Architectural and Engineering Team

H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture LLC - Architect of Record

H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture is the official Architect of Record for the Orpheum Theater. They created the design of the Orpheum, with its beautiful exterior trellis and playful auditorium with curved walls and ceilings. They coordinate between all the consultants and engineers on the design team.

H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture was founded in 2004 by Hugh Hardy and a select group of employees from its predecessor firm, Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates (HHPA). H3 provides architecture, planning and interior design services in a flexible, collaborative community consisting of experienced professionals. Mr. Hardy's firm specializes in projects for performing arts, libraries, educational facilities, residential buildings, museums, retail facilities, commercial office space and restaurants. From its New York City office the firm has developed a distinctive and successful approach to design that fosters a meaningful dialogue among history, innovation, and contemporary use.

Hugh Hardy, FAIA, Principal-in-Charge - Hugh Hardy, FAIA, is internationally known for his designs of new buildings, expertise in restoring historic structures, and exploration of planning in the public realm. In 2004, Hugh founded his third firm, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture. Among his most celebrated projects are: the new New York Botanical Garden Leon Levy Visitor Center (Bronx, NY); reconstruction and addition of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Cooperstown, NY); restoration of the Brooklyn Academy of Music's façade (Brooklyn, NY); the new United States Courthouse (Jackson, MS); reconstruction of Packer Collegiate Institute's new school in a nineteenth-century James Renwick church (Brooklyn, NY); restoration of Radio City Music Hall (New York, NY); the new U.S. Customs and Immigration Center at Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls, NY); and the redesign of Bryant Park (New York, NY). Hardy's latest national awards include the 2001 Placemark Award from the Design History Foundation and the 2000 Commissioner's Award for Excellence in Public Architecture from the U.S. General Services Administration. Hardy earned his Bachelor and Master's degrees in architecture from Princeton University.

Geoffrey Lynch, AIA, Project Manager - Geoff is a registered architect, whose 12 years of experience include design of theaters, offices, and museums. As Project Manager, he is the day-to-day contact regarding the administration of the project. In addition, he develops design options and recommends an approach that fully represents each client's intent. Geoff has contributed to the design of a private gallery at Boscobel (Garrison, NY); the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center (Norman, OK); and offices for The New 42nd Street, Inc (New York, NY). He has just finished supervising construction of Two River Theatre (Red Bank, NJ) and is collaborating on the design of a new home for Theatre for a New Audience (Brooklyn, NY). Geoff has also done programming for the University of Chicago Arts Center and a concept design for a new opera house. A member of the American Institute of Architects and United States Institute of Theater Technology (USITT), Geoff received his bachelor of architecture from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

Amy Patel, Project Architect - Amy's architectural responsibilities include design development to construction administration. In her role as Project Architect, she assists with architectural design options and in the preparation of materials describing the recommended design approach. With over four years of experience, Amy is able to effectively communicate with clients, engineers and consultants. Her experience includes the realization of residential and commercial spaces. Recently, she assisted on the design of Ridge Hill Village, a lifestyle center (Yonkers, NY) and the Cowin Center, at Teachers College, Columbia University (New York, NY). Amy is a graduate of the College of New Jersey, with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. She received her master's in architecture from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Davis Crossfield Associates - Theater Consultants

Davis Crossfield Associates consults on planning issues that affect theater operations such as stage size, quantity of dressing rooms, backstage layout, audience sightlines, and loading facilities. In addition, they provide contract documents for stage equipment such as stage rigging, stage lighting, stage flooring, and stage draperies. With 40 years of combined experience, Robert Davis and Scott Crossfield are two of our nation's most experienced theater consultants. Both are members of the American Society of Theater Consultants, where Bob is a Founding Member. Their firm, Davis Crossfield Associates, provides theater planning services on the construction and renovation of performing arts projects worldwide. Current work includes commercial, educational, and institutional projects.

Davis Crossfield Associates helps keep the audience happy, creates excellent workplaces, and creates an environment where extraordinary artists can present their work at its best. Davis Crossfield Associates' recent work includes drama, opera, dance, and multipurpose theaters for George Mason University, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Towson University, Indiana University, Princeton University, Cornell University, Amarillo Texas, The Two River Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Trinity Rep, and many others.

Kaaterskill Associates - Civil Engineer

The Orpheum theatre is partly situated on a sloped hill, which raises questions such as how to retain the hill behind the theatre, or what to do with run-off water? Kaaterskill Engineering asked and answered all these questions. They did all the civil engineering for the exterior work, such as parking, sidewalks, storm drainage, and selection of vines for the retaining wall.

Kaaterskill Associates, PC is a Professional Corporation with offices in Cairo, Tannersville, and Catskill, NY. It was established in May 1997 by Ewald Schwarzenegger, PE and Darrin Elsom, PE. Both Elsom and Schwarzenegger have served the Greene County and surrounding area for over 15 years. They have grown into the largest A/E/S firm in Greene County, employing over 17 people. Through years of experience, high standards, and the commitment of their staff, KA provides a wide range of services, including architectural design, surveying, project development, site development, grant writing, building design, municipal and project planning, construction drawings, construction management services, bidding, negotiating, contract administration, municipal engineering, and plan review, as well as other services. Utilizing AutoCAD Land Development and AutoCAD Architectural Desktop software in their design work allows them to stay current with the latest developments in their professional fields, expand their knowledge to better serve their clients, and deliver superior service. Both Elsom and Schwarzenegger are co-founders of the New York State Onsite Wastewater Association (NYOWA), an association that strives to bring training and best management practice ideas to the local agencies, engineers, inspectors, and contractors. Since KA incorporated in 1997, numerous local businesses, municipalities, organizations, professionals, contractors, and homeowners have made use of the services provided by KA. Clients include Hunter Mountain Ski Bowl, Ski Windham, Cortina Valley Ski Resort, Zoom Flume Water Park, the Association for the Help of Retarded Children, the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Greene County Highway Department, the Towns of Catskill, Hunter, Lexington, New Baltimore, Windham, and Cairo, the Villages of Hunter, Tannersville, Catskill, and Coxsackie, the New York State Office of Mental Health, the Mountaintop Historical Society, and the Catskill Mountain Foundation. KA has also served as Septic System Program Coordinator for the Catskill Watershed Corporation. Principals: Ewald Schwarzenegger, PE, Darrin Elsom PE.

