Mancini Continues Expansion into Leading Sector
The design firm’s new hire looks to drive expansion opportunities within life sciences
Mancini Duffy is pleased to announce Dan Castner, AIA, has joined the firm as director of life sciences. With over 24 years of extensive experience, Castner is LEED AP certified and joins the firm after over two decades of leading BAM Creative’s Science + Technology practice. Mancini, a national design firm with a 100+-year-old history and tech-driven approach, has spent several years diversifying its business into multiple new sectors and practice areas. The firm looks forward to utilizing Castner’s rich expertise to position Mancini as an industry leader within the life sciences arena.
“At Mancini, we have worked in the life sciences field for many years; however, we haven’t had a true leader for that sector,” said William Mandara Jr., Mancini’s CEO and Co-owner. “While Dan’s credentials and experience are undeniable, our shared vision and approach towards architecture and business made this the perfect pairing. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Dan to the team and establish Mancini as a leader in the life sciences field.”
Castner graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Honors College, earning his Bachelor of Architecture and graduated Magna Cum Laude. He began his career working at Kushner Studio and Nastasi Architects. As BAM Creative’s Principal, Practice Leader: Science + Technology, Castner specialized in helping companies plan for the future of their facilities by analyzing factors like company culture and market trajectory to create a cohesive strategy for future development. During the past 22 years, Castner has worked with clients like Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on over 100 projects, including the 380,000 SF Sleepy Hollow project and the campus master plan. He has also worked with Harlem Biospace, NYU Langone Medical Center, Acorda Therapeutics, Columbia University, Westchester Medical Center, and Yale New Haven Hospital.
“I joined Mancini because I share Christian and Bill’s vision for how technology will lead the firm into the future, recognizing that we must evolve with the times as leaders in the industry,” Castner says. “The pandemic brought life science to the forefront, particularly in New York and New Jersey, because the region represents the intersection of those hardest hit by Covid and those currently leading the way out of the pandemic through vaccines and medicine.“
Castner is the president of the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) New York City Chapter.
“Mancini Duffy is seen as a leader in design in the metropolitan area, and I look forward to pulling together the firm’s technological resources and reputation to lead this sector,” said Castner.
About Mancini
Mancini is a national design firm with a 100+-year-old history and a tech-forward approach. A full-service design firm specializing in architecture, planning, and interior design, Mancini is headquartered in New York City with regional offices in Millburn and Red Bank, New Jersey. The firm complements its century of expertise with a contemporary entrepreneurial spirit and technological skill for clients in the commercial, healthcare, education, financial and professional services, retail, multi-family residential, restoration, institutional, religious, sports, tech, life sciences, and media sectors. Mancini is dedicated to leveraging technology that enhances the design solutions it delivers for its clients’ toughest challenges.
