Date: Fri 04-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Kaestle-Boos-Rusty-Malik

Full Text:

Kaestle Boos Associates-- Architects With Designs On Newtown

(with photo)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Architect Rusty Malik's profile is rising in Newtown as he helps guide the

growing town.

Mr Malik is a partner with the firm Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc of New

Britain, which designed the additions to both the high school and Hawley

School. His firm billed the town $2.78 million for the projects. Kaestle Boos

also designed the recently-completed Head O' Meadow School roof.

Now the architect is involved in the town's effort to address its current need

for additional municipal office space and facilities. It recently completed a

study of the issue, which provided 13 different scenarios. Some of them called

for the construction of a new municipal building, while others suggest the

town add on to its existing buildings -- Edmond Town Hall and Town Hall South.

Two other scenarios include the re-use of Watertown Hall at Fairfield Hills

(owned by the town) or the Gordon Fraser building on South Main Street.

In addition, the firm recently completed a conceptual design of the Board of

Education's proposed fifth/sixth grade school. Those drawings place the new

school on the 19 acres near Watertown Hall, which were given to the town by

the state last year.

Kaestle Boos and Mr Malik are deeply involved in the town's capital

improvement planning. The firm will seek to maintain that involvement right

through the construction phase of both a school and a municipal building -- if

they receive approval from the town. Building a strong rapport with Newtown is

all part of the strategy.

"They've become very familiar with the town as a result of the high school and

Hawley School construction projects," noted Legislative Council member Joe

Borst. "Basically, they've done a very good job."

Mr Malik and his firm do not call the shots, but their studies often frame the

questions for debate; they become familiar with the history and thinking that

spawn the projects they then seek to design.

The current municipal space needs study created by Kaestle Boos is a small job

compared to the firm's usual design work. The town is paying the company just

$40,000 -- small potatoes compared to the many multi-million jobs it takes on.

However, doing the study has advantages for the firm. Kaestle Boos wants to

land the big jobs: the design of a new fifth-and sixth grade school and/or a

new municipal building.

Will Kaestle Boos bid on these projects if and when they are approved by the

town?

"Absolutely," Mr Malik told The Bee on Monday. "That's what we do."

Conflict?

There are some Newtown residents who believe the architectural firm's dual

role may present a conflict of interest. They ask, how can Kaestle Boos be

expected to provide an objective list of options when it is planning to bid on

the project, too?

"I think there is a conflict there if they should get the project," noted

council member Melissa Pilchard, referring to the possible design of a

municipal project.

State Rep Julia B. Wasserman (106th District) agrees.

"If they're telling the town which options it should consider, it can't then

apply to design the project," she said. "They're applying for the plans that

they developed. That's definite planning. That's a conflict. Professionally,

it shouldn't be done."

Mr Malik said such a practice is standard in every town.

"We're not playing politics here," he said. "We were hired to do a job."

Mr Malik said architects are often criticized for being too creative in their

drawings -- putting together some sort of a Taj Mahal. On the other hand, they

are also criticized for not being creative enough if they try to save money.

"I don't think there's a conflict, personally," noted First Selectman Herb

Rosenthal. "There is no guarantee they are going to get the job. Other

architects can still bid on it."

No doubt, Kaestle Boos will have a leg up because of its past associations

with the town, others say.

The first selectman said the town would be unable to bring in the top firms

for the smaller conceptual design projects if it did not given those same

firms a chance to bid on the larger projects.

Council chairman Pierre Rochman said he did not see a problem since everyone

is well aware of the potential conflict.

"We just need to be conscious of it when we make our decisions," he said.

Mr Rosenthal pointed out that architect David Chin did the conceptual design

work for the high school project, but was not hired to do the larger job. In

fact, the town sent out requests for proposals (RFP) for the space needs study

earlier this year, and no one responded. Finally, Kaestle Boos was selected

following an interview process.

Kaestle Boos has shown that its interest in Newtown is not purely pecuniary.

Mr Malik designed the concession stand at Bruce Jenner Stadium free of charge.

"It was a donation," noted Frank Krasnickas of the public building committee.

"We've gotten some mileage out of them."

Kaestle Boos has also done a lot of work in the towns of Redding, Brookfield

and Bethel.

Kaestle Boos, a 50-person, full-service architectural firm, was established in

1963. It specializes in educational, public safety, city/town hall, library,

recreational and commercial building projects.

Mr Malik received his bachelor of science degree from the New York Institute

of Technology in 1979 and a master of architectural design from the University

of Texas in 1981.