Architecture Awards 2020

116 2020 Architecture Awards BUILD Jun20307 Best Interior Design & Planning Studio - New York & Woman-Owned Design Practice of the Year - North East USA ince being established in 1987, Ronnette Riley Architect has been recognized for integrating some of the most innovative and traditional architectural materials and construction methods into its collaborative process of construction on time and within budget. Over the years, the firm’s reputation for comfortable design and technical proficiency has led to many repeat clients and a steady growth in educational, healthcare, institutional, government, retail, and commercial projects. Founded and based in New York City, Ronnette Riley Architect has earned a reputation amongst large and small clients alike for the vigor of its architectural and interior design work, and the rigor of its follow through process. These attributes can perhaps best be seen in one of the firm’s latest projects, working with the Fire Department of New York on its Emergency Medical Service Station 39. What started as an 8,400sf footprint renovation quickly transformed into an architectural overhaul and brand new construction project following an initial site assessment. It was deemed that a new facility would be more economical than simply repairing the existing one, and so the challenge was set. Ronnette Riley Architect found itself having to create a building that satisfied the stringent requirements of the Fire Department, the design initiatives of the Public Design Commission, and the current NYC Building Code that requires a public ADA bathroom and a mother’s nursing room. On top of that, EMS Station 39 is also located in the middle of a residential neighbourhood, and so it was imperative that the building be a good neighbour. Bearing all of that in mind, the design that Ronnette Riley Architect came up with was truly inspired. The design incorporates the Fire Department’s first green roof, so that neighbors look down on a beautifully planted roof rather than a typically unattractive and dull EPDM roof. The station also boasted additional environmentally-friendly and conscious features, with Solatubes able to capture the sun’s light and deliver it to all interior spaces, thereby providing all of the station’s lighting during a sunny day. Solar vacuum tube collections provide domestic hot water heating and radiant floor heating in the ambulance and car vehicle areas. Following the success of the design, the project was on the receiving end of a 2019 National SARA Honor Award. S Ronnette Riley Architect is made different from other architecture firms by its consistency to do everything at such a high standard. There are many large and successful firms that are capable of producing amazing designs that are precise, organized, and always coming in on budget and on time. However, it is rare to find a firm that is able to do all of these consistently. Ronnette Riley Architect does, and it can thank its unique experience in the retail sector for that. Having worked for clients such as Apple, Coca-Cola, and Restoration Hardware, where deadlines cannot be pushed back, the firm has the skills and ability to effortlessly work with many restraints and still deliver incredible designs. However, excellence is not possible through experience alone. A firm that strives for excellence must also be constantly on the lookout for new, innovative, and better ways of doing business. Ronnette Riley Architect translates its continuing education, involvement in the design community, and ability to self-analyze, into improving future projects as an evolving firm dedicated to excellence in its field. As the firm looks to the past, present, and future for inspiration, there is no doubt that Ronnette Riley Architect will continue to deliver award-winning designs and hold its head high as one of New York’s finest design and planning studio. Company: Ronnette Riley Architect Contact: Jennifer M. Greene Website: www.ronnetteriley.com The industry of architecture is perhaps amongst the world’s oldest and most traditional, with some of the world’s greatest architectural wonders harking back millennia into times long past. Innovation, therefore, can be hard to come by, and yet, Ronnette Riley Architect achieves it with every passing day. Integrating both innovative and traditional materials and methods into intelligent and well-crafted solutions, this firm is a worthy double award-winner in this years’ Architecture Awards from BUILD Magazine.