When we issued our newsletter last year, we were collectively facing a great deal of uncertainty about the near future of our cities and what it would be like to live in them. While this still may be the case in many ways, we are grateful to have been able to gradually reconnect with our friends and colleagues, and continuously encouraged by discussions of how we are moving forward.

We are pleased to share with you some of our news from the past year, which has again emphasized the enjoyment of collaborations taking place face-to-face. Projects have been completed, others are near completion, and new ones have begun.

Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous new year,

Sincerely,

The JGNA Team

To contend with the challenge of working on a building that was already occupied, our interior renovation of Dermot Organization’s 329-unit residential building was executed in two phases. With the goal of significantly upgrading the amenity spaces on the second floor and top floors in addition to a full lobby renovation, this needed to be done in a way that would not interfere excessively with existing tenants. Renovations of most of the apartments were also undertaken.

The main portions of the work involved structurally reconfiguring the amenity spaces to maximize their use and value. For example, we created new walkable skylights in low ceiling amenity areas to create adequate ceiling clearance which allowed us to relocate gym spaces. This in turn let us re-think the former, underutilized basketball area as an impactful lounge and work space. The roof deck and mechanical rooms were similarly re-designed as usable amenity spaces, which involved complex new mechanical and structural coordination to comply with code and zoning. The results are spectacular, with new indoor and outdoor spaces overlooking Hudson yards to the south and the low lying city to the north and west.

We are delighted to share our images of the completed work, which can be viewed through the link below.

We are very excited to debut our new website!

To better showcase the many different types of work we do (architecture, interior design, and custom furniture and lighting), we collaborated with McSwain Studio to create a fluid and elegant viewing experience. In addition to new photography of our recently completed spaces, detailed images of our existing projects have been added to provide a full scope of our design capabilities. Interior design in particular features more heavily in this website, and we are excited to have created our own purchasing department within that discipline. A brand new page devoted to products also gives due attention to our growing catalogue of custom lighting, furniture, and textiles pieces.

Follow the link below to see the update and read more of our recent news.

Our custom chandelier design produced for a large scale townhouse project will soon be ready for installation as we near the final stages of design.

Pictured here is the final prototype, produced in collaboration with London-based studio Charles Burnand, who developed an entirely new methodology to laminate paper thin silver mica. The final piece spans a full 6’, and is a structural and aesthetic wonder.

Our growing collection of custom interior pieces are now being showcased on our website, and can be seen at the link below. More to follow soon!

Jean-Gabriel is happy to continue serving as a board member on the increasingly important Design Trust organization as we collectively navigate new design challenges in public space throughout the city, from the role of design in public space to increasing equity and services in the outer boroughs. For 25 years, Design Trust for Public Space has transformed and evolved the city’s landscape with city agencies and community organizers.

Earlier this year, Design Trust launched The Restorative City RFP, and received a total of 90 submissions. The RFP asked: How can public space and the built environment can be used as a tool to advance health equity, a concept which means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible?

Of the 90 submitted proposals, two winners were selected from a shortlist of eight projects by a nine-person jury panel. To view the winners of The Restorative City RFP, follow the link below. 

Late last year, we photographed Tangram House South in Flushing, Queens, a three-phase mega-project steadily nearing full completion. Pictured here is the residential lobby where each of the furniture, rug and lighting items were custom designed by us. We’re particularly proud of the ceramic screen, which was produced locally in collaboration with Sculpture Space, Queens. The simple geometric design evokes an interior landscape to contrast with the dynamic bustle of the surrounding neighborhood.

The completion of the lobby will be followed by The Pavilion, which is nestled between the three main buildings in Tangram’s elevated garden level, presenting a unique opportunity to connect and frame the distinct projects. The pavilion itself is a contemporary reinterpretation of classic tea house design.

We are excited to share more as this dynamic project progresses!

Follow the link view more images.