Guest Post by Annabelle Harris, Elders Center As loved ones begin to age, the responsibility of care often falls on our shoulders. This period can prove especially difficult when one parent needs nursing home care and the other doesn’t. But by choosing the right resources, it’s possible to ease the psychological impact of the situation and find an outcome that works for everyone. LEAP Architecture has some suggestions to help make this transition easier. Choose the Right Service It’s important, first and foremost, to focus on the needs of the debilitated parent. Some care s ..read more

Where the Spirit Meets the Stone I was completely caught off guard. I had seen the plans, heck, I had stamped the plans, but the first time I saw the reciprocal roof framed out, it took my breath away. It’s not hard to see why. This roof design has been used since ancient times and works on so many levels. A reciprocal frame is a self-supporting structure made of three or more beams. Each beam supports the adjacent one and they bear the weight equally. A center support is not needed, enabling a wide-open, circular interior space, perfect for gathering pe ..read more

Seeking Peace This was my view from the top of the Grafton Peace Pagoda. My family and I were humbled to spend a week there recently, helping to maintain both the temple and ourselves. I’m fortunate to call Jun Yasuda a friend and mentor. She is the keeper of the Peace Pagoda and a Japanese Buddhist Nun from the Nipponzan Myohoji order. This sect of Buddhism is rooted in action. It’s focused on being part of the world, being of service, and striving for peace. Being out at the Pagoda taught me a lot about prayer. Growing up Catholic, I prayed, but never had a breakthrough m ..read more

Our family just returned from a trip to Madrid and Paris. This trip was awesome!  We were enticed by the scale and warmth of inviting, walk-able cities.   We were joyful for the playgrounds we explored and were enlightened by the simplicity of daily market life intertwined with world-class art exhibits and music. Upon returning, Rowe (our 13 yr-old) had an immediate reaction to our home, NYC: “It’s so…gray!”   City of Light – There’s a Reason Observation noted. Why does Paris seem so colorful? Is it because people are different there? The climate? How come our home, on ..read more

Almost 20 years ago, I had the pleasure of studying architecture in Copenhagen, Denmark. Some of the lessons learned there have stuck with me to this day, and I am particularly reminded of them on these cold, wintry days.    Danes Know How to Hygge Copenhagen Denmark. A couple of things that really stick out in my memory are 1) the perpetual rain, cold, and dank terrible weather and 2) the relief of retreating to a warm, cozy inside. Now the relief of shedding wet boots, coat, hat, and gloves inside a warm building is something that most of us in the North East can related to. Howeve ..read more

Eric Davenport, Founder of LEAP, takes a moment to reflect on some of the small wins, personal and in business from 2018. Personal Wins Happy New Year! Taking stock of the past year, I’d like to share one of my small 2018 wins: I PR’d my clean! What does that mean? It’s a weight lifting thing. And no. If you’ve met me in person, I don’t strike you as an avid gym-goer, and certainly not a weight lifter. I’ll never look like Dwayne Johnson (please send help if I do!), but I show up and do my personal best. Which brings me to the gym lingo:“PR” = Personal Record and “Clean” = lift barbell from t ..read more

This post is all about #ExploreBrooklyn, and guess what we found? A 65,000 ft² rooftop garden, which is the Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm, habitat restoration, and a LEED Platinum Certified Building…just to mention a few.   Brooklyn NAVY Yard For 165 years, the Brooklyn Navy Yard built some of America’s most famous fighting ships, from sailing frigates to aircraft carriers. Currently, the Yard is home to hundreds manufacturing, technology, and creative businesses in NYC. All of the sites we explored below are part of the Brooklyn NAVY Yard and their mission to re-purpose and revitaliz ..read more

Transforming a commercial space—like office to restaurant—requires a permit set to obtain a building permit.  In this story, we helped The Taverna Greek Restaurant obtain their building permit, so they could open their doors faster.    Open for Business Congratulations! You’re opening a business, or moving to a better location. You found the perfect spot with plenty of foot traffic. What’s next? Well, in most cases, you need to acquire a building permit from your local town or city. And, in order to get a building permit, you need….a permit set. What exactly is a permi ..read more

LEAP Architecture designed Core Physical Therapy’s new treatment center with the same holistic approach they use for clients. Core is a great example of how smart designs help mission driven companies fulfill their purpose.    Physical Therapy on a Mission John Murphy founded Core Physical Therapy to fill a void. A disconnect. He was working for a corporate company where patient-needs just weren’t being met. John knew his patients deserved better. He could do better. Founding Core in 2001, John made it his mission to help people regain a healthy and pain free body using a holis ..read more

What’s a Triple Bottom Line, you ask? Simply put, it refers to companies regarding people, planet, and profit in equal measure.    B-Corporations & Triple Bottom Line LEAP Architecture is a mission driven company. We help people better their lives through great design, while facilitating environmentally responsible living. And we’re not the only ones. Treating people and the environment with care is not a new idea. It can be argued that this practice has been around a long, long time. Native American culture comes to mind. On the other hand, there is no shortage of companies we m ..read more