RISSAY_ARCHITECTURE | CONSTRUCTION

Wine Cellar- Photo Album

Please check out the Wine Cellar's Photo Album!  In it you will find all of the drawings, renderings, and completed photos of the Wine Cellar!

Who doesn’t enjoy a fine bottle of wine?

Who doesn’t enjoy a fine bottle of wine?  Our one client definitely enjoys having a fine bottle of wine or better yet 1,395 bottles.  Ok, ok, he may not have that many bottles quite yet, but now that we have completed his new wine cellar (which can accommodate 1,395 bottles) I am sure his collection will eventually reach that number.  We didn’t want to merely store his wine collection, but to have it all on display. 

We designed a clean, sleek room with niches in the walls to truly emphasize the wine and not the space itself.  Transparency was an important design concept in this wine cellar.  Insulated glass double doors with narrow stiles provide entry into the room, while allowing you to see the entire collection at once.  One entire wall, 11 + feet, is floor to ceiling insulated glass that really allows you to see how vast the entire collection is.  Behind the glass are several free standing wine racks, with openings between every third rack, referencing the niches on the opposing wall.  Peering through the glass wall, freestanding racks, and the strategic openings provide a very nice layered appearance, while maximizing the space.

Once again we wanted to put the emphasis on the wine itself, so we decided to utilize Vintage View’s Platinum Series wine racks.  They are very minimal, streamlined metal racks that allow you to maximize your space, while storing the bottles on their side with the label facing you.  No more need to pull out every bottle in search of the one you want as you typically would with a bulky, rustic looking, wood rack design.  LED lights are mounted above all the racks to futher emphasize the ever important wine below.  The LEDs also do not produce heat, like most lights would, which could damage the wine.

Behind the walls is spray foam insulation which will keep the room at a constant temperature, as well as act as a vapor barrier.  The room also has its very own ducted cooling unit and humidifier.  Typically these units are within the wine cellar themselves, which can be loud and quite frankly an eyesore.  We strategically placed our cooling and humidifying unit in an adjoining storage closet with the air ducted into the wine cellar.  The humidifier used can fill the room with up to 80% humidity to ensure the corks never dry out, spoiling your wine (most units can only go as high as 60%, when its recommended wine is stored at 55 to 75%).

This is truly a wine cellar that a wine connoisseur could feel safe storing and displaying his collection in.  It is not just aesthetically beautiful, but also well constructed and highly efficient.   Please enjoy a few photos of the completed project below.  Additional photos, as well as renderings and progress photos will be added to the photo album on the right hand side in the upcoming days.

 

 

Renderings Help to Visualize Your Project

As great as drawings are to portray information, it is sometimes hard to visualize the final built project.  In addition to your typical design drawings, we can also create a 3D model of your future project.  Eliminate the hassle of trying to imagine what your project will look and see it for yourself before construction even gets started.  The level of detail in the 3D model can vary to fit any budget.

In the home pictured below, there is only one bathroom in the entire house.  The clients wish to add a powder room on the first floor for guests to use.  Their main concern was how much space of the existing dining room would it take and ultimately, what will it look like.  In the renderings below you can get an idea of the space.  The new powder room will be in the back corner.  It will have a transom above it, so the dining room can borrow light from the powder room window.  In the opposing corner will be a new coat closet.  New built in book cases are being added as well.  Between the bookcases, we are proposing a Reclaimed Redwood Iconic panel.  It would play nicely off the modern Danish furniture found throughout the house.  Their dining table and chairs were added to give scale to the room.

Summer is here and so is the peak renovation season.  So why wait?  No more excuses that you can't imagine what the final space will look like.  Contact us to help make your dream home become a reality.

Trinity Transformation Completed

The Trinity project that we spoke about in several previous posts is finally complete and has been photographed.  The only things remaining from the original home are the masonry walls, wood joists, and stairs.    The house had a very well built structure, but all of the interiors had been neglected for decades and needed a major overhaul, in both style and functionality.  Infrastructure wise, it received all new plumbing, electrical, lighting, doors, roof, drywall, windows, and insulation. 

The windows are all Low E II Argon filled to try to minimize heat loss/gain through the windows. The spray foam insulation could realize energy savings up to 60% greater than if traditional insulation was used.  The windows, entry door, and insulation all qualified for the federal tax credit.  It is important to check what qualifies when buying these materials.  As for the windows, by paying an extra $300 total to get the more energy efficient windows, the homeowner will get over a $1,000 credit on his taxes.

