With construction severely limited in uber-zoned Greenwich, witnessing the town”™s architectural evolution in many cases requires an invite into posh offices of a hedge fund ”“ or palatial mansions of their partners.
As much as anybody, homegrown R.S. Granoff Architects P.C. can take credit for Greenwich”™s look as it evolves behind walls and gates.
Founded by Richard Granoff in 1989, R.S. Granoff Architects has doubled in size the past two years to two dozen employees, in part thanks to the town”™s attraction for wealthy hedge fund executives.
Granoff estimates the firm has designed 2 million square feet of office space over its 20-year history, and homes with 1 million square feet of space under their roofs.
The company”™s portfolio includes some very public buildings in town, including the American Red Cross”™s regional office; the Newman Gallery; and the Greenwich Adult Day Center facility, located in a riverfront pump house.
Some of the most interesting work, however, is occurring in the office buildings that house the town”™s formidable cluster of financial firms. Besides the UST building, R.S. Granoff has renovated interiors for P.A.W. Capital Partners, PNC Advisors and FMAC.
“One of our clients told me, ”˜This is going to be our $7 billion space,”™” Granoff said.
The company”™s current projects include the redesign of a floor of UST Inc.”™s former headquarters to accommodate a hedge fund; and a virtual palace for a Russian businessman.
The next major building likely due for a makeover is the RBS Greenwich Capital property, a three-floor concrete bunker squatting on the waterfront at Steamboat Landing next to the Delamar Hotel. When RBS Greenwich Capital relocates into a new Stamford office under construction, the Steamboat Landing building could be renovated for use by multiple hedge funds.
The question becomes whether Greenwich”™s gated homes will represent figurative stone walls shielding the town from any recession. Granoff says his company has ample work in its pipeline for this year, but he said he does not have a good idea yet what 2009 will bring.
An architecture billings index maintained by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) fell nine points in February, and is at its lowest level since October 2001, though the Northeast fared the best of any region in the country. AIA says the index is a predictor of construction activity between nine months to a year in the future.
“This is a clear indication that there could be tougher times ahead for design firms and a noticeable slowdown in commercial construction projects coming online in the foreseeable future,” said Kermit Baker, AIA”™s chief economist. “Interestingly enough, we have also had some survey members reporting that their business is in great shape from a billings and demand standpoint. The one bright spot continues to be the institutional sector with continued positive conditions for construction projects such as schools, hospitals and government buildings.”
That will have an impact on more than 165 architecture firms in Fairfield County, which have received ample recognition for their work. Most recently, AIA”™s Connecticut chapter bestowed design awards to Kaehler-Moore Architects L.L.C for a courtyard it created in its hometown of Greenwich; and to Norwalk-based Beinfield Architecture for its work on the Sashlite building in Westport. Westport-based Roger Ferris + Partners also was recognized for a club house it designed for a New York golf course.
