WASA marks 100th year in New York City at Grand Central terminal that it designed.

Before the era of CAD, digital renderings and other high-tech tools of the architectural trade, some of New York City's greatest structures were designed, using pens, pencils and most importantly, ingenuity.

World-class architectural landmarks such as Grand Central Terminal--perhaps New York City's most important--were born in this "pre-modern" era.

In 1903, the architects Reed and Stem won the design competition for Grand Central Terminal--a Beaux-Arts monument to the railway age that remains a symbol of capitalism and architecture. Thus began a proud tradition of architecture for a New York City firm that still thrives. Today, the descendants of Reed and Stem do business as Wank Adams Slavin Associates, LLP, or WASA.

WASA's history began in 1889--114 years ago--when Reed and Stem founded their architectural firm in St. Paul, Minnesota. Upon winning the design competition for Grand Central Terminal, the architects moved to Manhattan in 1903 to design and supervise construction of this magnificent landmark.

Since then, WASA has continued this legacy as one of New York City's most respected architecture, engineering and historic preservation firms. And in 2003, WASA celebrates its centennial anniversary.

WASA marked its 100th birthday in New York with a party at Metrazur in Grand Central Terminal on September 24. Attended by more than 200 friends, clients and colleagues, the gathering highlighted a century of lasting contributions to New York City's architectural heritage.

"As Reed and Stem's successors, WASA is proud to celebrate one-hundred years of continued architectural design services in the city of New York," said WASA managing partner Harry Spring. "WASA pledges to remain dedicated to design excellence and professional service."

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg provided a congratulatory letter to WASA, stating, "This award-winning firm has made many lasting contributions to our great City. Your dedication to building while preserving our City's rich history sets a wonderful example for your peers and future generations of architects."

It is fitting that WASA's rich tradition of architectural excellence began at Grand Central Terminal--still New York's transportation hub, a crucial nexus in the life of the city, and the foundation of WASA's 100 years of dedication to the Big Apple.

Today, WASA maintains a staff of 90 professionals in New York city. The Grand Central Terminal project was first in a long fist of high-profile projects that WASA has successfully tackled in the tri-state area and beyond. Whether creating new spaces for New York's top hospitals and colleges to preserving the City's architectural landmarks, WASA continues to serve with distinction. Among WASA's project highlights are:

* Ruttenberg Ambulatory Cancer Center, Mr. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY WASA provided architectural and engineering design services for the Ambulatory Oncology Treatment Center. WASA created a serene, calm and nurturing environment for family members and patients. Design elements have an Asian influence, featuring backlit, glazed rice-paper screens for soft, indirect lighting. Carpeting simulates a woven straw mat. The use of wood furniture and soft finishes created a warm, homelike environment. The waiting area consists of clusters of comfortable, upholstered furniture where small groups gather for private, intimate conversations.

* New York County Courthouse, New York, NY

WASA managed and designed the historic restoration of the New York County Courthouse at 60 Centre Street, a designated landmark structure. The restoration focused on splendid WPA murals located in the skylit rotunda which deteriorated because of extreme fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity and leaking pipes and roofs. State-of-the-art environmental controls were put in place to preserve the restored murals. The restoration also encompasses marble, stained glass, ornamental metalwork, Tiffany light fixtures, decorative painting and bronze windows.

* Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, Queens, NY

The School of Music has the unusual distinction of being directly under the flight paths of two major airports. The constraints of the narrow urban site, combined with the special acoustical requirements for the project, provided a daunting engineering challenge. WASA arranged music classrooms are arranged around a skylit courtyard that acts as an acoustical buffer. The design also placed office space and practice rooms around the perimeter, while the most acoustically sensitive spaces were treated as "rooms within rooms." A recital hall, music library and recording studio were included in this music complex. The facility also includes an 8,200-square-foot music library, a listening room, conference rooms, a recording studio, and offices.

* Fordham University School of Law Bronx, NY

A 55,000-square-foot wing was added and the existing building renovated in this project for the Fordham University School of Law. The new wing, placed in an existing courtyard, includes lecture halls, cafeteria, a faculty lounge, faculty library, student library, a moot court, a 250-seat auditorium, and all other support spaces. The wing is joined to the existing building by a skylit atrium. WASA was responsible for the architectural, engineering, and interior design for the entire project.

* Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater/ Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Mill Run, PA

Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater in 1936. WASA was hired to conduct a long-term repair and research project in 1988 intended to stabilize and conserve this major international landmark. WASA has performed tests on the concrete to determine the pathology of moisture migration and deterioration, appropriate crack restoration and matching of original surface appearance and specifying water repellent and other coatings. WASA also is restoring the original stone masonry, historic windows, doors and other features. This is the first known project in the United States to restore and stabilize--rather than replace--historic concrete.

* Jerome S. Coles Sports and Recreation Center/New York University, New York, NY

WASA designed the original Jerome S. Coles Recreation Center for New York University, including natatorium, in the 1970s. In the late 1990sm, NYU retained WASA to design a new humidification system to include air conditioning, lighting upgrades, and replacement of architectural elements, ceilings, and the pool filtration system.

* AmeriCares World Headquarters, Stamford, CT

WASA is designing the new world headquarters in Stamford, CT for AmeriCares, the global nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization. The project includes a 24,650-square-foot office space, and 51,800 square feet of warehouse space where AmeriCares will store its humanitarian supplies shipped throughout the world. The project involves adaptive re-use of a 190,000-square-foot 1920's factory complex that will be redesigned as a modern corporate office center.

* Hunterfly Road Historic Houses/ Weeksville Society, Brooklyn, NY

WASA is carefully restoring the history of a freed slave community, hidden for decades within Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, in a project that will transform decaying structures into "house museums." WASA completed a master plan for the restoration project on behalf of The Weeksville Society, preparing designs for the restoration of the small, wood frame houses officially known as the Hunterfly Road Historic Houses.

Each house museum will eventually feature educational programs and interactive exhibits. Designated areas in the back will be available for demonstrations of 19th century life such as butter making and basketry. An orientation and programming space in one of the houses will feature audio, videotapes and photos to help contextualize the furnishings.