Designing a new generation of space.

Designing a new generation of space

Many may have thought April of 1990, a lousy time to start a new architecture and interior design firm -- not Ted Moudis.

After 16 years at the firm where he began as a junior draftsman and later became a full partner, Moudis decided to head off in "his own direction" despite the sobering realities of the new decade.

Having specialized in corporate interiors at his former firm, Moudis said, he relied on the clients he had established -- including a number of Fortune 500 companies and major banks -- and the experienced reaped from designing a variety of different environments including corporate offices, trading rooms, and bank branches. According to Moudis, he never really specialized in one area.

"If one market tightened up, you had nowhere to go," he said. Sixteen months later, Moudis said, he has been "busy" and the firm was ranked #88 on Interior Design Magazine's 1991 list of Interior Design Giants, which are ranked for volume, size, and clients.

For the National Football League at 410 Park Avenue they recently completed a 12,000-square-foot floor for the Officiating Department, Management Council and Computer Personnel. They also redesigned the commissioner's office as well as the surrounding department.

They recently completed for Tiffany & Company, at 600 Madison Avenue, a 15,000-square-foot floor of perimeter offices and open landscape furniture systems with custom woodwork throughout. And they are currently working on two additional floors totalling 25,000 square feet of expansion office space.

At One State Street, for IBJ Schroder Bank and Trust Company, which occupies 300,000 square feet, they completed over the past few years, approximately 80,000 square feet of redesigned space and they are now redesigning the entire 11th floor consisting of 20,000 square feet. They also completed a 40-position trading room for the Treasurer's Group.

For Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company they designed retail branches and automatic teller areas in Bayside, Queens; Hevemeyer, Brooklyn Branch; Mapleton, Brooklyn Branch; 70th Street/Broadway, Manhattan Branch; and MHT's first branch to be designed for total handicapped accessibility including automatic teller positions on Roosevelt Island. And they designed private banking offices at Pierrepoint Plaza.

The firm designed 25,000 square feet for Bank of America at 2 Broadway for various departments with a network computer room connecting various cities throughout the United States and a Federal Reserve Communications room.

The space also includes a secured area for departments with sensitive data and a 2,000- square-foot vault for securities and money transfer files.

Ted Moudis also counts among its recent clients: American Express, Metropolitan Sunday Newspapers at 280 Madison, Petrobas America, Inc. at 1330 Avenue of the Americas, Digital Equipment Corporation at 535 Madison Avenue, Jones Lang Wootton at One Battery Park Plaza, Nomura Securities at 180 Maiden Lane, Bivona & Cohen at Wall Street Plaza, Herzog Heine Geduld, Inc., American Standard, Inc. at 1114 Sixth Avenue, and Devon Properties, and Chase Manhattan Bank.

"One of the big secrets to staying busy during this period is we've maintained our clients through the years," he said.

And, Moudis said, he keeps these clients by having a quality staff. "I'm only as good as my people," he said. "I can bring the work in but if it doesn't go out right I lose that relationship."

Every Wednesday, Moudis holds a meeting with his staff of 20 and there is usually a featured guest speaker -- a vendor, client, or consultant. The purpose of the meeting is to keep staff abreast of the problems and issues "out there" in the market.

As both a public service and a marketing technique, Moudis has held three luncheons for clients and potential clients to brief them on programs and legislation, such as the Con Ed Rebate Program, which, Moudis said, is often marketed only to the large user, and the American with Disabilities Act.

"People just don't know where to go, who to talk to about thinks like this and they get to come up and see the office," he said.

Architect and Broker as Team

Moudis said many of his assignments are gained through his alliances with the brokerage community. Now more than ever, owners are aligning themselves with the design community in order to help secure tenants. Moudis works directly with the user, via the leasing agent, to do preliminary studies on how they will occupy the space. Moudis said sometimes the tenant is not really sure how much space they are looking for and they help them determine that. They try, Moudis said, to be part of the tenant's facilities management group.

"The tenant -- until he physically sees the space -- does not know how the space can work for him," he said.

Ted Moudis Associates is currently the "recommended architect" at Chase Manhattan Plaza where they are working as a team member with the bank's real estate people and the leasing agent, Cushman & Wakefield. (The firm also designed public corridors in the building.) Moudis said they help the bank and the leasing agent put together rental plans, which they use in their marketing materials, and they are introduced to prospective tenants to do preliminary layouts. Ted Moudis Associates is providing the same service at 100 Wall Street, and, according to Moudis, they are being considered for other assignments.

In this market, Moudis said, "many landlords are using architects to help with leasing space."

Changing Times

Today's design trends, Moudis said, are a sign of the times. In the 80's, he said, it was aesthetics first and functionality second; now that's reversed.

"Everyone is more concerned with people and the environment ...and everyone is more cost-conscious," said Moudis. "An employer would spend the money to have a comfortable environment. They would spend the money for that rather than luxury."

Open landscaped furniture systems, Moudis said, are being used rather than hard-walled offices. These systems are less expensive and make for a better use of floor space. And lighting systems that better accommodate the CRT-intensive environments that exist are being used.

"People will forego fancy wall covering and fancy woodwork to have a comfortable environment," said Moudis.

Moudis began in the design business 16 years ago as a junior draftsman with architect Steven Papadatos. He worked there while attending New York Institute of Technology College at night. He received his degree in 1981. In 1983, he was made a full partner at Papadatos and the firm became "Papadatos & Moudis." He stayed there until last year before venturing out on his own.

Licensed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, Moudis is a member of numerous professional and trade organizations including the American Institute of Architects, the New York Society of Architects, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and the Young Men's Philanthropic League.

Moudis said he is staying busy and maintaining a lean operation during these tough market conditions. And, while he feels lucky to have done so well, he cautions he has also put a lot of sweat into his business.

"I've always worked hard," he said. "I'm a morning person and a night person."

PHOTO : Jones Lang Wootton lobby at Battery Park Plaza.

PHOTO : Operations and Accounting area designed by Ted Moudis & Associates for Jones Lang Wootton at One Battery Park Plaza.