joseph tanney, aia
resolution: 4 architecture, new york
age of firm: 20 years
firm specialty: Custom houses (prefab, site-built, and grid-free), loft interiors, and commercial
staff: 10 to 12 (2005); 10 to 12 (2008); 8 to 10 (2009); 6 to 8 (2010, projected)
total revenue: Down 1 percent to 2 percent from 2005 (2008); down 15 percent from 2008 (2009); down 15 percent from 2009 (2010, projected)
completed projects: 10 (2005); 10 (2008); 8 (2009); 8 (2010, projected)
Business is tepid at Resolution: 4 Architecture, but co-principal Joseph Tanney, AIA, is grateful for the projects he has, and hopeful about the year ahead. In the latest sign of a thaw, construction on Equinox Fitness Clubs’ New York headquarters is going to bid, after going on hold last fall. While client budgets in 2009 were half of what the firm typically deals with, a bright spot was completing phase one of a 100,000-square-foot office building in San Francisco, and phase two is starting construction. “It was a significant piece of work for the office,” Tanney says. “The project sped up, given the good value of construction. We were able to shop the project around more than when we’re really busy.”
The wide-ranging portfolio that Tanney and partner Robert Luntz, AIA, deliberately cultivates has had a stabilizing effect. Also in the works is the design of a downtown loft, a Park Avenue apartment renovation, a Brooklyn brownstone addition, and a handful of small commercial projects for repeat clients. “A lot of the inquiries we’re getting are for small-scale projects,” he says. “We built our practice on kitchen and bath renovations, so we’re very comfortable returning to a smaller scale.”
But the firm is perhaps best known for its modern prefab houses, which are attracting interest from developers around the country. Res: 4 is working on two modular subdivisions, in Montreal and North Carolina. Client interest in houses as mini power plants also grew last year. In 2009, Res: 4 built its first off-the-grid house and is designing prefab homes that make more energy than they use. “At several points last year we considered adding to our staff, but it’s hard to say what will happen in 2010,” Tanney concludes. “Our goal is to hold onto everyone we have right now.”