Marvel Transforms its Practice

Once known as Marvel Architects and now practicing under its shortened moniker Marvel, the name evokes all that’s happening at the firm—including working as a collective of interdisciplinary teams, with both architects and landscape designers at the helm. Founding principal Jonathan Marvel, and Tyler Silvestro, landscape architect and a newly promoted partner, talked about the firm’s pivot, the evolution of indoor and outdoor spaces, and how design can enhance the quality of our lives, especially in large cities.

The pivot ushers in the new year for the noted practice with offices in New York City and Puerto Rico. By integrating landscape architecture equally into the design process, the studio is poised to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing cities—during the pandemic and beyond. Jonathan Marvel, founding principal, said this pivot was a natural progression. “I have always felt comfortable partnering with landscape architects. I always saw it as supporting each other, not with architecture first and landscape second. At Marvel, we’ve always had close ties with landscape offices, and we will continue to do so.”

This symbiotic relationship is not only comfortable, it’s effective. In these times of uncertainty, streamlining processes allows staff to stay in step with changes that can occur at a moment’s notice. “We can increase our efficiency, and as a business model, it’s a smart thing to do. The world is savvy and moves quickly, and I think you have to be adaptable and ready to shift along with it.” Marvel said.

This merging is good for a healthy bottom line, and it also reflects how design has become even more of a joint endeavor. Everything from designated teams to the latest technology relies on the cooperation of people. “Design services are being folded in with construction services, with the builder and the designers on the same team. The project is pretty much guaranteed to be on time and on budget because that’s part of the contract. We’re getting into this integrated mode,” Marvel explained.

The firm’s approach includes its research-based discipline groups that cover a range of areas, from sustainability and urban design to equity. Marvel said that these teams build on the foundation of  comprehensive analysis employed for every project, no matter the typology. “I think that research is built into what we do professionally. We’re always researching the context and the needs of a neighborhood. Then as we get deeper into the design, we’re investigating materials or construction processes. We’re always adding something to the knowledge base of the office.”

The architects are not just gathering data for their own use, but to ultimately share it with the populace. “Our groups are a way of formalizing and structuring what we already do so that we can organize information and share it amongst ourselves. As much as we’re doing research, we are also documenting and expanding our ability to report our findings internally. And the byproduct is that we are then able to communicate that to our clients and the general community at large,” Marvel added.

For Tyler Silvestro, a landscape architect who was promoted to partner along with his colleague Yadiel Rivera-Díaz, it is the ideal time for Marvel to apply the same expertise and research to the outside world as they had to the buildings that surround us. In urban centers like New York, access to nature is even more critical, and at the forefront of our minds, as we’ve endured lockdown for months on end. “This felt like an opportunity to really think about what the exterior world can bring to the function and ecology of a city,” Silvestro said.

Indeed, as city dwellers migrate to rural areas for open space and respite in the midst of the pandemic, developers have a renewed interest in outdoors spots. Terraces or rooftop gardens are premium features now, designed to garner buzz—and top dollar. “It’s come to the point where people are thinking of exterior space not only for recreation but as a potential place for working and office functions. We’re going to see buildings that have these very adaptable and usable public spaces,” Silvestro noted.

What does all of this mean for the office as we know it? “We’re creatures of habit, so I don’t think office space is ever going to go away completely. I think we’re going to see a lot of offices being converted into other things,” Marvel said.

Watch for retail stores to be recast first, ideal because of the abundant windows and ample square-footage to accommodate all types of activities, without fear of being too packed in. “We’re exploring a retail space two blocks from our office here in lower Manhattan. You want those storefronts to be active, so that when pedestrians walk down the street, they’re not looking at these blank, empty buildings,” Marvel added.

Storefronts at ground level are prime locations because of their street access. As restaurant owners have embraced outdoor dining to keep business going, the street has become one of the few places where social interaction is still happening in cities. “It has actually become safer and more inviting at the street level. There are less people on the subway and more out riding their bikes. So, I think there’s a lot of potential on the ground floor. In order to adapt, we’ll have to find ways to incorporate that exterior urban environment into our office and retail spaces,” Silvestro noted.

The inside of the office will become activated in a different way as well. “I think with office landscapes specifically, we’re seeing what we call ‘neighborhoods.’ They are like-minded in some fashion and each have their own workstations and social areas. You can develop those professional relationships within your neighborhood, and they’re meaningful,” Marvel explained.

Whether our offices are inside or out, there will be an appreciation for working together again in person. “When we come out of this, that’s going to be the exciting part. We’re not going to go back to where we were. We’re definitely going to be in a better place, a more aware place. I think the gathering of people in a way that feels safe is going to be the number one luxury,” Marvel said.