Firm Finds Adaptive Reuse Works Well for New Office

We’re proud to announce our role in expanding Curtiss-Wright’s presence in the Lehigh Valley by building a testing facility that supports their naval defense work. This addition ties seamlessly into their existing manufacturing operations and underscores SAGE’s commitment to high-quality design and construction. Below is the full article from Lehigh Valley Business.

Original Article: Lehigh Valley Business

Brian Pedersen / September 18, 2018

A local financial firm has found a space that allows it to plan for longer-term growth in a historic landmark.

Andesa Financial Management has moved into the former home of Joanne Kostecky Garden Design at 4905 Hamilton Blvd., a building constructed in the 1800s at Brookside Road and Hamilton Boulevard in Lower Macungie Township.

The new space, which the firm has occupied since Sept. 6, is 3,600 square feet. The firm formerly occupied 1,500 square feet in the AFC Energy First office complex less than a mile down the road, said Mike Baittinger, principal of Andesa Financial Management.

“From a business perspective, we decided it was time to buy our own building,” Baittinger said. “It was always an attractive building. It’s obviously a very busy intersection.”

SAGE Design-Build Inc. of Upper Macungie Township completed the renovation project, which cost about $530,000, not including the costs of new furniture and acquiring the building. SAGE also served as the architect.

“It had some really interesting characteristics,” said Joe Landrigan, president of SAGE, regarding the process of renovating the building. “We had a lot of good surprises. When we removed the plaster, we were able to keep the exposed brick. We maintained the character of the old with new windows, energy-efficient LED [light-emitting diode] lighting, a significant amount of built-in woodwork.”

SAGE also created an open space between the building’s two floors with an open stairway that helped bring in a lot of natural light, Landrigan said.

That high activity could bring more visibility to the firm, which now has more space for hosting events and other initiatives.

“We significantly increased our space relative to where we were,” said Paul Barbehenn, principal of Andesa Financial.

The firm has four employees but plans to hire additional staff.

“From a long-term perspective, we have no question how we could house additional people and make it work,” Baittinger said.

Both agreed that the site was a well-known landmark and wanted to keep it in active use.

“That traffic through there is non-stop all day,” Barbehenn said. “Part of it is, personality-wise and culture-wise, the notion of having an older building that’s renovated, it fits very well with who we are.”