44 West: 12 Years Later, A Dream Realized Through Design

My wife and I visited 44 West, the recently completed mixed-use building in the heart of the Borough of West Chester that was designed by the Bernardon team. It was a wonderful experience, the building looked fabulous and people were using the plaza as envisioned.

Neil and his wife Adrianne stand in front of 44 West

Looking back on the many years of dreaming, design, and the construction of the building reminded me of how great of an accomplishment we all have achieved.  Many people at Bernardon contributed to the project and were instrumental in the process. Principal Mike McCloskey’s initial design concept; contributions from Project Architects Doug Lawton and Erin McCulley, Interior Designers Derek Perini and Grace Hackendorn; and Landscape Architect Chris Kurth are just a few of our team members who contributed to the success. I am very grateful to all who were a part of our project team.

What excites me the most about being an Architect is the opportunity to really experience and partake in the enjoyment of the places that we create.  We don’t always get to do this on projects, so it becomes even more special when we have the opportunity. Through this project, we are able to see our design vision come to fruition, and can experience it on a daily basis. (44 West is situated right around the corner from Bernardon’s West Chester office.) I encourage all to enjoy the plaza, the fountain, and the entire setting of 44 West.

Moreover, this specific project has great personal meaning to me. The first sketches of the property were done about 12 years ago and there were many concepts created along the way.  Experiencing the final concept in person was very special not only to see its completion, but for a much more personal reason.

Jack Loew

44 West is a tribute to Jack Loew. Throughout my career, there have been many people who have inspired me and influenced me, but none have as much as Jack Loew. He was a mentor, business partner, client, and most importantly a friend. 44 West was designed and built in his memory and honor.  As I stood in front of the fountain, I was reminded about how fortunate we are to be part of a group of wonderful and thoughtful people who were all committed for quite a long time to the project and also to each other. Also, as I stood in front of the fountain, I had deep thoughts about Jack. I believe he would be extremely proud of all of us and 44 West.

Bernardon’s vision statement of DREAM, DESIGN, SUCCEED is quite fitting for 44 West.  I am so very proud to have played a small part in this project, and I am extremely grateful for all those who together dreamed, designed, and brought its design vision to successful completion.

Explore 44 West here. 

The featured image of 44 West was originally published on West Chester Views.