Buildings Transformed
The Joseph Ventresca Group re-creates space with efficiency and creativity
by Maureen Skorupa

Joseph Ventresca looks out for his clients and sweats the details in the process. “It’s a big investment,” he says of the building renovations he works on. “Possibly the biggest investment they’ll ever make.” Ventresca owns the Joseph Ventresca Group, which has done general contracting since 1985. But what he really excels at is renovations—creating new spaces out of old ones.

To create the best spaces possible, Ventresca has assembled a talented and experienced team adept at every facet of building and renovating. From carpentry to masonry to engineering and the planning that pulls it all together, each team member is at the top of his game.

“Most of our work is in-house, and our workers have been with us a long time,” says Ventresca. Having a team-based approach helps with project coordination. The Joseph Ventresca Group also works with hand-picked sub-contractors, specially selected on a project-by-project basis. Energy efficiency is an important aspect of each project, and Ventresca’s team looks for the most energy efficient features without sacrificing aesthetics. From the windows to the foundations to the light fixtures, “We want everything to go smoothly: financially, project-wise, design-wise,” says the experienced Ventresca.

A class renovation

The recently completed Doylestown Private Wealth Building at 48 West Oakland Avenue in the borough reflects the contractor’s ability for transformation. “It’s the nicest all-around space in Doylestown,” asserts Ventresca. Ari D. Spectorman, owner of the building and Private Wealth advisor for Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. agrees: “It’s a great location, a class-A fancy environment.”

A collaborative effort with architects Richard Brown Associates and Doylestown Borough’s Historical and Architectural Review Board, the renovation maintains the building’s exterior historical integrity while completely recreating the interior. Though only the brick walls of the structure are original—the floor and ceiling were removed—from the street, each detail looks like the small brick home it used to be. “We’ve really maintained the existing character of historic Doylestown,” says Ventresca.

Innovations

Formerly the Joseph Baker House, built in 1924, the Private Wealth Building now features an ultra-modern interior designed by Spectorman. With energy efficient fixtures like specially tinted windows, a glass-lined conference room, and ten separate offices, the building was designed with a comprehensive approach to wealth management. Currently housing independent financial firms and an accounting firm, Spectorman hopes to soon include a law firm. “It’s a holistic approach to financial planning, having your accountant and your advisors and your lawyers all in the same place,” says Spectorman.

“I was really able to start with a blank slate inside,” Spectorman acknowledges. “We built-to-suit and it was great working with Joe [Ventresca]. He delivered above and beyond in every aspect.” Representative of the Ventresca Group’s distinctiveness, efficiency and aesthetics, the offices on Oakland Avenue also feature underground parking, something previously unheard of in Doylestown.

Ventresca is also excited about another recently completed renovation, the Urologic Health Associates Building, office of Dr. David Altman in Sellersville. The difference between the old office and the new is night and day. Dr. Altman was involved in the design process from the beginning. “Joe [Ventresca] is great. The building is beautiful, really top quality. We wanted to relate our space to the flow of patients and it is much more to my liking because Joe involved me in all the aspects of the renovation,” says Altman.

“It’s much brighter, more efficient, more modern,” Ventresca adds. “We’ve tried to give it a both a professional and a homey feel.” This is the Ventresca Group at its best: re-creating space in a more efficient manner and increasing its usability.

Ventresca counts customer service as his number one priority and values his customer’s input, taking care to really understand every project. “We pride ourselves on our quality and creativity,” he says. Working primarily in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties, he has close ties to this area. “I absolutely love working here,” he says. The evidence is in his buildings.

Joseph Ventresca Group
196 E. Butler Ave.
Chalfont, PA 18914
215-348-3373
www.veneesa.com

Maureen Skorupa is a freelance writer based in Doylestown.
Andrew Wilkinson is a freelance photographer based in Titusville, NJ. www.wilkinsonmedia.net