The Window Into JMA

Windows are a building's most valuable player. They are a welcomer of daylight, the perfect source of fresh air, and a key participant in determining a building's appearance. The window is a beautiful architectural element in design with many functions and is a highly expressive tool. A building's window is like a sign of human life and way to connect with the outside world. The window has a long and unique history with different designs, styles, and shapes seen throughout every decade.

At JMA we love to combine function and beauty with every structure we build. In a lot of our projects we design, we like to arrange our windows to form an artistic pattern, it makes a building look unique, modern, and beautiful. At our project 349 4th street, we designed the facade of the building to have windows varying shapes and sizes to stir interest and curiosity to the viewer.

4th Street Townhouse Designed by JMA

 

Types of Windows

Finding the perfect windows for your home can be a lengthy process because there are so many

different types of window styles and window frames to choose from. The most common types of window frames are vinyl, wood, fiberglass, and composite frame materials that sometimes can provide greater thermal resistance than metal. For our projects we enjoy using a variety of different window shapes because it gives a building a fun contemporary feel to it. For our development project at the 4th street townhouse in Jersey City, we used a combination of Stationary and Casement windows. Stationary windows are commonly used in modern or contemporary style homes. They are meant to add an aesthetic flair to the home since they do not open, and are easily customizable to be in any shape or angle you desire. The great thing about these types of windows is it works in conjunction with operating windows. The casement style windows have a hinge on either the right or left side to open the window outward.

Living Room Designed by JMA

Function

In any type of residential or commercial building one of the key things everyone wants to have in their space is tons of natural light coming from windows. The natural light you get from windows helps keep the house fresh, spacious, and bright. In return these benefits help keeps the building users’ happy and gives them a way to connect with the outside world and nature. For our project 10-18 47th Avenue, we designed the contemporary townhouse to have a glass atrium on top of the central stairs in the upper unit to flood natural light throughout the space. The rear façade of the building boasts nearly floor to ceiling windows on every floor.  We were able to achieve an elegant and unique look for the outside of the building by designing a modern fiber cement panel and natural wood framed window protusions and paneling. The combination of both of these contrasting materials makes the house look earthy and warm.

10-18 47th Avenue Townhouse

The beauty about windows is it gives the home such an inviting appearance. Famous architects have used windows as a form of artistic expression for their buildings for years as seen in the image below.

At JMA we make sure every detail from the materials, fixtures,window sizes, and shapes we choose, all align and convey the style we want our buildings to exude. At 93 Bright our design accentuates the diverse urban fabric of Jersey City with wood and glass materials.

93 Bright Designed by JMA

The primary materials for this project consist of a system of horizontal cedar wood slats, glass panels and painted white aluminum window frame projections. The horizontal wood slats encompass the entire second and third floor with wood elements found in the neighborhood.  These wood elements help to break up the scale of the project and provide for a balanced palette that integrates the project into a coherent whole. It is so important for architects to achieve a balance when they design and have their structures look functional and aesthetically pleasing. It is the design elements architects choose like a window style that can turn a building from boring into something beautiful and different.

Citations

•Reggev, Kate “5 Energy-Efficient and Stylish Ways to Shade Your Windows” Dwell 3 Sept.2017. Web.

•HGTV “8 Types of Windows” Scripps Network 2017. Web. 

•“Types of Windows” Big City Windows 26 Nov. 2014 Web.

•Pierre von Meiss. “Elements of Architecture: From Form to Place” Electronic Book Chapter 1 “Openings”

Designs That Promote Healthier Communities

When designing a building it is necessary to design features in a home that will promote healthy behaviors and foster engagement opportunities for residents. Even the smallest design changes to a surrounding can have a strong impact on mood and overall health. Spaces that fail to promote community movement can lead to obesity and other physical health conditions. A lack of recreational space in a building can cause a sense of isolation and puts an unwanted strain on our emotional health.

JMA has always made it our mission to create buildings that improve the quality of life for residents and design features that can contribute to a healthier happier lifestyle. When we were designing a large residential building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, we placed a strong emphasis on functional space before formal concept. Our design goal was large apartments, comfortable balconies, abundant daylighting and open views. The development project is 90,000 square ft. and is located in a suburb of Buenos Aires called Ramos Meija. The footprint of the building is open on all 4 sides, letting the building open towards 2 centenarian palms, thus giving the name to the building: Palmeras de Ramos (Palms of Ramos).

Ramos Meija designed by JMA

Design's Impact on Our Mood 

The design of building is a key part of the solution in delivering healthy communities. The rooftop terrace we designed at Palmeras de Ramos is meant to be a place of social encounter for residents to interact and make friends. It is very spacious and encourages residents to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines by walking on the terrace and also around the walkways surrounding the building. Based on the design we created, we believe the accessibility we achieved can help residents combat issues like obesity and related chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Communities appreciate having a well-designed open space because it promotes active living and movement.

Patio deck at Palmeras de Ramos

Design Features That Foster Healthy and Active Spaces

It is very important to make sure apartments are designed with an open layout because it improves the quality of life for residents and diminishes the feeling of claustrophobia. At the Palmeras Ramos building we chose to design comfortable balconies for residents. This design feature extends the residents’ homes and makes them feel happy because it gives them access to the outside world.

