Hugh Hardy, FAIA, Extends the H3 Partnership: Five Firm Leaders Named Partners

New York, New York – New York design firm H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture announced today that founding partner Hugh Hardy, FAIA, has extended the partnership to five new firm leaders. The new partners are: Ariel Fausto, AIA, LEED AP; John Fontillas, AIA, LEED AP; Geoff Lynch, AIA, LEED AP; Jack Martin, AIA, LEED AP; and Daria Pizzetta, AIA.

Fausto, Fontillas, Lynch, Martin, and Pizzetta will join Hardy as equal partners in the firm, which celebrated its five year anniversary in 2009. Hardy will continue his day-to-day involvement in H3’s advance.

“The five new partners represent H3’s current success and ongoing promise,” said Hardy. “They will ensure creation of a vibrant future.”

“Speaking for all of the five new partners, we are honored that Hugh has entrusted us to carry the legacy of H3 into the next generation,” said John Fontillas.

H3’s current work includes sustainably-designed public buildings and gathering spaces across the country, such as:

- Jackson Federal Courthouse, Jackson, MS: a 450,000 sf new building, designed under the GSA Design Excellence program, set to open in September 2010.
- The Claire Tow Theater, Lincoln Center, New York, NY: a new 199-seat theater on the roof of the Vivian Beaumont Theater, breaking ground later in 2010.
- The Orchestra of St. Luke’s DiMenna Center, New York, NY: the first subsidized rental rehearsal space for classical musicians, now under construction.
- Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX: a 69,000 sf new facility to house the Institute’s collection of plant species, now under construction
- Richard B. Fisher Building, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY: a new community space and black box theater building that continues the firm’s working relationship with BAM, now under construction

About the New Partners
Ariel Fausto, AIA, LEED AP
Mr. Fausto skillfully elicits the effective collaboration that is a hallmark of H3’s work. His ability to synthesize investigations into history, geography, art, science, or sociology results in elegant, meaningful architectural solutions for clients such as Lincoln Center Theater in New York, NY; the Maritime Industry and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi, MS; and Adas Israel Synagogue in Washington, DC. He has worked with Hugh Hardy since 2002.

John Fontillas, AIA, LEED AP
As planner and an architect, Mr. Fontillas bridges the gap between buildings and the city fabric. He has a unique capacity to see the big picture and work across all scales, from the large canvas of the city to small architectural details. He has worked with Hugh Hardy since 1997, leading projects like the Newark Downtown Streetscape Plan, the Ridge Hill Town Center in Yonkers, and the Greenwich Street South Urban Design Plan in Manhattan. He is also an adjunct assistant professor of urban planning in the NYU Wagner School.

Geoff Lynch, AIA, LEED AP, Partner
A design thinker and eternal optimist, Mr. Lynch leverages an innate ability to find and address the crux of a design issue, resulting in facilities that materialize the visions and missions of H3 clients such as the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in Manhattan, Theatre for a New Audience in Brooklyn, and Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ. He is a continual advocate for innovation, through thought and technology, and has worked with Hugh Hardy since 1995. His book Prewar Shopping: A Guide to the Finest Manhattan Prewar Apartment Houses was published in 2009.

Jack Martin, AIA, LEED AP, Partner
Having worked with Hugh Hardy since 1980, Mr. Martin has an unparalleled dedication to solving complicated design and pragmatic challenges. He sees a project’s process as an essential journey to a successful built environment, building on his extensive experience leading some of the firm’s largest projects, including the Jackson Federal Courthouse in Jackson, MS, the rehabilitation of Pier A in downtown Manhattan, and the US Customs and Immigration Center at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, NY.

Daria Pizzetta, AIA, Partner
As project manager, Ms. Pizzetta transforms complex architectural ideas and procedures into clear, understandable communications for H3’s cultural and library clients. She has worked with Hugh Hardy since 1992, knitting together project teams with clarity, thoughtfulness, and humor. Her work includes the Biloxi Museum Complex; the Vassar College Libraries Addition and Renovation; the Botanical Research Institute of Texas; and the Brooklyn Academy of Music Fisher Building.


About H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture
Founded in 2004, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture is a collaborative community of professionals guided by celebrated architect Hugh Hardy, FAIA. A recognized leader in the planning and design of performing arts centers, theaters, libraries, parks and museums, H3 is dedicated to the creation of active public spaces. With a legacy that stretches from 1962 from the founding of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, H3 strives to encourage inspiration, exchange ideas, and create memorable designs that combine old and new. For more information, visit www.h3hc.com.

About Hugh Hardy, FAIA
Hugh Hardy is the founder of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, and is known for his prolific career designing distinctive new buildings, restoring historic structures, and planning projects for the public realm. Over his 40 year career, Mr. Hardy has made many important contributions to design, and his work is consistently recognized by civic, architectural and preservation organizations for its progressive spirit and understanding of context.

Contact Information

Abigail Carlen

Marketing Manager

H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

Contact via E-mail