The Martin Architectural Group continues to create and improve communities with care - by Daniel McCauley

Daniel McCauley, The Martin Architectural Group, P.C.

The walls of the East Coast-based Martin Architectural Group resonate with award-winning, land planning and architectural projects. Founded on the principle of building relationships, not chasing projects, the firm focuses solely on work for developers, both public and private. Our expertise ranges from residential and commercial work, through mixed-use designs of all sizes.  With a focus on image, reputation, and world class design standards, we have forged long-standing relationships with valued clients. By listening to their needs we achieve organic, practical, and inspiring designs, not forced ambitions.

Our involvement as master planners and full service architects begins with a raw site. We analyze all relevant data to recommend both site utilization and building design, and continue our project involvement through the final coat of paint to fulfill the client’s vision.  As a mid-sized architecture firm, The Martin Architectural Group uniquely provides both the level of service and staff depth that developers rely on for quality and timely responses, as well as a personal approach with a cost competitive benefit.

With each individual opportunity, we guide the project team and strive for the highest and best use of the site. By doing exactly this, we maximize the highest efficiency of density and retain immeasurable amounts of open space when compared with traditional, lower-density design rationale.  The proper site approach, building orientation, street frontage, and building composition all take center stage during the planning and design process.  The key, however, is not merely forcing the largest density of building allowed by zoning and code onto a site;  to be truly successful, costs of construction and building type must be weighed against the value inherent in the property. We strive to optimize density on a site, thereby maximizing the value of the project.

By planning for maximum yield and best use in collaboration with the community, the project will provide the strongest results for both the developer and the neighborhood.  Viewing the site and building as vital components within the larger surrounding context is crucial for success. 

A key consideration of higher density residential, retail, or mixed-use projects requires balancing the pedestrian with the automobile when planning access to the site.  As important as visibility, loading, and vehicular access to and throughout the site may be, the treatment of the pedestrian component remains significantly more critical.  The streetscape must feel inviting and walkable.  Activated areas for gathering, such as plazas, fountains, fireplaces, and dog parks, provide site wide connectivity and recreation. Tree-lined streets, buffered with parallel parking and reduced-speed roads, create inviting shopping districts and allow towne centers to thrive.  Each of these ideas creates a more inviting project fully connected to its neighborhood. 

Today, more than any time in the past, our firm focuses on infill projects, TODs (Transit Oriented Designs), brownfield and greyfield sites located in urban cores, and secondary tier areas within 45 miles of major metropolitan areas.  Infill sites and locations requiring environmental remediation have become more prevalent in our current projects.  The opportunities these sites present, either by financial incentives or location within a given area, provide a double benefit for any project.  First, the site provides a prime location within a given, established area to increase or better the use of the site. Second, the site strengthens the neighboring community and encourages future development nearby.  TOD projects, those within a half mile of train stations or metro stops, have capitalized on today’s backlash against a dependency on automobiles.  These projects thrive on reducing commutes for those in or near large urban cities.  The existing infrastructure and reduction in car use minimizes the money spent and land used for transportation needs, making TOD projects viable and attractive to many who are not interested in the encumbrance of a car. By providing more disposable income to improve quality of life and social experience, these projects require acute attention to offering a mix of uses to their residents, integrating retail, restaurant, and entertainment into each project. Many TODs are extending the landscape of an existing urban or exurban fabric and can focus more heavily on residential and office components.

The Martin Architectural Group has been creating and improving communities for nearly five decades with thoughtfulness and care. As we look to the future of our firm and the built environment, it is clear that careful stewardship of our communities is explicit and imperative. Give us a call today and see how we can add value to your next endeavor.

Daniel McCauley is principal and partner at The Martin Architectural Group, P.C., Philadelphia, Penn.