The comfortable balconies at Ramos Meija

Along with an open floor plan, architects can improve physical and mental health for residents by using a design that improves ventilation and provides fresh air for the home. 54 Bright Street, another development project of JMA’s, is a high performance building built with an open layout and Passive Design strategies that are implemented into all aspects of the design.

The Positive Benefits of Passive Design

Jorge is passionate about Passive Design, he believes that an efficient design means responding to locate climate and site conditions to maximize building users’ comfort. When architects create an efficient design they must be thinking about the natural elements that can help residents feel more comfortable, like wind. Wind provides household heating cooling, ventilation and lighting, thereby reducing or removing the need for mechanical heating or cooling.

At 54 Bright we used passive design techniques to improve indoor air quality and reduce temperature fluctuations making it more enjoyable to live in. Jorge believes that architects should design buildings with comfort and resource-efficiency in mind. Buildings and apartments should be designed to be comfortable for residents to unwind when they need to, but still gives them the opportunity for social interaction. We encourage architects and developers to create buildings that have a strong social structure because it can promote healthy behaviors and prevent isolation.

54 Bright designed by JMA

It doesn’t matter if you are building a large development building or a smaller townhouse, adding a small change like a bench in the front of the building is a tool meant for people to interact with one another and feel happy having a discussion. People need community design features such as outdoor recreational space, safe streets, landscaping, outdoor play space because it can contribute to enhancing a sense of neighborhood identity. With all of our projects it is important for us as architects to create designs that are not only beautiful but resource efficient, embraces its inhabitants, and foster vibrant communities.

Citations

• Stewart, M. Cyril “How design can encourage home and community health”. The American Institute of Architects. Web

• Woo, Lisa “How to design communities that make residents fitter and healthier.” The Guardian. 3 Sept. 2014, Web.

• Center For Active Design “Engaging Communities to Promote Health through Design”. Web.

The Psychology behind Urban Design

Have you ever wondered as you walked around the city why some public spaces attract crowds of happy people, and other spaces you want to run from? The difference between the two is whether or not that architect was successful in creating a design that embraces its community and inhabitants. A city must include buildings and public areas that benefit society, not hinder it. Urban design is the process on how we achieve this goal. It is an important tool architects and planners use to enliven and enrich the experience of urban life in cities, like New York and Jersey City.

Urban design gives character to buildings and neighborhoods as a whole. It’s fascinating when architects and urban planners use their talents and knowledge to construct buildings and create public spaces that uplift the entire energy of city. Urban design is special because it can promote community involvement and enhance people’s quality of life.

What is considered a good urban design?

Good urban design affects your mood, makes you feel happy, and you don’t mind staying in that space for a long time. For instance, in the city the High Line is a great example of this type of location. On any day during the week or weekend the High Line is filled with hundreds of people who happily meander through the area. Urban design should be functional and attractive for its inhabitants. All public spaces should serve a specific purpose from the placement of a bench, to the placement of flowers and greenery.

The High Line located in NYC

JMA’s Urban Design Projects

Jorge Mastropietro creates spaces that bring people together whether they are inside or outside the home. For all of his projects he always keeps in mind how that building should perform and how to make people feel comfortable around that space. 

The perfect example of this type of building is Jorge’s Newark Affordable Housing Projects. It is a group of homes that provide the residents and visitors with a welcoming and positive energy. The houses are located in a low-income residential urban density within a suburban neighborhood in Jersey. The project called for a design of a family residence that could be placed on a single lot as a free-standing unit, while being versatile enough to be repeated in a group setting that looks deliberate and appropriate.

Newark Affordable Housing Projects, designed by JMA

 

The resulting module engages the street traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular, with planes of various volumes on several different scales. Jorge designed the facade of the homes to be very appealing, a plus for pedestrians as they walk by. He did this by using a variety of sustainable materials like red cedar board; aluminum clad wood, and corrugated metal. All these various materials help stir interest in the viewer and provide a unique appearance on the street-scape.

In addition to the pleasant appearance of the front of the houses, the backyard spaces are just as functional and beautiful. All the homes have a backyard space that helps residents connect back with nature. The backyard area is a very warm space, giving the residents a place to interact, relax, and have a good time.

Newark Affordable Housing Projects (Backyard)

Jorge designed each apartment with function and resource efficiency in mind. The residents who live on the first floor still have a sense of privacy with their doors not so close to the sidewalk. It also doesn’t make pedestrians feel like they are intruding in someone’s personal space.

Urban design helps people live, work, and relax in happier and functional spaces. It is a important process architects and planners use to adapt to the psychological desires of people.  It is amazing how one wrong design decision can make a space feel dreary and unreceptive. Architects should create buildings that motivate people to be drawn to it and makes them never want to leave. 

Citations

• EUKN Research. “Urban Design, how important is it for cities?” Web.
• Ellard, Colin “Cities and their psychology: how neuroscience affects urban planning”. The Guardian. Web Feb. 4 2014.