Systems & Engineering, P.C. - Structural Engineer

From left to right: Amy Patel, Geoff Lynch, Peter Finn, Scott Crossfield, and Hugh Hardy

Systems & Engineering, PC is the structural engineer for the entire project. Their work includes, for example, the design of the concrete foundation or the concrete block stage house, and also addresses details such as how to connect the trellis to the parapet on the roof.

Systems & Engineering, P.C., founded in 1988, provides civil / structural engineering and construction inspection services to commercial, industrial, and government clients. Andres Huerta, PE, the firm principal, is involved in each project and works with project managers Mark Bajorek, PE and Joseph Staats to ensure that the needs of our clients are met, and to design safe, aesthetic, and economical solutions. S&E has experience in a diverse range of projects including residential and apartment structures, commercial and industrial building design and renovation, religious and educational structures, emergency facilities, bridge and highway design / inspection, historic structure rehabilitation, and amusement ride design. Recent projects include a new residence hall for D'Youville College in Buffalo, NY; New 200 thousand sf office building for GEICO Insurance in Amherst, NY; Buffalo Waterfront School Renovations and Additions; New Swormville Firehall, Clarence, NY; Michigan Road Bridge over CSX Railway, Buffalo, NY; Seismic Analysis for the Niagara Mohawk Building, Buffalo, NY; and the design of a new "Tsunami" Roller Coaster in Clementon Park, NJ.

Sigma Psi Consulting - Electrical and Mechanical Engineer

The firm was formed in September 1997 by Paul J. Martin. Prior to forming the firm, Mr. Martin had over 12 years of HVAC, process ventilation, plumbing, fire protection and mechanical/electrical design experience with other A/E and M/E consulting firms. Mr. Martin is a licensed professional engineer in the states of Connecticut, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. He holds certifications as a Certified Plumbing Engineer, a Certified Indoor Air Quality Professional, a Certified Fire Protection Specialist, a Certified Energy Manager and a Certified Lighting Professional from various nationally recognized standards associations. Sigma Psi Consulting offers professional engineering services to Architects, Design/Build Contractors, Engineers, Industrial Hygienists, private and public building owners. Sigma Psi Consulting has a technical background with experience for a wide range of projects that include high tech office space, historical buildings, computer data centers, hospitals, schools, colleges, laboratories, telecommunications buildings, industrial process facilities, radiological waste handling facilities and others. Sigma Psi Consulting has the ability to bring mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection design services for nearly any application.

Princeton Engineering Group - Electrical and Mechanical Consultants

The Princeton Engineering Group has provided high-level consultancy services during the design phase, because of its vast experience with theatres. The Princeton Engineering Group's services include the design of mechanical and electrical systems for new buildings, historic preservation projects, restoration and rehabilitation of existing structures, feasibility studies and master plans. The firm applies these services to projects ranging from cultural and educational institutions, to municipal buildings, to commercial spaces and to private residences. PEG has particular experience in the design of systems for theaters, which present unique challenges with regard to climate control, life safety systems, lighting and power distribution. Recent projects have included: New Jersey Shakespeare Festival Theater at Drew University; The Two River Theatre, Red Bank, New Jersey; New Brunswick Cultural Center, including the 1800 seat State Theater; The Community Theater, Morristown, New Jersey.

Marshall/KMK Acoustics - Acoustic & Sound Consultants

What is a theatre without good acoustics and sound? Marshall/kmk Acoustics provided acoustic consulting services on the Orpheum Performing Arts Center, with L. Gerald Marshall responsible for the architectural acoustics aspects and Tom Knauss responsible for sound & communication systems. Marshall/kmk has consulted on thousands of projects over the past 35 years, with a primary emphasis on performing arts facilities and worship spaces. Clients have included the United States Senate, the Metropolitan Opera, the Smithsonian, the New York Philharmonic, and the National Cable Television Association, among many, many others. The acoustic consultant's task can be described as providing recommendations and follow-up consulting through the completion of the project on all factors affecting its acoustical environment. Those factors may be outlined in four groups: 1) room interior acoustics - determining the quality of sound within the theater, 2) sound isolation - minimizing the transfer of sound into the theater, 3) MEP noise control - producing quiet building systems, and 4) sound & communication systems - comprising speech and music reinforcement, sound effects, monitoring, paging, intercom, and assisted listening systems.

Lewis Jacobsen, AIA - Consulting Architect

Orpheum Theatre floor plan

In an age of narrowing specialization, Lewis Jacobsen has maintained a wide-ranging architectural practice. In his twenty years in the profession, he has applied his design skills to everything from silverware to skyscrapers, and from historical restoration to new construction. Recent projects include new residences in upstate New York, restoration of historic Catskills homes, restaurants in both Manhattan and rural New York, and lofts, offices and showrooms in Manhattan. His work was featured in the twenty-fifth anniversary issue of This Old House. A graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, he went on to apprentice with some of America's most respected architects. He currently lives in New York City. Mr. Jacobsen's participation in this project has been donated by one of the lead funders of the Orpheum Theater project.