Commercial Success

Remodeler: Woodbridge Builders Corp., Fords, N.J.

Architect: Michael V. Testa Architect, Manalapan, N.J.

Interior designer: Patterson Interiors, Mountainside, N.J.

Even accountants need inspiration, and this drab, one-story office building wasn't cutting it. As the CPA firm it housed expanded, the building had to grow to accommodate staff. The firm also needed a modern yet relaxed working space that would both impress visitors and put them at ease.

Among other challenges, says Woodbridge Builders principal Bill Kaczynski Jr., his company had to contend with variance issues and stringent time constraints. The 2,400-square-foot office was finished in just 4 months, for which Kaczynski credits the company's committed construction staff.

The scope of the project called for adding a complete second story and a lower-level conference room as well as enlarging the entryway. The quality of the masonry work impressed the judges, as did the way the roof pitches livened up the previously flat roof and gave the building presence and appeal it previously lacked.

Big yet subtle changes in the interior make the project special. Using a glass block surround on the perimeter of the conference room unites the space with the rest of the office and lets more light inside. The elaborate, rich wood staircase sparkles underneath the foyer's beautiful chandelier, giving the space a home-like feel.

"This project started with a one-story, rundown, undersized, unappealing, commercial building and we transformed it into a spacious, modernized, bright, spirited and inviting office complex, an inviting atmosphere where clients feel anchored and assured of their accountant," Kaczynski says. "It exemplifies quality workmanship and outstanding design finished on time and on budget."

Cabinetry: KraftMaid. Doors: Masonite. Roofing: EcoStar. Windows: Andersen.