Empowering Non-Profit Establishes New Headquarters



Since 1995, Per Scholas, a non-profit organization seeking to bridge the digital divide, has created opportunities through education and technology for more than 2,000 lower income adults in the Bronx and Miami. Their mission is to “break the cycle of poverty by providing education, technology and economic opportunities to individuals, families and communities.”

In 2008, Per Scholas, working with The Robin Hood Foundation and The South Bronx Overall Development Corp. (SoBRO), committed to expand their outreach to the South Bronx community. Faced with a tight timeline and an even tighter budget, they turned to Tobin+Parnes Design Enterprises (TPDE) for guidance in creating a new headquarters that would reflect their commitment to social equality, technology-based education, and environmental responsibility.

At full capacity, 156 students will train each semester in the new Per Scholas 15,000 square-foot South Bronx facility. The unique learning environment features individual instruction on donated computers in fully wired state-of-the-arts training labs, with the flexibility for students to configure their own classroom networks and in-lab servers.

“Thanks to the outstanding efforts and expertise of Tobin+Parnes, Per Scholas now operates from a custom designed training space which facilitates learning and student and staff interactions,” said Gary Ridner, Vice President / Special Projects at Per Scholas. “Everyone looks forward to coming to work at our new headquarters.”

The School’s interiors are appointed with a warm, vibrant color palette that energizes the school environment. TPDE and PerScholas worked together in selecting new carpet, paint, adhesives, and office furniture that all comply with third party certification and have significantly less off gassing of VOCs than the levels deemed safe by federal law. Additionally, TPDE and Per Scholas paid careful attention to the design of a highly responsive mechanical system that will deliver 30% more fresh air daily than a standard design—a component that provides for more individual comfort and productivity.

To maintain its consistency in cost-effective quality materials, TPDE selected durable high-performance polished concrete flooring with a low environmental impact and moderate installation and maintenance costs, for use at high-traffic student areas. The active central corridor will encourage staff and student interaction by offering places to socialize, recharge between classes, conduct research and meet in private rooms for small group and/or individual counseling.

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737 Park Avenue

Park Avenue, one of the grandest boulevards in New York City, is home to an impressive array of famous hotels, businesses and stately residential buildings.

Tobin+Parnes Design Enterprises (TPDE) recently applied their talented vision and intuitive understanding of historical architectural styles to a grand lobby at 737 Park Avenue, a luxury residence. Built in 1939, the building’s lobby brilliantly showcases many architectural appointments and motifs of the celebrated art deco period.

TPDE’s goal was to restore and enhance the integrity of the lobby’s many art deco elements and integrate new elements that would upgrade its overall appeal to existing and prospective residents.



TPDE’s strategy included:

• Creating ceiling murals that reflected the art deco aesthetic by adding details in gleaming copper, silver and antique brass and glass beads. The largest ceiling mural is 17’ x 6.5’ and was placed at the building entry as a way of activating the space with a luxurious and historically appropriate detail.


• Painting the ceiling required the use of many innovative techniques. Egg and dart crown details were painted white and antiqued to add richness and contrast to the adjacent marble walls. Additionally, a tone-on-tone paint approach was employed to emphasize the various recesses, frames and accents. The existing stars, circle, Greek key and pineapple plaster details were highlighted in antique gold wash to accentuate them visually.


• The furniture selections reflect classic art deco forms and textures, and create a sense of harmony and artfulness. The lobby’s chinoserie styled console, one of its original furniture pieces, was artistically restored to reinforce the history of the original Park Avenue building. Large scaled framed mirrors were added to create reflections and a sense of expanded space. Soft fabric tones are blended with metallic accents to add a sense of drama and glamour.


• TPDE also custom-designed four new full-height wall sconces to bring light to previously darkened areas; an innovative way of introducing art deco motifs using modern lighting and energy saving technology. New art deco ceiling fixtures and matching chandeliers were added throughout.

The new sophisticated style and unique character give the lobby a glamorous charm as illustrated in the adjacent “before” and “after” photos. The overall effect is a graceful and stylish lobby that enhances the building with a new sense of grandeur and historical relevance.

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*Architectural services are provided by and under the direct supervision of Robert Mark Parnes Architecture LLC, a licensed architect.