Architecture Awards 2020

121 2020 Architecture Awards BUILD Jun20515 Most Client-Focused Architectural Design Firm 2020 - Northeast USA & Best Building Expansion & Fit-Out Design Project (Northeast USA): Guardian Drug Company As a leading firm based in Central New Jersey since 1998, Kamlesh Shah Designs, Inc., or KSD Architects, has been creating stunning functional spaces and structures whilst partnering with companies of all sizes and calibres on domestic and international projects. Join us as we examine the outstanding work of the firm in the last twenty two years, and how it has secured even greater success with its recent work with Guardian Drug Company. nspired by each unique site and client, KSD Architects provides customized design and engineering services to suit the needs and vision of the client at all stages of a project’s development. The firm itself began back in 1998, as founder and owner Kamlesh Shah set up his drawing board, table lamp, Mayline parallel rule, and drafting stool in his bedroom, where he began to draft the first projects under the newly-formed KSD, Inc. Having come such a long way since those humble beginnings more than two decades ago, Mr Shah is now responsible for a team of talented staff members who serve national and multinational clients and their broad spectrum of architectural and interior design needs. Mr Shah himself brings more than three and a half decades of experience in architectural consulting, design, and project management, and has assisted numerous companies from a variety of industries with managing their complex projects. Prior to founding his own firm in the form of Kamlesh Shah Designs, Inc., Mr Shah was the Director of Projects, Science, and Technology Group at a Princeton-based company, managing projects and client relations. He understands the intricacies of the client-company relationship, and delivers quality service every single time. Mr Shah’s background also has strengths in the technical aspects of architecture, and has previously held the position of Technical Director for one of the largest architectural firms in New Jersey. Over the years, KSD Architects has worked with a great many clients, but one of the projects that has stood out in recent memory has been with Guardian Drug Company. Business expansion from over-the-counter to prescription drug manufacturing required a major shift in facility design. As a pharmaceutical establishment on the rise, Guardian Drug Company had to accommodate stringent FDA regulations, quality control and assurance, and support spaces for a growing company. KSD Architects was enlisted for the design of a tilt-up shell structure and new curtain wall, and for the fit-out and interior design of new corporate offices and laboratories. The office design follows a collaborative approach with intermediate huddle spaces creating interactive nooks, augmented by the juxtaposition of angled walls and circular voids in the ceiling. Using repetitive lines, contrasting curves, and dynamic pops of colour, KSD Architects created an energetic atmosphere for the I Guardian Drug Company team’s updated facility. In an inherently long and linear space, the sweeping curved wall that encloses the executive conference room adds a visual break, tying into the space with varying widths of slit glass openings. Within the conference room, an elliptical recessed ceiling with indirect lighting further accentuates the curved walls. These curvilinear moments are echoed with a bold, circular graphic pattern in the waiting lobby and indirectly lit circular cut-outs throughout the ceiling. With floor-to-ceiling exterior glazing and a design possessing inherent movement, Guardian Drug Company’s corporate offices provide a warm and productive environment whilst neat lines and stark neutrals in the laboratories provide a clean appeal. Finally, an accent yellow on the angled walls and the dropped soffits harmoniously ties both the office and the laboratory spaces together, ensuring continuity through the building. The complete result is a fitting testament to the excellence of Kamlesh Shah Designs, and the outstanding technical knowledge of Mr Shah himself. As such, the firm is wholly deserving of its success in this years’ Architecture Awards from BUILD Magazine. There can be no contesting the fact that KSD Architects is the most worthy winner, and more success is sure to follow. Company: Kamlesh Shah Designs, Inc. Contact: Suchita K. Shah, AIA, NCARB Website: www.ksdarchitects.com KSD Design Team for Guardian Drug Co.: Principal: Kamlesh M. Shah, RA AIA Core & Shell Design Manager: Kenneth Hill Interiors Project Manager: Hetal Mehta