HISTORY OF THE FIRM

Anderson La Rocca Anderson Haynes, Architects and Planners, is a partnership with more than twenty-five years of experience in resolving the unique challenges that face institutional facilities with regard to the planning and design of new space needs, code compliance and capital improvement. Leaders in this field, we enjoy a national reputation with twenty honors and awards, many from national organizations. We have designed numerious educational, public, and civic projects throughout the Northeast including Washington, D.C., Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and many in New York. We are currently designing and international school in Europe.

Because of our Twenty-five years of providing architectural services to public facilities, the firm possesses a comprehensive understanding of the many approaches to their needs. We can thoroughly program and design the architectural spaces required to implement these programs successfully. We have helped over fifty complexes -- more than 150 buildings -- with their planning problems. In addition to creativity, vital components of our work include:

a. careful budget and schedule control
b. helping organizations maximize funding possibilities
c. extensive site planning experience including wetlands considerations
d. close teamwork with administration, trustees, and committees
e. historical renovations

The architect/engineering team consists of a combined total of approximately 50 professionals and support staff. Team members are well versed in the many intricacies involved in public and institutional projects, from packaging and processing the required documents to planning, design, and control of work under public bidding laws. As we are a mid-sized firm that specializes in public architecture, the highly experienced partners, staff, and team members can maintain an active personal interest in a project from the start to finish.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY - APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

We believe that there are three basic criteria for a useful and human architecture:

a. It should be economically feasible
b. It should be technologically sound
c. It should be environmentally attractive

Our approach to design is an analytical one to begin with. Whenever possible we prefer to work directly with the "users", who we are programming and designing for in order to develop the detailed needs.

We study the site and/or environs in their next highest context before looking at matters of microclimate, environmental issues and the immediate site. We make a comparative analysis of traffic, space location, structure, electromechanical systems, cost, and all pertinent factors before we consider designs. We review all these steps with the client so that little time is wasted in backtracking, particularly during the implementation stage.

Our design forms are derived from the existing building context and landscape where appropriate, thus our Design Philosophy could be described as "Contextualism". Therefore, our buildings blend in comfortably with the existing environment, man made and the natural landscape.

In design, we emphasize:

a. Efficient circulation patterns
b. Human-scaled spaces
c. Cheerful bright interiors
d. Colors and forms related to program areas for identity and orientation
e. Inclusion of community themes into public spaces for a "sense of place"
f. Integration of computer technology into the infrastructure
g. Attractive landscaping and siting of the buildings




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