Client satisfaction and quality of work is Wessling Architects first priority

What sets us apart from other architectural firms is the depth of experience and knowledge we have gained from studying why there are so many premature building failures and fixing those problems. We transfer this knowledge to the buildings that we design providing the contractors the drawings and details that are so very important to give them the direction for a successful building. This sets us apart from our competition but leaves the challenge of educating the client on how critical it is to make the upfront investment in the cost to design and detail a building correctly rather than to diagnose and solve problems later. It is more attractive to pay the lesser cost in the beginning but much more costly in the end. Our Mission We practice architecture by balancing art and building science to create a legacy of sustainable, functional, and beautiful architecture that will serve and inspire for generations. Over the past 17 years, Wessling Architects has grown from its beginning in the basement of my home to a 20 person firm occupying 5,700 s/f of the 8th floor of 1250 Hancock St., Quincy. Today, we are a full service architectural design firm with a broad level of experience and long track record of success in architecture, interior design, building restoration and professional services. From day one, our focus has been on the needs and best interests of our clients. We take pride in all that we do and respond promptly and accurately to the client and contractor. We work as a member of the team and take full responsibility for our role throughout the project, especially during construction when time is extra critical. Our experienced dedicated staff is the backbone of the firm. Our philosophy is one of teamwork, collaboration and encouraging others to reach their full potential by continuous learning and moving out of their comfort zone to take on new challenges. This builds the confidence and knowledge needed to grow and stay competitive in today's environment. Wessling Architects will continue to enhance its services and improve efficiencies through ongoing refinement of its integrated process, investments in employees and technology while improving the quality of life and the environment though support and involvement in community services and organizations. Wessling Architects awarded the ICRI New England 2009 Project of the Year award The International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) of New England awarded Wessling Architects the project of the year for 2009 for the Jamaicaway Towers project. This project met and exceeded the expectations in the categories of uniqueness, use of the state- of- the-art methods, functionality, value engineering and aesthetics. The exterior building envelope team included P.J. Spillane Company and Oak Roofing. John Karman, senior project manager for Wessling Architects received the award at the presentation held at F-1 Boston on Sept. 15th. Jamaicaway Tower and Townhouses is Boston, premier housing cooperative overlooking the beautiful Jamaica Pond. Built in 1963, the cooperative development consists of a 30-story high rise tower with 271 units, a grouping of low-rise townhouses and an indoor parking garage. This project consisted of in depth studies of the masonry facade, concrete balconies and roof system which led to a significant building envelope restoration of the tower. A complete and thorough concrete restoration program was established to protect the existing concrete balconies. The masonry work included through-wall flashing repair, installing vertical brick expansion provisions, brick parapet demolition, brick rebuilding/replacement, random re-pointing of the brick joints as well as waterproofing and sealant repair/replacement. Some of the significant amounts of materials used included 3,700 s/f of concrete repair and 90,000 s/f of waterproofing coating systems to complete the restoration of the balconies. In addition, 47,000 brick units were removed and replaced, 9,000 linear feet of new stainless steel/membrane through - wall flashings and 45,000 linear feet of sealant replacement completed the masonry restoration. This was critical to eliminating any life/safety issues and protecting the client's interests. The old roofing system was replaced by a high solar reflective, PVC membrane, insulated roofing system that provides a high insulating R-value to save the winter heating costs and a high reflective quality to save in summer cooling costs. The two year project took place in the fully occupied, 271 residential unit complex. The ongoing communication and cooperation between all involved resulted in no injuries, no lost time, as well as meeting budgetary and schedule goals. The overall project was successful on all levels. The restoration work eliminated safety concerns, provided much needed waterproofing protection and improved the aesthetics of Jamaicaway Tower. Wessling Architects creates a "Center of Manufacturing Excellence" Wessling Architects recently completed the architectural and interior design of Boston Scientific, Coyol, Costa Rica manufacturing facility that was dedicated June 9th, 2009. Spanning 3 years, the scope of the project was to program, design, and fit out the interior of a 342,000 s/f vacant industrial building and create a "Center of Manufacturing Excellence". The project was a collaboration between Wessling Architects, Vanderweil Engineers (RGV), Boston Industrial Consulting (BIC), and Boston Scientific (BSC). Wessling Architects was responsible for the continuous coordination of ever changing plans, providing details, specifications and sketches, selecting all interior finishes, furniture, and fixtures, and protecting the client by ensuring that proper and correct details and materials were used on the project. All new exterior and waterproofing details were reviewed to make sure that they were up to American standards. This was critical so BSC would be able to maintain a tight building envelope, control interior building environments, and meet industry and FDA manufacturing standards. Great flexibility in the design and thinking were required due to the limitations of locally available materials, lead times for imported items, changes in construction schedule priorities, local construction customs, budget, and LEED requirements. The end result is a facility that met and most often exceeded expectations. The layout of the clean rooms using the modular clean room wall and the layout of the office areas and the office modular wall systems deliver the same flexibility and potential to the office support areas as seen in the clean rooms. The building already contains adequate services (restrooms, locker rooms, large cafeteria, etc.) to accommodate the demands of future employee growth. The building is LEED compliant and is projected to be the first LEED Silver Certified building in Costa Rica. It is a fusion of industrial, architectural, and interior design that holistically blends completely different functions and requirements (warehousing, clean room manufacturing, employee service, laboratories, administrative support, and public/customer interface) into one seamless operation where the needs of business, people, and the environment are treated as equals.