exterior- Full width frameless glass storefront within masonry walls (used for collaborations between artists- graffiti and installation- and Extra Butter).

Program- Retail space plus a speakeasy/ bar which can be opened to the boutique for large-scale events. Genesis of the brand is a crossover between cinema and sneakers. Solution includes cinema seating, custom casework/ shelving, and a concession stand.

The use of our 3-D model – not only as our design instrument but also as a tool for our communication – improved our dialogue, helped us to explain our ideas, and provoked helpful comments and ideas from our client.

We decided to let the belief system of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the diversity of the congregation guide us throughout the design process. Many ideas were explored, but three ideas stand out: the role of baptism in the service; the number seven; and the ethnic and geographic make-up of the congregation.

Many of us have been working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of us are new to working from home and not fully prepared to have a home office workspace setup. Sometimes space within the home is limited (especially living in NYC) and office space may double as a dining space, kitchen counter, living room, or general use area.

As we enter the sixth month of working remotely, many of us are feeling the effects of working in a temporary office setup and have developed back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

We asked some of our architects and designers what are the common issues they are facing and what they’ve done to create a more ergonomic and comfortable workspace.