Metal Architecture spoke with Richard William Off, AIA, senior architect at Hoffmann Architects + Engineers—a firm specializing in rehabilitating building exteriors. With a staff of 40 professionals, including architects, structural engineers, and administrative personnel, Hoffmann maintains offices in New Haven, Conn., New York City, and Alexandria, Va. The firm stands out for its deep expertise in building envelope restoration, particularly in balancing historic preservation with modern performance standards. Their commitment to thoughtful detailing, sustainable material use, and innovative metal assemblies reflects a hands-on, specification-driven approach rooted in decades of experience with landmark structures.
Precision and longevity
Off says his firm puts “a lot of weight and thought” into technical specifications, focusing on ensuring their projects’ longevity. Metal often plays a key role in their specifications, as it is highly durable. He explains that metal’s use in architecture can play a critical role in extending the lifespan of buildings and their components, ultimately reducing waste and their long-term carbon footprint.
“For metal, protection from corrosion and provisions for movement often takes center stage in our design considerations,” he says. “It diminishes the likelihood of degradation and failure, thereby increasing longevity. Where possible, we also specify metals with high recycled content, like copper and aluminum, which are also naturally corrosion resistant.”
Historic character
The firm prioritizes maintaining aesthetic heritage when undertaking restoration projects, while making alterations to meet goals for longevity and sustainability.
In a recent large copper roof replacement project for Lupton Hall at SUNY Farmingdale, the assembly was reconstructed with batten seam copper like the original to maintain historic character. Still, it was reconfigured to include a ventilated, insulated system with built-in gutters to improve energy efficiency, reduce ice damming, and improve drainage.
In another example, a recent door replacement project at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), some existing metal blast doors were clad with powder-coated aluminum to match the finish of other replacement doors with historically appropriate profiles.
This focus on historic authenticity has given the firm the opportunity to work on many landmark structures throughout the Northeast region, including Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Dome, the aforementioned New York Stock Exchange, and Paul Rudolph’s Art and Architecture building at Yale University.
“We are always up for a challenge and on the lookout for the next great exterior restoration project,” says Off. “We view each new project as an opportunity to refine techniques and learn how to better balance maintaining historic integrity with contemporary performance standards like energy code, while constantly responding to safety concerns and ever-evolving municipal regulations.”
Timeless beauty
Like his Firm, Off says he has a particular soft spot for historic architecture.
“As much as I love some Modernist works, I am quite partial to more historic structures, especially Medieval Gothic architecture, Spanish Mudejar architecture, and Early 20th-Century Art Nouveau architecture,” he says.
His favorite buildings are those that seamlessly fuse elements from these styles.
“[Those buildings] are among the most magnificent to me and are represented in some of Antoni Gaudí’s somewhat lesser-known works in Barcelona, like Palau Güell, Casa Vicens, and Torre Bellesguard,” he explains.
“I appreciate the increased recognition that timeless materials like metal are receiving from industry professionals who promote sustainability,” he adds. “I also appreciate aesthetic trends such as increasingly creative use of weathering steel cladding. Although it has been used for decades in Modernist style buildings, employing it as part of expanded mesh or perforated screens has demonstrated how it can be rustic, playful, and porous.”
Enduring values in a changing landscape
As evolving regulations, energy performance goals, and design trends reshape the built environment, Hoffmann Architects + Engineers remains grounded in the values that define its practice: precision, preservation, and performance. By embracing the durability and versatility of metal within a thoughtful, historically sensitive framework, the firm not only restores the past but also equips it for the future, proving that true longevity in architecture comes from the seamless fusion of technical rigor and timeless design.