Seth A Leeb Architect

An energy-efficient  commercial office building  reduces maintenance and utility costs, while also reducing noise and creating a more healthy, comfortable and durable workplace. Whether brands want to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, reduce operational costs, improve productivity or even gain loyalty from consumers and clients, an energy-efficient building is high on the list of business must-haves. Here’s why making this a priority in your building design plans is the best way to reap the benefits. Site selection and placement:  Putting energy-efficiency first starts as soon as you begin looking at lots. By positioning your building with this goal in mind, your architect can optimize natural resources like sunlight in your design. The whole-building approach: Installing a high-efficiency HVAC system or solar panels is never a bad idea, but if you want to get the best results you need to take a whole-building approach to energy-efficiency. This treats the entir...

In the State of New Jersey, commercial buildings are coded to determine the value of the building, both to the tenant and to guide property investors. As this can have a significant impact on your investment or business operations, it’s important to understand these codes. Here’s some insight from a commercial building architect in NJ. Class A – The Top of the Class Class A buildings offer the best quality at the highest price range. These buildings are usually newer (around 10 years old), with high-end finishes, in the best locations and with the best amenities (transport links, restaurants, etc.). They are usually of a very high build quality, encompassing innovative infrastructure and are professionally managed to a high standard. Class B – Value for Money Although these buildings are categorized below Class A, the quality they offer is usually still high and they deliver good value as a result. Older and not as centrally-located, tenants can still expect professional ma...

The RCA Victor Building, Camden:  Known as the “Nipper Building” as it is crowned with the image of Nipper the dog looking into the horn of a phonograph player, it’s an iconic part of New Jersey’s industrial past. Designed in 1909 by Ballinger and Perrot, it’s a six-story industrial loft structure with a rusticated brick base and brick piers along its length. With massive metal windows that open between the piers headed by cast stone lintels, and walls capped with decorative cornices, it combines beautiful classical elements with industrial design. Rutgers Business School, Piscataway:  Part of the master plan of redesigning Rutgers University, the business school forms the gateway to the Livingston Campus. An L-shaped building, it rises 60 feet to become a massive entranceway for traffic, forming the border between the campus and the local nature preserve. The recipient of the AIA Honor Award from AIA NJ, it is a design that focusses on non-programmable space and the tra...

Commercial building design is very different from residential buildings, although both are required to meet specific regulations for safety and structural integrity as well as building codes set by the city or municipality. Here are the key ways in which these projects differ, from a leading  commercial building architect  in NJ. Building needs:  While residential projects focus on meeting a single need – providing living space – commercial projects have many different purposes, sometimes within the same project. Retail buildings require storage and delivery space as well as a design that suits stores and promotes easy access for shoppers in addition to restaurant space, movie theatre space, easy refuse collection and restrooms. Hospitals will have different requirements to this, as will schools, libraries and offices. This means not only being able to design a building that looks good, but one that also meets these functional needs and makes them easy to use. Un...

Green or sustainable building designs are an interesting challenge for a  commercial architect , and thanks to a drive for large-scale eco-friendly solutions, there are some wonderful opportunities out there that can be included in commercial office building design plans in NJ and around the USA. Not only do these solutions earn your company sustainability points, they’re also responsibly for significantly lower energy costs, access to tax credits, and ideal for building loyalty with an increasingly environmentally conscious consumer base. Passive heating and cooling:  Essentially, these are design techniques that help your building regulate its temperature effectively without relying on energy-driven HVAC systems. Not only is this an upfront saving for your building, it also removes the need for the expensive running, maintenance and repairs that commercial HVAC systems require. This does require very specific design specifications for your entire building, however,...