Celebrating 50 years of passionate responsibility in the building industry, the nationally renowned consultancy in acoustical, audiovisual, IT and security design, Cerami & Associates Inc., has announced the proactive expansion of its Washington, D.C. office, on the heels of new building projects, promotions of the firm’s acclaimed team of experts, and an expansion of its capabilities in audiovisual and technology design.
Over the last year, the acclaimed, 75-person women-owned business enterprise has launched two new regional offices in Philadelphia and Chicago, and is now expanding its Washington, D.C. presence, overseen by partner Christopher Pollock, P.E., CTS, LEED AP BD+C, and led by Geoffrey Sparks, INCE, LEED AP BD+C. These new offices are providing creative, strategic consulting on key building systems for major construction projects in those markets, providing practical, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to real-life design problems, says the firm.
“We have cultivated a strong national reputation for finding practical, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to the most challenging design problems facing building owners and architects today,” says Cerami & Associates CEO Victoria J. Cerami. “The expanded Washington office, along with our latest new hires and promotions, represent a natural outgrowth of our increasingly global project activity and our passionate, clientcentered approach.”
In Washington, D.C., the firm has a staff of seven experts in acoustics, audiovisual technology, and integrated building systems. These include the well-regarded acoustics and sustainability expert Sparks, who has been promoted to principal. Additionally, Don Walters, an audiovisual expert and Certified Technology Specialist (CTS), has been promoted to associate principal, and the LEED-accredited acoustics specialist Robby Deem is elevated to associate. According to the CEO Cerami, the additional Washington, D.C. staff members include the associates Andrew Parise, Steven Sinclair, CTS, and William Hanley; as well as Jameson Dickman, a junior associate in the firm.
To accommodate the new talent and leadership, the firm has moved to suite 600 in the same building where it has been located previously, 2000 L Street NW in Washington, D.C., 20036.
In other news, the firm has formally announced an office in Philadelphia, and it recently opened an office in Chicago with expertise in workplace technologies, smart cities and building project delivery. Celebrating its two new regional offices and the bolstered staff ranks in four cities, Cerami & Associates marks its 50th anniversary year with a renewed commitment to the building occupants its work ultimately serves. The new tagline—“Celebrating 50 Years of Passionate Responsibility” —has become a rallying cry and a brand promise to both longstanding and new clients.
“Organic growth of Cerami & Associates in our nation’s capital is something that makes us proud, but it is all the more meaningful as part of our delivery of world-class services, creating better buildings with leading architects and property developers here,” says the CEO Cerami. She adds that the firm’s passion and responsibility extend to education and mentoring, leading the firm to establish the Vito V. Cerami Scholarship Fund, which provides $10,000 scholarships to young women studying mechanical engineering through a regional mentoring program. (The firm was founded 1965 by acoustics pioneer Vito V. Cerami and has been owned by his daughter, the CEO Victoria J. Cerami, since 1987.)
Leaders in architecture and real estate development have noted that the recent growth of Cerami & Associates will benefit a broader market of institutional, commercial and specialty building types. The consulting firm is applauded for “driving innovation, helping project teams futurecast market needs and embed greater intelligence into their building systems,” as one industry journal reported. “New technologies have broad potential to transform every building type and occupant.”
