At Commercial Observer’s recent Higher Education Forum, part of the renowned Design and Construction series, our team heard from industry leaders reshaping academic planning and development.

Key topics included: Aligning vision with reality in campus planning, rethinking traditional academic workplace design, and creating spaces that nurture both academic and personal growth.

Stay tuned for highlights from our higher education portfolio later this week!

Honoring the Past and Shaping the Future

We believe every design tells a story. Our projects over the years have blended historic elements with modern design to create spaces that stand the test of time. By respecting the past and pushing the boundaries of the present, we craft architectural legacies for the future.

JLGA was an integral part in preserving the history of Shea Stadium and bringing to life a new legacy in City Field. Through these projects moments are made on and off the field. We wish the Mets luck in their journey through the post season!

Built by New York at AIA New York | Center for Architecture Now Open! We are honored to be showcased at the Center for Architecture for our award winning project at Columbia University: The Walter and Shirley Wang Pavilion.

Built by New York celebrates the work of architects, designers, and affiliated professionals in the New York City design community. Past, current, and future work from members of AIA New York, AIA Brooklyn, AIA Bronx, AIA Staten Island, and AIA Queens will be on display until April providing a snapshot of the architecture community’s impact on the city and the built environment at large.

JLGA strives to leave a lasting legacy in the built environment around us. Through our 55-year history in New York, our firm has shaped the city’s landscape with a focus on connecting people, creating spaces, and envisioning tomorrow. What’s your legacy?

A very exciting day for Harlem Biospace II! Last week JLGA joined in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the state of the art life science lab space at the Mink Building in West Harlem’s Innovation Triangle. This project is apart of a larger initiative by Empire State Development and the New York City Economic Development Corporation to “catalyze biotech innovation and accelerate the growth of New York’s life sciences industry.”

At the event, Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York continues to make strategic investments to enhance and grow the life sciences and biotech ecosystem in New York City. The expansion of Harlem Biospace exemplifies these smart investments that support groundbreaking companies. By nurturing innovators at various stages of growth, from startups to established firms, we’re bolstering the workforce of tomorrow and strengthening New York’s position as a leader in scientific advancements.”

We are proud to be apart of such a innovative project and congratulate the teams of @januspropertycompany and @harlembiospace for their accomplishments in developing a space for the medical leaders of tomorrow. Congratulations!

Last week we had the honor of attending and speaking at Commercial Observer’s Fall Healthcare Construction Forum where industry leaders came together to speak on the future of healthcare infrastructure.

Christopher Zelisko (pictured) along with Scott Metzner Janus Property Company, Philip Parisi MG Engineering | MGE Unified Technologies, Samuel Sia Harlem Biospace, Sebastian Quinn discussed a new addition to the Manhattanville landscape, Harlem Biospace II.

Spotlight Space: PS85 Gymnatorium
The anchor space in PS85 is the Judge Charles Vallone Elementary Gymnatorium where athletics, creativity, and community come together.

This space will provide children with a safe, engaging environment where they can play and exercise. As a dual-purpose facility, the gymnatorium will also serve as an auditorium, providing a stage for student performances, assemblies, and community events. Whether it’s a school play, a graduation ceremony, or a neighborhood gathering, this flexible space will bring the community together by enhancing both educational and social experiences for students and families alike.

We are excited to provide a space that will inspire students to dream big, stay active, and build lifelong skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

JLGA Legacy – The Hospital for Special Surgery Administration Offices (1997)

The Hospital for Special Surgery, founded in 1863 as America’s first orthopedic hospital, has adapted various structures for new uses over the years. JLGA helped execute one of the hospital’s more ingenious transformations; relocating the administrative offices to a windowless, subterranean space.

The award-winning design conjures a sense of lightness and openness by introducing interior windows that look out onto the floor plan’s main corridor. By raising the ceiling over this corridor, light floods the space with direct and indirect lighting creating the illusion of daylight. The offices which would normally would feel dark and closed due to their below grade location now filter light.

Join us next Wednesday at the CUNY Graduate Center for Commercial Observer’s Fall Healthcare Construction Forum.

Our principal Christopher Zelisko will be a keynote speaker along with Scott Metzner @januspropertycompany, Philip Parisi @mge_dpc, Samuel Sia @harlembiospace, Sebastian Quinn @sebastianquinnbuildingworkshop to discuss Harlem Biospace II and the expanding footprint of Manhattanville campus ecosystem.

Here are a few highlights from our Healthcare and Life Sciences portfolio.

Welcome Back to School!
As summer fades, a new chapter begins in New York City schools! We wish all students well as they embark on their academic journey through the new school year. Today, we take a look back at some of our projects that have shaped the schools of NYC.