The home also received all new custom milled wood flooring, marble tile, counters, and fireplace surround, plumbing and lighting fixtures, furniture, tile, appliances, custom millwork, etc.  Scott and Jim built a custom entertainment center for first floor (1^st picture below), which also incorporates a coat closet, which the 1^st floor previously lacked. Since most full beds would not be able to get up the spiral stairs or 3^rd floor window, we asked Springhouse Woodshop to create a custom wood bed and nightstand for us.  The two pieces were expertly crafted, and most importantly the bed completely disassembled to get up stairs. 

As you can imagine, the small space and stairs was an issue throughout the project, but alas it is complete and the homeowner is enjoying his new home very much.  Below you can find a picture of the 1st floor custom entertainment center, as well as some before and after photos.  Check back soon for the “Trinity Completed” photo album to see the whole project!

More to Come by Rissay + Steven Grasse, AITA Owner

Be sure to check out Philadelphia Magazine’s February edition, which features an article on Steven Grasse, owner of Art in the Age.  Art in the Age, as you may recall is the store we designed and built for him on N. 3^rd Street with the concept of his products being homemade, one-of-a-kind goods not found anywhere else.  You can find our original post here: "Art in the Age 07/28/09" 

The Philly Mag article, which can be found here "The Mad Man's Next Act" speaks of how Steven Grasse’s successful career and company has progressed over the years.  Steve’s company, Quaker City Mercantile (previously Gyro Worldwide) is a premier advertising company representing big names including Coca Cola, Budweiser, Philly Car Share, Ecco, Rock Band, Wawa, Virgin Records, and the list goes on.  

While still successfully promoting others, Mr. Grasse decided to start making his own products and lines.  He wants something that is pure, genuine, and untainted from so many influences.  He began to do so with Sailor Jerry; a store, clothing line, and rum based on the late great tattoo artist Norman Collins, aka Sailor Jerry.  It quickly gained national acclaim selling $16 million in merchandise in 2007.  

In 2008, Grasse sold Sailor Jerry to William Grant & Sons, the 122 year old Scottish distiller, who actually produced the Sailor Jerry Rum for Grasse.  Grasse still continues to do the advertising for the line.  When William Grant & Sons were creating a new product, they once again turned to Grasse to create the entire brand image for Hendrick’s Gin.  

With the profits from sailing Sailor Jerry, Grasse started Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, based on the article by Walter Bejamin.  The store Rissay designed and built emits homemade authenticity, just as the products it houses.  Steve wishes to continually offer genuine goods that you can trace to their roots.  With the store and that concept, he created Root, a liquor of its own kind based on a drink made by Pennsylvania’s indigenous people.  The drink itself, which is quite good if I may say, is a huge success as sales keep climbing.  It is produced by an organic distillery in California, which is producing a new liquor for him called Snap, base on gingersnap cookies, which should be available this spring.  

Steven Grasse isn’t stopping there.  He has bought an old general store in Tamworth, NH, and has plans to create a micro-distillery.  After much success with the Art in the Age store, and work done by us at his personal residence, Steve has commissioned Rissay to design and coordinate the construction of the new micro-distillery.  After a trip up to his personal farm house in Tamworth, we were excited to begin surveying and designing the distillery.  As with all things involving Steven Grasse, big things are in the works.

You can see more of Art in the Age here, "AITA by Rissay Ltd. on ABC 6" (approx. 3:25 into the video), as Steve personally gives a tour to ABC 6 of the store. Although the video walks you through the store, nothing can beat visiting 116 N. 3^rd Street and experiencing it in person.

Time to Prepare for Spring

Here are a few photos of two planter boxes we have just completed for a client in Society Hill on Delancey Street.  As we approach March and the coming of Spring, it is time to start preparing for warmer weather.  What better way to spruce up your curb appeal, but with custom planter boxes and some fresh vegetation!

These expertly handcrafted solid cedar windows box planters with a raised panel are built for years of carefree enjoyment.  They feature full bottoms with drainage holes for direct planting inside the box. Each planter is custom built to fit your window and painted in your choice of color.

Individual planters range from $400-$500 and includes installation and hardware. Price may vary depending on size. Save money when you buy 2 or more! Quality Workmanship and Parts Guaranteed 100% for a full year!  So act now to beat the Spring rush!

A Modern Proposal

Sorry it has been a while since the last update.  We have simply been swamped with work and missed a decent amount of days in the office with all the snow. Excuses aside. Here is a quick, little proposal we did for a client who loved the land they were on, but not the house.  Just as any other home owner, they wished to keep in mind: aesthetics, views, functionality, and of course budget.  They wished to have something very simple, modern, and more of the international style.  Now words aside, here are a few images of their current home and land, and the proposed.

