Sole proprietor of Hierarchy Architects & Designers, T.J. Costello believes, “living and working in Manhasset, and experiencing the whole gamut of raising a family in this community for the past 18 years, has definitely made me a better residential architect.”
What Costello likes best about being a local shop owner on Gaynor Avenue, just off Plandome Road, is that he believes he has become part of the fabric that makes up this neighborhood.
“When I renovated 7 Gaynor, the storefront had been vacant for a long time. I put out an awning, cleaned up the tin ceiling and brick walls, closed the decades old metal hatch doors in the sidewalk from when it was the original Young’s Liquors store, and I installed a new window in the blocked-up wall facing the rear parking lot. That basically chased away a sketchy hangout in town,” Costello said.
Born and raised in Weston, Mass., a suburb similar to Flower Hill or Plandome, he began his career in architecture in 1977 as a junior in high school, commuting into Boston to apprentice as an office boy at Moshe Safdie’s office in the Faneuil Hall marketplace. He said, “this was an exciting time in Boston’s resurgence in the late 70s. It became the formative experience for me, the love of history and endless possibilities rejuvenating old structures.”
He studied modern architecture at Cornell’s College of Art, Architecture and Planning after a year in Arizona studying western architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright at Arizona State University.
Having moved from Boston, to Manhattan, then Manhasset, Costello and his wife have settled as integral members of the community.
“It’s a great, friendly, stable place, so close to the city.” Here, Costello has served on boards and supported many local community organizations such as PAL Little League teams, Boy Scouts, community fund, chamber of commerce, ARB of Munsey Park and was recently appointed to Town of North Hempstead Ecological Commission.
A father of two, he says watching his family grow keeps him in step with the needs of his clients going through the same things, multi-tasking from sports to academics and community events. Statistically homeowners move three times, a starter house, a dream house, and a downsized or retirement house.
“Even in today’s mobile society it holds pretty true,” he said, “it’s a rare honor to have repeat clients because most renovations are ‘once and done.’ It’s such an arduous process most clients don’t venture it twice. So we rely very heavily on word of mouth referrals. Our staff and I treat our clients like we are working for personal friends.”
Costello believes that Hierarchy’s services are very competitive for the full range it offers. “I’m the only architect on Long Island who is also a CKD, certified kitchen designer. So if all you want is soup we do that, but we offer soup to nuts and it’s worth it. We specialize in medium to larger sized projects that tease out hidden opportunities. We find classic, timeless designs and balance client’s needs with practical construction, it’s that simple”.
Costello is widely recognized as an expert in traditional design style. Hierarchy has been published in local and national magazines, but Costello said being featured in a hard-cover coffee table book at Borders Books was among his proudest accomplishments.
“But not getting noticed is the biggest irony about what make our firm so special because new houses and alterations should be seamless!” he said.
Call 516-627-7007, or stop by tj@hierarchyltd.com. Hierarchy Architects and Designers is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Costello offers free in-home appointments several nights a week or on weekends.
Submitted by Manhasset Chamber of Commerce www.manhassetny.org
