Our firm and its members have entensive hands on experience in surveying existing building conditions and new construction design projects. We have investigated dozens of buildings, documented existing conditions and developed drawing details to deal with construction renovations and additions, as well as many new construction projects from the ground up.

Project experience on renovations to, and addressing accessibility, issues on existing buildings includes: Life Safety Improvements (SCI Cambridge Springs), Lake Shore Country Club (Erie), Freeport Restaurant (North East), Pleasant Ridge Manor, Tri-Boro Senior Club (GECAC), Community Health Net, Duskas Funeral Home, Rick Griffith Properties Howard Hanna Real Estate, Marconi Bread Company as well as experience with 900 State Street, Reeder Hall, Old Student Union, and student Center (Edinboro University), Clarion Free Library, Gertrude Barber Center, Sarah Reed Retirement Center, Quinn Law Firm and over 50 buildings for the United Postal Service where accessibility issues were addressed for each unique situation.


Code Related Experience

When it comes to code related issues Gary Matczak and his staff are at their best. We pride ourselves as being the "Architect's Architect" where we regularly provide architectural consulting services, not only to our many clients, but also, other architectural firms on specific "code related" issues.

Prior to the adoption of The Americans with Disabilities Act, Gary had already had thousands of hours of involvement on accessibility issues on numerous projects for the Gertrude Barber Center and Edinboro University, two of the regions most prominent using agencies involving accessible building and sites.

In 1993 Gary completed accessibility seminars provided by The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and The Pennslyvania Society of Architects introducing the states adoption of the federal act.

Gary designed, detailed and administered the construction of the conversion of the former Alliance college Campus into the state of the art State Corrections Institution at Cambridge Springs, This project involved the careful marriage of the BOCA Code, Life Safety Code, Pennsylvania Fire and Panic Code, along with the ADA accessibility Guidelines, resulting in a fully accessible, campus like, code complaint, prison facility including: multi-stop elevators, manual and automatic fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems and remote control egress locking systems.

In April 2004, the 2003 International Building Code took effect in the City of Erie as a part of the new "Statewide Building Code," that will bring all municipalities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania onto a level playing field of code compliance and enforcement. Our staff are closely following its implementation in Erie, and municipalities across our region.