 

Trinity- Before Pictures

So here's a little update about the Trinity project we previously wrote about in July when we first got the commission (Original Trinity Blog Post).  In case you don't remember, a Trinity gets its name from simply consisting of three floors and makes reference to the Father, Son & Holy Ghost.  For most projects such as a kitchen or bathroom, clients do not have to move out and we make the best accomendations possible for them. In this case, given the size of the home and the entire property being essentially rebuilt, the client had to temporarily move out.  To help ease this transition for our client, in this case a 60 year old male librarian, we found an apartment for him and even moved everything from his home to the apartment and storage unit we set up for him.  We always strive to make our clients as comfortable as possible with the whole renovation process.

So once we moved the client into his temporary apartment, demolition quickly went underway.  Literally just about everything is being replaced except for the masonry walls & joists.  All new flooring is going in, new bathroom, kitchen, drywall, heating & cooling, plumbing, electrical, lights, closets, millwork, roof, etc. To help you get some idea of what the Trinity looked like before and a little bit during demolition, we have added a new photo album on the right titled "Trinity- Existing".  Next week we'll be posting some photos of how the Trinity currently looks (with drywall, cabinets, countertops, tile, fireplace stone surround, etc), so be sure to check out the "Trinity-Existing" album first, so you can see how long of a way it has come.  Keep checking back as we continue to keep you updated on the project.

Rissay FAQs

How long have you been in business?

Rissay Ltd. Architecture | Construction was first founded in January 2004 by Jason Thompson and Scott McLeer.  To find out more about the partners of the firm, please visit: http://www.rissay.com/aboutus.html.

 

How many people work at Rissay?

There are currently 4 full-time employees.  Jason Thompson, Partner & Principal Designer.   Scott McLeer, Partner & Principal Foreman.  Jim Epright, Lead Carpenter.  Dillon Rhodes, Designer & Administrator.  We also have a particular set of subcontractors we use for specialized work, such as plumbing, mechanical, electric, etc.  We hold all of our subcontractors to the same level of care and detail as we would expect if it was our own home.

 

Where do you work?

We work throughout all of center-city Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.  Predominantly our work has been located in Society Hill, Queen Village, Rittenhouse, Mt. Airy, Chestnut Hill, and the Main Line.

 

What kind of projects do you do?

     We do mostly high-end residential renovations, additions, and custom millwork.  Projects can range from a beauty on a budget bathroom renovation to gourmet kitchens to complete home makeovers.  Rissay also has vast experience with roof decks, window and door replacement, framing, drywall, tiling, we do it all.

     We especially take pride in our custom millwork, which is entirely made in our own workshop.  We can custom design built-ins to fit any niche, create the ultimate entertainment system, fulfill your ideal walk-in closet, or for you to finally have your dream library. 

     Rissay can not only do residential, but light commercial as well.  Rissay Ltd, was the designer and contractor behind Art in the Age (www.artintheage.com).  We custom built the majority of the displays ourselves, so stop by at 116 N. 3^rd Street to see some of our capabilities and craftsmanship.

 

What makes Rissay different than the rest?

     There are a lot of things that make Rissay more than a notch above the rest.  First off, we care and make sure we cover every little detail.  We approach everything as if it was our own home.  We take the time to ensure everything is done right the first time and of the highest quality.  To attest to that, most of work is from referrals.  Our clients love our work enough that they always pass our name along and continue to call us themselves for their next project.

     Rissay is an architecture and construction company, typically known as design/build.  We do everything in house from surveying, drafting, design, permits, and material selections to the complete build out.  We are also capable of doing 3D models of the project to better help clients visualize the project.  No need to go to a separate designer then to a contractor and try to coordinate the two.  Using one company, such as Rissay, will help guarantee accurate pricing, since it won’t be different companies with different processes and ideas.  Going with Rissay for both design & build services helps streamline the project in terms of cost, time, and coordination.  If you do however go elsewhere for design services (not sure why you would want to though with our excellent design team), you can still turn to Rissay Ltd.  for reassurance that your plans will be built with the highest quality. 

 

Do you competitively bid jobs?

No, we do not.  We are generally approached by a client as the preferred designer and contractor and at that time we start the estimating process.  Detailed and accurate estimating can take a significant amount of time.  We will then set up a meeting with the client, review the property and discuss a preliminary budget and the scope of work to be done.  The initial meeting is free of charge.  Following that meeting, we begin the detailed cost estimating and setting up allowances for materials and products.

 

What is your contract process?

     If the client decides they wish to proceed after the initial estimate stage, a contract is signed for pre-construction services.  Pre-construction services include surveying your property, the design process, cost estimating, scheduling, obtaining estimates from subcontractors, as well as resourcing materials and products.  During this process is constant communication with the client to ensure we are meeting their needs and wants in terms of design, budget, and time.

