Al Dal Pos, a Syracuse University graduate, establishes his sole proprietor architectural practice, (Alfred H. Dal Pos Architect, AIA) in Skaneateles, NY. As the firm expands with a growing staff of architects, designers and field personnel, it now becomes Dal Pos Associates, AIA. Al’s focus in the early years is on commercial, institutional, housing, recreational, systems building and a newly emerging building type…“malls”. Working with client Robert Congel and the Pyramid Companies, Al designs malls located throughout the Northeast US. Over the next 29 years the firm builds a solid reputation as retail experts, designing spaces for national retail clients such as JCPenney, Sears, BJ’s Wholesale, Macy’s, and Bonwit Teller as well as headquarters for companies such as Kodak, General Railway Signal and Unity Mutual Insurance.

After overseeing the restoration and adaptive re-use of the former Main Post Office and Court House on historic Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse, Al decides to move the firm from Skaneateles to its current location in the Clinton Exchange Building.

Dal Pos designs and oversees construction of the Carousel Mall, built on a reclaimed oil tank farm with a basement level located below the water table. This became a milestone project for the firm due to the challenging site conditions. State of the art processes were used to clean up the Brownfield site and an innovative “floating foundation” solution was developed by Stopen Engineering.

As the millennium approaches, Al decides to retire. On January 1, 2000, what was known as Dal Pos Architect, PC becomes Dal Pos Architects, LLC and principals Dennis Cox (1971), Taras Pawliw (1977), James R. Miller, Jr. (1985), Edward Benjamin (1988), and John Bartolotti (1989), become equal partners9

Within their first few months of ownership, the five new partners are presented with an incredible opportunity. The Hennes and Mauritz AB (H&M) retail apparel company from Sweden is looking to open locations in malls owned by The Pyramid Companies. The challenge is that construction drawings for all projects are needed in weeks.

Dal Pos restructures its digital design department and becomes early adopters of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software.

The company rebrands and relaunches as Dalpos Architects & Integrators to reflect the firm’s strong commitment to BIM and to collaborating with all stakeholders for the successful outcome of each and every project. The five partners make a strategic decision to expand the firm in terms of market sectors and locations. In addition to continuing to offer expertise in retail and commercial projects, Dal Pos Architects, LLC expands into the healthcare, hospitality and multi-family/mixed-use markets. John Ceresoli joins the firm to lead and develop the healthcare division.

Two milestone LEED certified projects are completed; DestinyUSA which is a 1.3M SF addition for Carousel Center in Syracuse, NY and Snooks Hollow private residence in Manlius, NY. The DestinyUSA project receives the USGBC’s LEED Gold Certification for Core and Shell in 2012 making it the largest LEED Gold certified commercial retail structure in the US and the third largest in the world that year. The Snooks Hollow project is recognized for its technology and sustainability initiatives when it receives LEED Platinum Certification. Rick Fedrizzi, Chairman and CEO of USGBC said the Snooks Hollow project was the highest performing Platinum Certified residence…. {get quote} For a single family residential project over 11,000 SF, this was considered impossible at the time.

Dalpos completes design for the Inner Harbor development-a new neighborhood for Syracuse. Construction begins on the first linked pair of buildings named Iron Pier Apartments.

Partners John Bartolotti and Jim Miller, along with principal in charge of Healthcare, John Ceresoli and the rest of the Dalpos staff celebrates 50 years in business!