1. The Judge Charles Vallone Elementary School (PS85)
The new 68,000 SF standalone school annex expands facilities and optimizes the PS85Q learning environment for local Queens students. This eliminates the substandard temporary classroom units students had been contending with for many years. Multiple sustainable design strategies allowed us to meet the SCA’s goal of creating the ’Greenest School in Queens’ and set a new standard for sustainability in future NYC schools. The new school will accommodate over 450 students in 24 new classrooms.

2-3. Brooklyn Tech High School
JLGA worked alongside ABB @abb_landscape_architects to complete the reconstruction of the athletic field complex at Brooklyn Tech High School. The project features ADA-compliant restrooms, storage, concession, and food preparation areas. The comfort station’s sloped metal roof was designed to provide a distinctive expression for the building, while its brick exterior reflects and harmonizes with the character of the surrounding community.

4. 3K Education Center – Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn
JLGA worked with the NYC SCA to design a new 15,330 SF 3K Education Center in a 1930’s era building located on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. The new 3K Center is designed to accommodate 105 students with 7 classrooms along with an exercise room, administrative, and support spaces.

5. Poly Prep Country Day School
JLGA’s award-winning design of The Novogratz Center for Athletics, a 30,000 SF athletic center for Poly Prep, expanded the school’s athletic facilities and created a physical connection to the existing gym. The Novogratz Center honors the school’s 100-year-old history and gives aesthetic expression to Poly Prep’s forward-looking advance toward the future.

Today marked a historic moment as students, parents, and educators came together for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newly constructed Judge Charles Vallone Elementary School (PS85) in Astoria, Queens. PS85 is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the New York Public School System and the School Construction Authority to provide students with places to excel in their educational development. JLGA congratulates all parties involved and gives a special shoutout to Principal Ann Gordon-Chang as she leads her students into a new school year.

Jack McManus Field and Park at Roosevelt Island

JLGA’s design strategy focused on two core challenges: transform an outdated, irregularly shaped structure and create an iconic, grand entrance that unifies the recreational greenspace.

Designed as an independent structure able to support its plant loads, the 2,000 SF “birds wing” canopy adds a strong aesthetic gesture visible to surrounding area. This moment emphasizes the site’s natural landscape, and visually connects it to the green field and park. The sloped green roof, a focal point of an array of sustainable design strategies implemented, employs an extensive vegetation system that supports and sustains year-round plant growth.

The new structure, that is now ADA-accessible and energy-efficient, serves as a public welcome station, concession stand, and park storage.

JLGA also collaborated with landscape design firm Abel Bainnson Butz on this project which designed the new Jack McManus Field and Park pathways and communal areas. The design added over 1300 shrubs, new trees, ornamental grasses, and perennials that together shape a lush, 8,000 SF urban oasis.

The countdown to the opening of Judge Charles Vallone Elementary School (PS85) is here! With only a few weeks away until the beginning of the school year, PS85 is almost ready to welcome over 450 new students this semester. A sneak peek shows the new desks and furniture ready to go for September. Who’s ready to go back to school 🏫 📒✏️?

Walter and Shirley Wang Pavilion | Award Winner

The Wang Pavilion designed by Jack L. Gordon Architects at Columbia University has won both of the following awards for their commitment to Design Excellence:

🏆 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase | 2024 Outstanding Design

Identifying a need for additional social and performance spaces on campus, Columbia University selected JLGA to transform an underutilized basement space into a 5,000 SF preforming arts venue. The space supports a variety of artistic disciplines and formats, including stage-based performances, group-based artistic activities, and formal gatherings.

The new architectural scheme resolved existing obstacles including limited ceiling height, an inconveniently located stair, and inadequate acoustics and lighting. As a result, the Walter and Shirley Wang Pavilion can now be configured for rowed seating, standing room, banquet setups, recitals, classroom tables, and conference tables. Students entering the Wang Pavilion find themselves in a dynamic, contemporary environment where the new stair discreetly flanks the new stage.

In this exquisitely coordinated interior, every detail contributes to the overall aura. Perforated metal panels, with LED backlighting, add a dynamic element to the Wang Pavilion’s ambiance. The acoustical sophistication resides in the combination of using porous wall panels and microperforated wood ceilings. This allows the space to have an enhanced audio experience, while giving the pavilion its bold, sculptural form.

We are proud to announce the Judge Charles Vallone Elementary School (PS85) will open this September in time for the new school year. PS85, located in Astoria, Queens, boasts many unique details. A word from the designers: “The color palette throughout the building is inspired and influenced by the stained glass that exists in the original school building on 31st street. The color arrangement in the building is used as a wayfinding means. Every floor is distinguished with a hue to underscore the function and focus of the new Annex. The window fins reflect the color palette, while also helping manage the daytime glare.”

The perfect balance between legacy and innovation exists at our award winning Novogratz Center for Athletics at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, NY. “Through an unconventional interplay of broad planes and asymmetric angles, we created an iconic and sculptural presence that looks to the future while respecting the history and traditions of the 100 year-old-campus.”