The DIGroup Architecture team — Courtesy: DIGroup Architecture
By Joshua Burd
DIGroup Architecture is set to receive the coveted Firm of the Year Award at an upcoming event hosted by the American Institute of Architects New Jersey chapter.
The firm, which is based in New Brunswick, will be among the honorees on Feb. 25 at the organization’s Annual Service Awards Gala at the Stone House in Warren. It also will be recognized at the event as the chapter’s Merit Award recipient for its Clinton Hill Community & Early Childhood Center and with the interior architecture group category honor for the UNITI Cultural Center at Stony Brook University.
“The Firm of the Year Award is particularly special for everyone at DIGroup, who holds in their hearts the same belief as our founding principles — a shared passion for making a meaningful change in the lives of those we are privileged to serve,” said Vince Myers, DIGroup’s president and co-founder. “We view our role as architects to be influencers of culture, driving communities and the built environment toward equity and opportunity for the greater good.”
Dedicated to supporting its member organizations, AIA-NJ advances the public’s understanding of architecture through advocacy, education and service, according to a news release. It is one of nearly 300 local AIA chapters, which represent more than 70,000 licensed architects and associated professionals nationwide.
“It has been said the greatest acknowledgement of one’s work is rooted in that which is bestowed by one’s peers and the Firm of the Year Award represents just that,” said Jeffrey Venezia, DIGroup’s CEO and co-founder. “It also shines a much-deserved light on our brightest stars — all of our talented architects, interior and graphics designers and client support team members, all of whom contribute to making our vision and that of our clients and end users a reality.”
In announcing the awards, the practice recounted its origins as a collaboration among five competing architectural firms, which formed a joint venture in 2000 known as NJK-12 Architects. The entity’s focus was to pursue the design and construction of 21st century public schools in New Jersey’s most neglected urban communities, known as Abbott districts, resulting in multiple project awards from the state-run program.
United around a philosophy of architecture for change, four of the firms merged in 2006 to form Design Ideas Group Architecture & Planning, now known as DIGroup Architecture, according to a news release. The firm today leverages its deep roots in education, senior living, health care and civic markets throughout New Jersey and New York City, while seeking to impact the health and wellness of the most vulnerable communities.
DIG has also grown into the largest majority Black-owned architectural, interior and graphic design firm in New Jersey and has since achieved several certifications in that regard, while it expanded and opened an office in Philadelphia in 2019.
“Being a certified minority-owned business gives the firm the platform to serve as a role model for others and resonate with the communities they serve,” Myers said.