“We are so pleased to partner with Friendship House again this holiday season,” stated Rick Guditus, Highland Associates Principal.  “We have always received a tremendous response from our employees and this year was no exception.”

The Mission of Friendship House is to provide a continuum of quality programs and services designed to enhance the emotional, behavioral and social well-being of children and families in the communities they serve. Today, well into its second century, Friendship House continues to grow and change in order to be able to address children’s needs in our ever-changing society.

Christine Gilroy, Executive Vice President of the Friendship House is pictured here with some of the Highland Associates employees who made donations. Front row from L to R, Tom Millard, Principal, Bob Yadouga, Taras Mihalko, Carlo Romaldini, John Durdan and Christine Gilroy, Executive Vice President Friendship House. Second Row L to R, Bridget Goryeb, Michelle Yadouga, Laura Norella, Joe Wasilewski, Lisa Trichilo, Rick Guditus, Principal and Debi Saunders. Third Row L to R, Joe Kearney, Dave Campbell, Jim Augustine, Kevin Smith, Principal and Pat Joyce.

Wellness programs demonstrate to employees that their health is important and that their employers know and care about this aspect. Statistics demonstrate that employees who exercise regularly and lead healthy life styles incur 31% lower health care costs than employees who live sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

• 59% of employees do not get adequate exercise
• 50% or more have high cholesterol
• 27% have cardiovascular disease
• 26% are overweight by 20 percent or more
• 24% have high blood pressure

Employee health affects more than just medical costs. A healthy workforce is a more productive workforce. Did you know that between 70 to 90 percent of health care spending is caused by preventable, modifiable health risks such as the ones bulleted above?

Highland’s Wellness Program will kick-off with two, short presentations on Friday, October 19 during lunchtime. We hope all employees will take part in this progressive and exciting program!

Highland Associates Architect and Principal, Glenn Leitch and John Slattery, aka, Roger Sterling - separated at birth?

Highland Associates is a big fan of AMC’s Mad Men, along with millions of other fans who follow the weekly drama series about 1960’s Madison Avenue advertising agency, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.  Our interest in the world of advertising doesn’t stop there. Over the years Highland has designed office space for advertising giants such as Della Femina Rothschild Jeary & Partners, Grey Adverting and T3-The Think Tank.  So, with all of this experience designing for Ad Men that must be our connection to Mad Men, right? Wait, there’s more…… Highland principal and architect, Glenn Leitch, who led the charge on these projects, just happens to bear a striking resemblance to John Slattery, aka, Roger Sterling.  He has even been asked for autographs!

So, if your Monday consists of recapping Sunday night’s episode with your friends and co-workers, you will enjoy this post and the irony of an architect who designs for Ad Men and happens to look a lot like one of the Mad Men!  Click on the links above to view Highland’s work on these projects.

Look at it this way: when you cough or sneeze into your hand without washing your hands afterward, or (pay attention, guys) you use the restroom without washing your hands afterward, everything you touch afterward becomes a potential source of contamination.  The keyboard, mouse, door handle, refrigerator handle, coffee pot that you touch: anyone who touches them afterward is handling everything that has come in contact with your hands since the last time you washed them (if you think of it that way, it’s pretty disgusting, isn’t it!).

Most of us grew up in an era where we were told to cover our cough or sneeze with our hands, and it’s a hard habit to break.  But if you make a conscious effort to sneeze or cough into your sleeve or the crook of your elbow, it won’t take very long for the new habit to take hold.  And never, ever sneeze or cough into open air.  If you do catch your sneeze or cough in your hand, please take a few moments to wash or sanitize your hands.

As for bathroom hygiene, that should be a no-brainer.  It takes about 20 seconds to properly wash your hands (with soap!).  Is your day so busy that you can’t spare 20 seconds each time you use the restroom?  No.

If everyone takes just a few simple steps to be more meticulous about workplace hygiene, we will have a more healthy workplace.  Your coworkers will likely thank you for it; I definitely will.

Elie Tahari’s Flagship Store now serves as a model for future renovations in the village of East Hampton.

Highland Associates Principal, Glenn Leitch, AIA, LEED AP recently attended and presented at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) 2011 CenterBuild Conference, the premier Retail Design & Construction Conference held in Phoenix, AZ.  Founded in 1957, the ICSC is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its 50,000 members in the U.S., Canada and more than 80 other countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, lenders, retailers and other professionals as well as academics and public officials. As the global industry trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional shopping center councils throughout the world.

CenterBuild Conference is the dynamic, premier ICSC specialty conference for design and construction professionals dedicated to the issues of planning, development, design and construction of shopping centers and retail stores. It is highly interactive in addressing local and international development issues.  Glenn Leitch presented “Retail Design – Why is it Architecture,” in conjunction with Bruce Schmiedl, AIA, CSI, NCARB, Walgreen Realty Resources; Frankie Campione, AIA, Create Architects and David Shull, AIA, Fishbeck Thompson. 

The portion of the presentation contributed by Highland Associates featured two successful retail projects housed in historic buildings.  The first being the Bloomingdale’s SoHo store, located in a Landmarked building which mandated the preservation of the historical character of the building. Design concerns outlined during the presentation included, zoning restrictions, accessibility, inadequate utilities and time frames. The finished project resulted in numerous benefits including, the creation of a  real department store in a neighborhood sorely requiring one as well as providing Bloomingdale’s with the downtown presence they were looking for in their branding.  The project demonstrated how a modern intervention could work in a much older structure and stimulated the increase of development farther south to what is now the  “SoHo Shopping Mecca,” while restoring a historic building that was neglected for years. The second featured project was Elie Tahari’s flagship store located on Main Street in East Hampton, NY.  All buildings on Main Street are on the National Register of Historic Places. A variety of topics were discussed related to this project such as vision, challenges, solutions, concepts and accomplishments.  Some of the many accomplishments achieved with this project include the renovation becoming a model for future renovations in the village of East Hampton, stimulated retail growth on Newton Lane, and the store location becoming the gathering spot in town, with the familiar refrain of, “Meet me at the Elie Tahari store.”  This project was featured in Interior Design Magazine.

Over the last 29 years, thousands of design and construction professionals have attended this conference, emphasizing an interactive program and encouraging the exchange of ideas. CenterBuild affords maximum opportunities to meet and discuss issues with industry professionals and features nationally known speakers representing development, retailing, department stores, design and construction. Co

About Highland Associates

Highland Associates is a multi-disciplined firm specializing in Architecture, Engineering and Interior Design with offices located in New York and Pennsylvania.  Highland Associates offers a comprehensive list of services to satisfy the most difficult projects.  Working as a team, Highland Associate professionals analyze client needs and create practical solutions to meet the function, aesthetic and financial objective of any project. Concept-driven and problem solving, Highland Associates is an award winning design firm, guided by a design process and team approach.