2016 South Jersey’s Best Architects

Regan Young England Butera: REengage, REimagine, REnew
Burlington County Times, by Sarah Lacorte correspondent Sep 9, 2016

Winston Churchill once said, “we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.” As residents of Burlington County go about their towns and workplaces, many may not think about the buildings that form the setting of their lives – and who brought those structures to life. For Best of Burlington Country winner RYEBREAD architects, improving the aesthetics and function of their community through design is a daily passion.

According to senior partner Regan Young, “RYEBREAD” is a creative and catchy moniker for the firm’s full name: Regan Young England Butera; Referendums, Engineering, Architecture, Design. He says folks may not remember all that, but they do remember RYEBREAD.

“A couple years ago we celebrated the firm’s 25th anniversary, and most of our staff (and some of our Clients) have been with us since then,” Young explicated. “This continuity means RYEBREAD Architects have been working together with our Clients, Colleagues, Consultants, Code Officials, and Contractors to create a better South Jersey.”

RYEBREAD architects opened on 1 May 1989 in Hainesport with its current partners, Regan Young, Scott Charles England, and Angelo P. Butera, along with project manager Roy Ruby and office manager Michelle Zoppina. Construction administrator Pete Davis joined the firm in 1994, and the “new guy”, project manager Patrick Farmer came on board in 1989.

That same year RYEBREAD moved to Mount Holly. At the gateway to the historic district, they built their world headquarters, the Millennium Colonial Building, to contribute to the revitalization of our county seat. “RYEBEAD has designed some of Burlington County’s most loved buildings: the Pemberton Library, Eastampton Community School, Tabernacle EMS, Grifin 500 office building, and our own Millennium Colonial Building,” says Young.

“Our charter is this: REengage, REimagine, REnew,” according to partner Scott Charles England.” It means RYEBREAD Architects REdesigns building envelopes, systems, interiors, & contexts to be more safe, productive, healthy, efficient, and distinctive.”

Young said RYEBREAD’s team of talented designers have been successful because they can understand and deliver on the full scope of a project – from the macro to detail levels.

“The renowned Finish architect Eliel Saarinen said “Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context—a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan,” states partner Angelo P. Butera. “RYEBREAD is unique in that we are licensed architects, planners, and interior designers. So we can understand, and design, our projects in their context, from the scale of furniture to community planning.”

RYBREAD is constantly staying well informed of technical and social trends, and looks ahead to see how they can design a building to grow into future functions. RYEBREAD has also been known for its use of Green architecture techniques, and their commitment to sustainable design.

“Every decade, the architecture profession takes on a new responsibility. In the 1960s, it was Urban Planning. During the ‘Seventies we took on Environmental Design, and the ‘Eighties were all about Development and Design/Build. We had to fully integrate Computers and the Web into our practices in the ‘Nineties. The Aughts were all about Sustainability and Security,” Young said. “I’m hoping this will be the breakout decade for Active Design, reconfiguring our built environment to promote health.