Still in the projects after 30 years.

His business is -- to a great extent -- designing and building homes. But John Ciardullo's name isn't a household term, even though you've probably come across his work somewhere, unknowingly, and paid an unconscious tribute to the architect himself.

His far-flung empire encompasses schools, homes, offices, libraries and parks. It is, by construction, reinforced steel, concrete planks, floating balconies and curving brick walls, among other materials.

And it is above all an unconventional body of work.

"A building is nothing more than a crystallization of social structure," said Ciardullo, an architect with a background in structural engineering.

His eyes light up when he speaks about his work, which he discusses candidly. His firm, John Ciardullo Associates, P.C., recently celebrated their 30th anniversary. One of the firm's trademarks is designing inviting open spaces, a talent that they have used for many schools, libraries and other public and private environments.

Ciardullo turned 60 in January but he seems to possess the energy of a much younger man. He has spent half of his existence practicing architecture.

"At Harvard [where he studied architecture] in the sixties, there was a real emphasis on sociology," said Cardiullo.

The sixties were, said Ciardullo, "all about changing the world," something that hadn't "influenced architecture yet at that time." It is easy to detect an idealistic streak in Ciardullo as he waxes nostalgically and his contrarian, against-the-grain outlook comes to the surface.

The assumption that low-income tenants inevitably wrecked their buildings was widely-held; a structural, self-fulfilling prophecy.

When he refers to "defensive architecture," Ciardullo scoffs at the bombproof facilities that were built in the 1960's for low-income tenants.

"They made the elevators so tough that nobody could kick them in. The stairwells were also designed so that a maximum of damage could be coped with," said Ciardullo.

"What did they expect? People reacted to their environment," he said.

The Plaza Borinquen -- a low-scale Bronx housing development -- was his reaction to such "defensive" developments. Even though it was Ciardullo's third year project at Harvard, it was anything but academic. It featured three separate types of space: public, semipublic and private. Instead of large, open spaces that discouraged intimate gatherings, Ciardullo created a community space that residents were proud to inhabit thanks to courtyards, front porch stoops and landscaped entries.

"The residents felt responsible for the space and, as a result, they take care of it," said Ciardullo. He completed this project in 1975 for the South Bronx Community Housing Corporation.

Variations on this theme followed for the next 25 years.

In an age of specialization, Ciardullo brings a generalist's approach to his work. He can do this simply because of his background -- instead of hiring an architect and an engineer, clients get the best of both worlds with Ciardullo, who is both. His structural design expertise often proves cost effective. Thus, the variety of projects that his firm boasts is impressive.

"John has always tried to understand the community that will use his space," said Chuck Heaphy, a colleague of Ciardullo's.

"When it comes to design and technical issues, John is a great mentor."

Heaphy singled out one project in particular, the Hamilton Fish Park & Recreation Center renovation, as indicative of Ciardullo's talent.

The original structure was built in 1902 on a four-acre, Lower East Side site. It was rejuvenated under the Robert Moses regime in 1936, but closed down 50 years later, a victim of neglect and an outdated design.

Ciardullo's restoration began in the late 1980's. He reconstructed the gymnasium and rid the limestone and brick walls of graffiti. The finished product cost $13 million dollars in 1992.

"This was an abandoned park," said Heaphy. "Now it is a vital part of the neighborhood."

Though designed by Ciardullo, whose work is nothing if not modern, the site retains its historical elements.

"If there is one thread that runs throughout John's work, it is that he creates unique spaces. He gives the communities a sense of place," said Heaphy.

Both the Hamilton Fish Park and the Plaza Borinquen are listed in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Guide to New York.

If there is one area where Ciardullo has found a niche, it would certainly be school projects. Ciardullo has worked on over 70 capital improvement and new construction projects for the New York City School Construction Authority (NYSCA). The vice president of the NYSCA referred to Ciardullo as "very different from most architects."

"John is also very quick to turn a project around, because he can do so much on his own," added vice president Peter Sweeney, who has worked with Ciardullo's firm many times on both capital improvement and new construction projects.

From a developer's standpoint, Ciardullo's firm is certainly more cost effective than others. Bruce Simon worked with Ciardullo on redesigning a 22-story mixed-use building on East 87th Street. Simon, the senior vice president of the Olnick Organization, credited Ciardullo for being "extremely talented when it comes to idea production."

After seeing the building on 87th street originally, Ciardullo decided that steel would be less costly than concrete. The choice to use steel over concrete was viewed by many as a mistake, but the decision ultimately saved the Olnick Organization $1 million.

"The superstructure design that John came up with was extremely efficient, primarily because he was both architect and engineer on the project," said Simon.

Ciardullo hopes to work on more residential projects in the future.

"I admire John for what he has been able to accomplish," said Deborah Ippolito. She began working for Ciardullo last year, as director of business development. She is therefore responsible for promoting Ciardullo, a task better suited to her than him.

"John's not great at self promotion. But he's so easy to promote," she said. Ippolito credited Ciardullo for "caring about his people."

His unassuming manner is a far cry from the many in this field who can -- and do -- promote themselves at every opportunity. Then again, Ciardullo is not a conventional architect. His devotion to his projects and his employees is a trademark of his.

"I'm usually on site once a week for any project," said Ciardullo. "Any problems must be resolved ASAP." Invariably, they are.