If you’ve visited Foxwoods Resort Casino, seen the Burton Football Complex on UConn’s Storrs campus, or stepped into the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, you are already familiar with JCJ Architecture. Headquartered in Hartford, the company celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2011 and is a known leader in sustainable design practices, boasting a diverse portfolio of green and LEED-certified projects across several industries.
But ask JCJ President Peter Stevens about sustainability and he’ll tell you the word has double meaning for his firm — applying to both building practices and business growth. He credits much of that parallel thinking to the work done within Native American communities.
“One of our strategic developments of the last twenty years relative to sustainability has come as the result of working with over fifty tribal communities on projects ranging from resorts to community facilities, to schools and government complexes,” he says. “It has given us a deeper and more respectful understanding of the concept because the Native Americans think generation to generation, not business quarter to business quarter.”
Stevens says the company’s tribal clients have also proven inspirational through their unrelenting respect and protection of the environment, as well as their drive for economic independence and passion for maintaining cultural practices. He says these priorities have found their way into the vision for his company.
“This thinking has manifested itself in the way that we continue leadership in sustainable design practices and the importance we’ve given to our core values and cultural alignment,” he says. “We adhere to balancing the art and business of design, and make investments to insure that the firm’s leadership can transfer from generation to generation.”
In specializing in sustainability, JCJ has completed several high profile LEED-certified projects, meaning those which have acquired third-party verification of high performance in areas of sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Some of these projects include the Burton Family Football Complex and Mark R. Shenkman Training Center at UConn, certified LEED Silver; the Daytona Beach Kennel Club, certified LEED Gold; and the renovation of the Yale School of Medicine Department of Dermatology Laboratory, certified LEED Gold.
Currently underway is the Fairchild Wheeler Multi-Magnet High School in Bridgeport, slated to open in fall 2013 and expected to reach LEED Platinum status.
Barbara Hubbard, another principal at JCJ, is quick to point out that while not all of JCJ’s clients pursue LEED certification, they are equally dedicated to green design and building practices.
“There is a substantial price tag that comes with LEED certification,” she says. “Some clients want to build to LEED standards but not take that step. It shows no less commitment on the client’s part.”
JCJ’s mission statement is “Design that Builds Community,” another mindset which can apply to both building projects and the company’s strategic growth. With offices in Hartford, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston and San Diego, JCJ has moved into each new geographical area with a focus on specific market sectors: K-12 Education, Hospitality, and Civic projects, including nonprofits, arts centers, public buildings and community facilities.
With a staffing increase of 30% over last year and a projected 30% increase in revenue for 2012, the company’s internal community is being strengthened as well. While developing a strategic three-year plan in 2011 focusing on transition of ownership, company executives studied several models, ultimately deciding to move forward with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
“We’ve transitioned from a closely held firm with 13 shareholders to having 123 employees share ownership in the company,” says Stevens. “An ESOP feels natural in our industry because we already work in teams in terms of contractors, designers, engineers, etc.”
To promote a collaborative atmosphere, JCJ offices are designed to be open, with very few private offices, further symbolizing the company’s approach. From the physical environment in which they conceptualize and construct sustainable projects, to the way they position their firm’s sustainability for the future, Stevens says the community makes the difference.
“The success of any team is determined by how well that team works together.”
