H2M Celebrates Archtober with Christiana Suppa

In recognition of Archtober, New York City’s annual monthlong celebration of architecture, we spoke to the architects at our NYC office about the most meaningful and definitive projects of their careers at H2M thus far.

The Bristal at Jericho is a 280-unit facility in Jericho, NY, that provides both standard care levels for assisted living as well as a more “hands-off” model of care for seniors who are more active and require less assistance.

For H2M Senior Project Architect Christiana Suppa, AIA, NCIDQ, this beautiful assisted living facility provided an invaluable opportunity early in her career to step out of her comfort zone, take on exciting new responsibilities, and develop her skills as both a designer and an integral member of a multidisciplinary team.

“One of my earliest experiences outside of school was working on this large-scale, multidisciplinary project that introduced me to new software like Revit and Navisworks,” Christiana said. “I developed 3D models and performed clash detection to help ensure a well-coordinated building across all disciplines. Collaborating with such a diverse team was both exciting and incredibly educational — it reinforced how every team member plays a vital role in bringing a project to life.”

Designing and incorporating amenity space into the assisted living facility required close collaboration with clients as well. The facility’s long list of amenities includes an outdoor pool, game room, creative arts studio, performing arts center, beauty salon, cinema, fitness center, golf simulator, and both formal and country club-style dining options.

“This project marked a major milestone early in my career — it was the first time I engaged directly with clients and served as one of their go-to contacts throughout the entire process. From initial design through construction administration, I was involved in every phase, which held me accountable for responding to RFIs and submittals and ensured I had a deep understanding of the project. I learned that effective client communication is just as critical as internal collaboration in delivering a successful outcome.”

The Bristal at Jericho opened to the public in late 2019 and, in early 2020, received the Long Island Business News Real Estate, Architecture & Engineering Award for Top Assisted Living Project.

“Working on this project not only gave me a greater appreciation for the individual roles that architects and designers play, but also the incredible results that can come about when we all work together. There is no better feeling than seeing the building you worked on come to life.”