     After approval of the design, costs for construction & materials, and the schedule, a contract is signed for the construction of the project.  Within the contract are the project totals breaking down the costs for the client.  A deposit is made to start ordering materials for the project.  If the client wishes to change a portion of the design or materials cost change throughout a project, a formal “change order” will be written and signed by the owner for approval.

     All of our contracts follow PA’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA) standards.  HICPA was passed by Pennsylvania Legislature late last year in an effort to protect consumers from disreputable contractors. Go to www.attorneygeneral.gov/hic.aspx for more information on the Home Improvement act.  On the attorney general’s website, you can also search for registered contractors.  To make it even simpler for you, Rissay’s number is PA035479.

 

How many projects do you manage at a time?

Rissay only takes on a handful of jobs at a time.  We take pride in being able to effectively manage all of our projects at once and keep everything right on schedule.  We may be in the design phase of several projects at once depending on the scope of work, while usually only building out one to two projects at a time. 

 

Will I get the lowest price with Rissay?

We may not always be the lowest price in terms of contractors.  Philadelphia has plenty of low budget contractors, but very few can match our quality and attention to detail.  With Rissay you streamline your whole project by having us both design and construct your project.   By going with one company for both design and build services, you can dramatically cut your costs versus paying for both a designer and contractor separately.  Each have different agendas, ideas, costs, and overhead.  Coordinating ideas, construction details, budgets, and time between the two is eliminated when it’s done all in house as it is here at Rissay Ltd.  We guarantee you’ll be more than pleased with our work;  ask all of our clients that keep coming back and referring us to all of their friends and family.

 

How do I find out more or get an estimate for my project?

Feel free to call our office anytime at 215-713-0750 or send an e-mail at [email protected]. 

We have references upon request, several with whom you may chat to discuss us and the process.

To see more of our work, visit our website at www.rissay.com.

Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

     Art in the Age, located at 116 N. 3^rd Street, is quickly becoming one of the Old City’s most popular boutiques.    AITA was first founded in 2006, as an online store (www.artintheage.com) and distributor to other boutiques, but by the end of 2008, they decided they finally needed their own physical identity.  For that, they turned to Rissay Ltd.  We immediately loved the idea of the store, everything being handmade, one-of-a-kind goods not found anywhere else.  It was an avenue for high quality artists, designers, and fabricators to show how significant custom craft still is in this world of commodity and mass reproduction.

  It was our turn now to showcase our originality, ingenuity, and craft.  Rissay is more than just a design firm, we are capable of running the full show with our in-house construction expertise.  Nothing was to be lost in the details of going from designers to builder, since it is all one and the same.  If Art in the Age was to become more than just an idea, we had to design a built environment that encompassed everything AITA stood for.  To do just that, we had to follow the same process as all their products do, design it and build it ourselves.  All the displays and pieces you find around the store are either custom made by Rissay or antique pieces we refurbished and adapted.   The cashwrap and liquor display make use of reclaimed tongue and groove wood boards that came out of Rissay’s own office.  To contrast the darker green and bluish grey of the more industrial center pieces, they are flanked by much softer cream tones in the custom clothing displays which features elegant moulding.

  It is this mix of industrial, Victorian, and eclectic styles that help each piece stand out on their own, not like your typical stream lined matching interiors of your mainstream store.  Throughout the store you’ll find other pieces made in our fabrication shop, that feature that Art in the Age quality with more reclaimed lumber, steel banding, glass, and that overall one-of-a-kind feel.  Now Rissay can’t take credit for making everything, we did salvage a well worn metal door from an old downtown warehouse that now creates the boundary between AITA’s office and the showroom.    The store also features a 1923 record keeper turned apothecary, as well as a 1950s warehouse cart, which we converted into a bold, innovative clothing rack.

Art in the Age's store is a true embodiement of all the ideas their brand represents. To keep true to the character of the space we left much of the brick exposed, as well as the original wood floor.  We added a 33 feet long canvas to feature all of their artists’ work, along with continually changing exhibitions.  Quality lighting was essential to setting the mood of the store.  When you first come in you are greeted by a modern twist on the classic ring chandelier.  Over the cash register area, are numerous antique Edison bulbs hanging at various levels to give a soft ambiance.  There’s also plenty of lighting to highlight AITA’s ever changing exhibitions.  Feel free to check out the Art in the Age photo album found on the right side of the screen, as well as on www.rissay.com .  We’ll be uploading more sketches and photos soon.  Be sure to stop by Art in the Age sometime to check out our design capabilities, as well as craftsmanship, in addition to all of their wonderful products.