top of page


FIRM HISTORY
The firm of Serena Sturm Architects began in 1983 as a two person operation - a partnership between Marty Serena and Bill Sturm. In 1993, Serena Sturm Architects merged with Prisco Design Associates. The firm became Prisco Serena Sturm Architects with Guy Prisco joining Marty and Bill as fi
rm principals. In 2003, with the retirement of Guy Prisco, the firm became once more Serena Sturm Architects. The firm currently has seven employees, of those, five are licensed architects.

From the beginning, Marty and Bill professed a strong belief in the theory of sustainability and that buildings should be designed and built to work in harmony with the surrounding environment. We have consciously concentrated our energy on inspiring projects, working to design structures that reflect society’s highest values.

OUR MISSION
We strive to provide distinguished and ecologically sensitive design services for each of our clients. We are inspired by the goals of those we serve, the highest ideals of the profession, our desire to protect the environment, and our dedication to the quality of life of all those who will use and see our buildings. We pursue afairly basic tenet: if our architecture is thoughtful and durable, its sustainability will be evident. For if our work is purposeful, users will be engaged, and if our workis of a high quality, its longevity will be assured.

Our project experience is diverse, spanning religious, educational, recreational, institutional, municipal, residential and corporate projects. This diversity has helped us develop a strength in design and collaboration that we apply to all of our projects. Our firm offers a full range of professional design services including feasibility studies, master planning, space planning, integrated architectural design and interior design. In addition, we work closely with a highly trusted team of consultants to integrate specialized services such as landscape design, structural, mechanical, electrical, acoustical, civil engineering, lighting design and cost estimating services.


ART AND TECHNOLOGY
Architecture is a unique practice because not only is it an artistic expression, but it also serves a fundamental function in our lives. At Serena Sturm Architects, Ltd. we pride ourselves in embracing both the opportunity for artistic expression and the need to meet our most basic necessities of shelter and comfort.

The artistic side of our craft is about creating inspiration. It is about approaching every situation as a unique problem with its own set of goals, constraints and functional relationships. Understanding those conditions requires working with our clients to understand their needs and desires. Truly exceptional solutions are not derived from preconceived ideas
or historical precedent, but rather born through the creative process of addressing the Client's programmatic and functional needs. It is a vision of bringing together all the elements of a project, where the ideal solution is larger than the individual parts. Yet no solution is complete without a detailed understanding of how a building meets our most basic requirements of shelter and comfort, as well as our desire for a healthy environment to enhance our lives.


To this end, we need fundamentally sound solutions that are unique to each individual project. It begins with understanding the detail of wall performance, from vapor transmission and condensation to thermal transfer and air infiltration. It does not end until daylight and clean indoor air create places that help us thrive rather than enclosures that isolate us. We know that we cannot just “build the way we used to” because conditioning systems and building envelopes have changed building performance. We also understand that the ethic to design buildings that last has often given way to other priorities and the attrition of habit. Our mission statement reminds us that this should not be the case - our buildings are and should be “sustainable for the next generation.”

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
Architectural and environmental issues have always been intertwined. As our society faces limits to our natural resources, the time has come for buildings to be re-calibrated and designed to acknowledge and respect those limits. The results should be, among other things, buildings that collaborate with nature in both their construction and their long-term operation - to effectively use energy and resources. While many firms incorporate some efficient design features into building construction, our firm has focused its energy on
integrating the design of sustainable systems into every facet of the decision-making process. In this approach, features from one system are not considered and resolved in isolation, but are understood as a complex web of interdependent parts. By integrating them early in the design process, complementary relationships are realized, potentially resulting in exponential gains in functionality, comfort and energy efficiency. This holistic approach to integrated building design helps capture the synergies that can truly maximize building performance in the most economical means available. The overall result is a building where all systems work in harmony with one another and thereby prove that more can be accomplished with less. Serena Sturm Architects, Ltd. is committed to sustainable design as a fundamental tenet of our architectural practice. Our goal in building design evolves around simple roots - creating buildings that are beautiful, comfortable, healthy, energy and resource effi cient, functional and long lived. In doing so, our buildings will promote both the well being of their occupants and the earth.

sears2.JPG
Kanfer.jpg
ORHHC.jpg
exterior3.jpg

In support of these ideals, the staff of Serena Sturm Architects is committed to a set of goals:

  • Achieving total client satisfaction through careful listening, collaboration and sensitive design

  • Producing projects that exude excellence in design, craftsmanship and management

  • Contributing to society by serving clients who uphold high moral, social and environmental values

  • Maintaining a team-oriented practice that is recognized for professionalism, quality and creativity

  • Supporting the professional goals of all staff members through appropriate leadership, research and training

SERVICES PROVIDED

Our firm offers a full range of professional design services, including feasibility studies, master planning, space planning, integrated architectural design and interior design. In addition, we work closely with a highly trusted team of consultants to provide specific services such as landscape design, structural, mechanical, electrical, acoustical and civil engineering. Through these partnerships, we are able to provide concept-to-completion services for all our clients and all our projects.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

We pride ourselves on a highly collaborative and team-oriented project management approach. We evaluate the project within the context of its own unique time, financial, quality and design parameters, and bring together the specific talent, experience and expertise required. This approach ensures the project staff remains consistent throughout the project's course and guarantees a Principal's involvement on each project. At the center of our management approach are the client’s goals and objectives. We desire, even expect, our client to be an integral part of the design team throughout the project.

We believe strong management is the best insurance for producing high quality designs that meet the client’s functional, budgetary and aesthetic requirements. Our goal, therefore, is to create a strong bond between client/architect, inspiring the confidence and trust essential to successful project completion. We have found success in this relationship—our clients are strangers only once, and friends for a lifetime.

Our approach to the practice of architecture is collaborative and team-oriented. Our goals are directed to bring together the specific talent, experience and expertise required to execute the project in accordance with the highest standards of professional practice. This approach emphasizes the involvement of at least one Principal from our firm on every project, and sees the client as a vital member of the project team throughout each phase.  Our firm is committed to a management approach based on high ethical principles. We employ well thought out and time tested methods and systems to produce a level of service that is highly creative, efficient, and client friendly. Our goal is to create a strong bond between Client and Architect, to inspire the confidence and trust essential for the successful completion of each project. We view each project within the context of its own unique schedule, fi nancial and design parameters.

SSA_Logo.png
bottom of page