Meet John Salustro of Salustro Partnership Architects

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Salustro.

Hi John, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After graduating from the University of Miami, I worked for several architectural firms in NJ and then got my license to practice architecture in NJ. I then opened my own practice and shortly after, my wife, also a graduate of the University of Miami joined me and we established Salustro Partnership Architects, LLC. Over the course of the next couple of decades, we developed a respected reputation designing signature commercial buildings including office buildings, restaurants, research and development spaces, retail buildings, assembly buildings, and custom unique residential homes and additions. We pride ourselves in listening carefully to our clients, working closely with them, guiding them throughout the process of design and construction, and being available to answer questions and any concerns our clients may have. It’s the quality of work we produce, our ability to design custom signature timeless buildings and our willingness to listen to our clients that we believe is why our firm has been sought out.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I like to think it has been a smooth road probably because I just enjoy what I do and get satisfaction out of a very satisfied client. I would say the biggest struggle is explaining the abstract nature of our services to a prospective clients and how those services will benefit them.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our firm has been designing custom homes, residential additions and all types of commercial buildings since we opened our office over 30 years ago. The variation in building types keeps things very interesting and motivating. In the residential sector, we enjoy working with homeowners to achieve their goals by showing them design options, answering questions, educating them, and guiding them through the entire process including construction. We believe we listen carefully to our clients incorporating their goals into the designs. Having also had a construction company for 15 years building many of the residential projects we designed, we also have a hands-on, intimate knowledge of construction and field experience. It’s quite common for our residential projects to immediately add value and equity in the value of the home as well as future sales appeal. When designing a new home the site’s characteristics must be considered because room arrangements, orientation of the home and rooms to the sun, spatial arrangements all contribute to how the occupants will feel even though they may not be actually cognizant of these factors.

In the commercial sector, we have designed a variety of signature custom and spec office buildings, restaurants, banquet/catering facilities, sports complexes, retail buildings, municipal buildings, etc. We prefer being brought into the project at an early stage so we may contribute to the planning and design aspects of the site as well as building design. A new site development should be designed not only for vehicular traffic flow, parking, and building size but also how the end-user perceives the entire site and building experience. On some projects, we have also been retained as the design professional for the building and the site design.

I believe what sets us apart is our willingness and ability to listen to our clients and our sensitivity for good architectural design and our strive to provide a building that works and is appreciated by our clients for years.

We are proud that many of our clients, upon seeing a building, know that it is one of ours and that many of those clients come to us and tell us they “want a Salustro building”.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
As an architect, I think one of the most important lessons is that, until Covid-19, many multi-occupant spaces in public buildings were designed by architects out of habit (designed it that way before), simple functionality, and cost-efficiency because we all took the gathering of people in closer quarters for granted and acceptable. Having experienced social distancing, it’s made me question and re-think the potential design of spaces such as public restrooms and waiting rooms in an attempt to provide more personal spaces.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@salustroarchitects.com
• Website: https://www.salustroarchitects.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalustroArchitects