Adirondack Studios

06/03/2026

"What's the Best Piece of Advice You've Ever Received?"

In our newest video series, Ask Me a Question, we've compiled Q&As from our People Profiles and organized them around common themes - like favorite projects, dream destinations, even secret superpowers.

When asked the question, "what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?", the answers both surprised and moved us. They also reminded us why we do these human-focused series - to reflect on what unites us as a team regardless of region, title, experience or background.

That spirit of unity is why you won't see any office locations on the videos in this series. The message is what matters. And in this video, we're filling the universe with messages of love, art, perseverance and understanding.

Because the world needs more of those things, don't you think?



https://youtube.com/shorts/cE-Cp0hQDxE?feature=share

05/28/2026

We're hammering away at our latest new hire announcement! 🛠️

Please welcome Gianna Fasulo to the Adirondack Studios Carpentry Team!

Gianna joins us from Clark University, where she graduated magna cm laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. She has contributed as a stagehand, technical director, set designer, master carpenter, stage manager, electrician, sound board op and production assistant for productions at Clark Musical Theater, Clark University Visual and Performing Arts, Hanover Theater & Conservatory, and Williamstown Theatre Festival.

In addition to her academic accomplishments, Gianna is certified in Vectorworks and is skilled in sound board operations, lighting board programming, set construction, scenic painting, carpentry, fly systems, and Marley installation. She is a proud member of USITT.

Outside the shop, you can find her continuing in her theatrical pursuits or reading horror novels.

With her diverse skillset, storytelling capabilities, and collaborative mindset, we're thrilled that Gianna has decided to and a career move at our Argyle, New York headquarters.

05/27/2026

Last week brought not one but TWO fantastic events in Philadelphia.

First, ADKS Creative Director Jeff DuVilla and Dana Worthington of Dana Worthington Associates co-chaired Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) Explores Philadelphia.

To kick off the festivities, 20 TEA members met Netflix House to enjoy dinner at Netflix Bites as well as to experience "One Piece: Quest for the Devil Fruit" and Top 9 Mini Golf.

The next day, 25 additional TEA members joined the group and were greeted with a warm welcome from the Ministry of Awe (MoA), including a meet and greet with the artists and designers who created the highly interactive experience. Since the experience was housed in the cellar of an old sugar refinery, it kept the group nice and cool on a blistering hot day.

The group continued on to President's House, an exhibit whose signage has found itself in the news quite a bit lately. Eisterhold Associates Inc., the original designers of the experience, spoke to the importance of the history at that site and shared about the process in bringing it to life.

After the President's house, the group feasted on had a classic Philadelphia lunch at Reading Terminal Market before continuing on to The Franklin Institute to enjoy some of their newer exhibitions, including Universal Parks: The Exhibition, with an introduction by our friends at MDSX, and Body Odyssey, design by MDSX and fabricated by ADKS. The exploration concluded with a mixer at Victory Brewing, where the group was joined by some of the MoA artists they had met later that day.

Jeff then handed over the ADKS reigns to Director of Global Marketing & Growth, Clara Rice, who attended the American Alliance of Museums Annual Conference & MuseumExpo. While at the tradeshow and conference, Clara met with hundreds of potential collaborators and clients; attended sessions on the Science of Memory, Frank Lloyd Wright, the History of Chocolate, Emerging Trends in Immersive Design, and Encounters with History; walked the expansive tradeshow floor (including a visit to a puppy booth!), enjoyed a keynote speech from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and attended events at Netflix House, The Franklin Institute, and even a turn-of-the-century cargo vessel!

While there are challenges facing the museum industry, there is also great optimism, innovation and a willingness to collaborate - both within the museum field and between museums and adjacent verticals like location-based entertainment, experiential technology and live performance. We look forward to being part of the solution to these challenges and contributing to the future of this dynamic - and essential - industry.

Women's Mixer Photo Credit - Traci Klainer
Slides from "The Science of Memories," featuring Matthew McNerney, Sarah Cole and Vidette (Tedi) Asher and "Emerging Trends in Immersive Design" featuring Cynthia Sharpe and Shawn McCoy

05/25/2026

Summer's here (at least in the Northern Hemisphere)!
..And that means regional theme parks are opening up their gates and showing off their latest rides and attractions.

But sometimes, you just can't beat a classic - like the Dragon Coaster at Playland Park in Westchester County, New York.

Originally built in 1929, the Dragon Coaster has been roaring down the track and attracting loyal fans for almost a century! But despite some refurbishments along the way, over the last few years, the dragon was beginning to show its age. So, as they did in 2004, Playland called Adirondack Studios to give their fire breather a facelift. The client’s goal was a visual match to the original, with improved materials, a refreshed color palette and functional, reliable special effects.

According to Project Director, Colin Buckhurst, a major challenge of the project was the need to match ADKS' structure to the coaster's original wood framing, while updating our design to be fully code compliant with all 2026 rules and regulations, all on a tight timeline. The team also had to produce a product that the local community would embrace, with the enthusiasm that they have always shown to this historic property.

Check out Neil Vigdor's New York Times interview with Adirondack Studios President Michael Blau to learn more about how our team collaborated with Playland to get this dragon all fired up again. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/nyregion/playland-dragon-coaster-reopening.html

Congratulations to Aaron Northrup, Abigail Hopkins, Adam Kruger, Adrian Magowan, Alan Walkup, Alexander Norton, Andrew Doonan, Andrew Leinwol, Andrew Sanders, Benjamin Batkay, Benjamin Hydock, Bill McDonald, Brandon Salls, Brian Bentley, Bruce Nancarrow, Christopher Kristant, Christian Colon, Christopher Hamburg, Colin Buckhurst, Curtis Condon, Damien Andersen, David Quackenbush, Dawn Thomas, Derek Weeks, Devin Fitzpatrick, Donna Orylck, Dylan Rogers, Eric Anderson, Ethan Liptak, Gordon Mlynarek, Houston Norman, Jada Clement, Jake Krasnove, Jaryn DeShane, Jeff DuVilla, Jeffrey Loveland, Jesse Newill, Jing Agunzo, John Getty, John Owens, Jonathan Bauman, Jordan Bardin, Jordan McLagan, Josh Baker, Joshua Cummins, Karen Koziol, Karolina Rojahn, Kelly Vincent, Kevin Benedict, Kurt Jilek, Liam Salls, Lucien Rockwell, Margaret Bollendorf, Marisol Merced, Marshall Stevens, Maryanne Toto, Matthew Cone, Matt Jackson, Matthew Newton, Matt Reardon, Matthew Winch, Michael Bollendorf, Michael Colon, Michele Molea, Myles Roberts, Paige Setchell, Pamela Fryer, Patrick Tynan, Peter Gray, Robert Bentley, Robert Rathbun, Robert Willard, Rocket Craig, Russell Poole, Ruth Durling, Ryan Hoffman, Sakshi Nemlekar, Scott McCabe, Shannon Browne, Stanicka Mathurin, Susan Northrup, Tony Condon, Valerie Tran, Vincent Belotti, Warren Cicotte, Wesley Craig, William Stoddard, and Zachary Lockwood.

05/20/2026

When is a store not just a place to buy, but the place to be? A place to feel, a place to escape, a place to not only connect with others but with most relaxed and peaceful version of yourself?

When SKIN1004 was developing its first US flagship store, the Korean skincare brand wanted to provide "the calm of nature in the heart of SoHo." They wanted their latest retail environment to evoke the "untouched nature of Madagascar," where the brand's high quality, plant-based skincare ingredients are sourced.

To ensure that the final store achieved this tranquil, nature-based aesthetic, SKIN1004's client representative, Omnia Consulting Group, engaged Gilbert Experience and Adirondack Studios to fabricate the interior millwork as an abstract interpretation of canyon walls rendered in over 110 stacked and striated layers. Our Argyle, NY team created over 3,000 custom CNC cut maple laminated pieces, mounted on intricate custom steel frames that cover the entire store. The result is a built environment that perfectly matches the LMTLS Architecture team's original rendered vision.

Now open to the public, SKIN1004 SoHo offers an immersive K-beauty experience featuring its signature Centella products, complimentary sampling, personalized skin consultations, and exclusive in-store promotions.

ADKS congratulates Su Ah Hong, Villetta Lu, Minnie Kim and the rest of the SKIN1004 team, Frank Mauric at Omnia Consulting, Marshal Gross and the Gilbert Experience team, Daeho Le, Jaeyual Lee and Beomki Lee at LMTLS, our friends at Tricarico Architecture and Design and Schimenti Construction, Lance Tyler, and everyone from ADKS who took part in the project, including: Adam Kruger, Adrian Magowan, Andy Keech, Andy Sanders, Benjamin Hydock, Ben Voss, Bill McDonald, Bill Stoddard, Caspin Jones, Courtney Harwood, Curtis Condon, Cydney Ruork, Damien Anderson, Dan Koudelka, Dick Jameson, Elyse Desmond, Matt Jackson, Matt Reardon, Ivy Sickler, Jake Krasnove, Jaryn Deshane, Jeff DuVilla, Jeffrey Loveland, Jordan Au Claire, Jordan McLagan, Josh Baker, Karen Koziol, Karl Chmielewski, Katelyne Harwood, Kelly Vincent, Kurt Jilek, Maggie Tagher, Marisol Merced, Matt Winch, Michele Molea, Mike Bollendorf, Mike Colon, Myles Roberts, Reed Ratynski, Rob Rathbun, Russell Poole, Ryan Breheny, Sean Donohue, Seth Harkins, Tony Condon, Wendy Bink, and Wesley Craig.

05/15/2026

We're definitely "sold" on this new hire!

ADKS is pleased to introduce Tanner Holcomb as the newest member of our Business Development team!

Tanner comes to ADKS with a broad experience base and a host of achievements. For six years, he served in the United States Air Force, where he was deployed to Germany as part of the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine and served in the Joint Logistics Directorate. During his post, he oversaw transportation of $6.8 billion in equipment transferred to Ukraine from hundreds of U.S.-owned facilities worldwide. While at the Pentagon, Tanner oversaw modernization and innovation projects designed for integration in USAF logistics and asset maintenance functions around the world, and dozens of the initiatives he led were scaled and sustained to global operations.

In his most recent civilian role, Tanner closed over $100,000 in event sponsorships in only three months, partnering with major brands including Raising Cane's, Whataburger, Astound Broadband and dozens more, and supporting youth sports camps hosted by such legends as Jared Goff, Saquon Barkley, Bo Nix and Mike Trout.

His core competencies include communication, relationship building, storytelling, operations and logistics, and collaboration. He is a Certified Scrum Master and Certified Theory of Constraints Facilitator, and he holds a Bachelor of Science in Management (Business) from the US Air Force Academy.

Though he'll be based in Orlando, Florida, Tanner looks forward to serving our clients across North America. Join us in giving him a warm welcome, and expect to see him repping ADKS at conferences, events and tradeshows in the near future.

05/13/2026

When Junior Technical Designer Nasreen Kadavath started her journey at ADKS ME, she knew she'd found the opportunity to create impactful design work. What she was surprised to discover was that she'd also found a community of supporters eager to help her succeed.

Since Nasreen joined ADKS ME, she has been a contributed to such clients and projects as Miral, Ramsat, SEVEN, ALEC, Morganti, Warner Bros. Abu Dhabi and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. She speaks five languages, is proficient in Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, Revizto and Revit Dynamo, and holds a Bachelors of Technology degree in Civil Engineering.

While she may be a creative force in the shop, Nasreen also loves to take her artistic talents home. Discover her "model" for a perfect day off, as well as how she "stitches" her leisure time together in a way that sparks her imagination and invigorates her work.

When Junior Technical Designer Nasreen Karadavath started her journey at ADKS ME, she knew she'd found the opportunity to create impactful design work. What ...

05/12/2026

With striking architecture and a 35,000-square-meter footprint, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is a key cultural landmark in the UAE capital. Visitors can enjoy immersive storytelling that spans 13.8 billion years, from the birth of the solar system to the future.

From a themed entertainment and museum standpoint, the project marks a milestone in technical precision and collaborative artistry. As such, Adirondack Studios Middle East (ADKS ME) was selected by Miral Experiences, ALEC FITOUT and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) as a fabrication partner for this monumental project.

Our Dubai fabrication facility, comprised of 4,000 square meters and employing over 100 designers, fabricators and project managers, played a vital role in bringing the museum's prehistoric and contemporary settings to life through intricate ground forms and custom fabrication.

In our latest blooloop feature, discover how our artisans and craftspeople created landscapes from the tundra to the desert, and how our work on the Natural History of Museum Abu Dhabi reflects ADKS ME's astonishing growth over the last 11 years.

Want to learn more about Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and our other ADKS and ADKS ME museum projects? Then send us a DM and set up a chat with Director of Global Marketing & Growth Clara Rice at the American Alliance of Museums Annual Conference & Museum Expo 20-23 May.

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A special thank you to our colleagues at Gekko, Qugga, Wētā Workshop Ltd and Volumetric, as well as our ADKS ME team: Archaya Prasad, Albin Tolentino, Amr Ahmed, Ana May Dimaano, Anan Latchompu, Angeles Dayandante, Annalisa Mari, Arif Niazi, Arnel Mogol, Bayon Carlo, Con Strydom, David Antiporda, Edric Tiglao, Enrico Santos, Francisco Tolentino, Gerry Pelarin, Grietje Caels, Harris Ragos, Herrera Arvin, Jahnny Derramas, Jan Chester San Pedro, Jefferson Telan, Jeffrey Pabalate, Jilbert Silverio, Joel Milo, Joel Tejada, Johan Van Staden, John Palaya, Jonathan Torio, Jose Noy Navato, JR Silverio, Nasreen Kadavath, Kitiphan Wachaem, Lalita Numas, Manny Ronquillo, Marc Julius Wangkay, Mark Anthony Ariz, Mark Anthony Macatangay, Mark Michael Dela Cruz de Jesus, Matt Dean, Michael Castilla, Muhammed Kalem-Ullah, Muhammad Naeem Muhammed Saleem, Muhammed Tayyab, Nattavat Yuvranon, Nick Moroney, Paul Arwingan, Pradeep Vettoremal, Rajan Nishad, Rajean Sue Amillet Miranda, Raul Torion, Renjith Raju, Reynaldo Tapia, Ricky Salaver, Romel Sajol, Rosendo Ybanez, Safadar Ali, Sally van der Merwe, Sanupmon Vadakkedath, Sonu Kuttapan, Sweta Pokharel, Tanit Kuesom, Thanksin Sattaporn, Thanapol Wirasorn, Viviana Milella, and Zain Safdar. Additional crew provided by Abaq, BrightSun and Sahani Ganesh.

Scientifically accurate exhibits include ground forms, asteroids, and 'micro-magnified' particles

05/11/2026

In a previous post, we shared the pouncing process used to create the main set piece for the Philadelphia Ballet's production of "Romeo and Juliet."

Our upstate NY team fabricated a 10'x13'x2'6" freestanding book, which opens to reveal five custom painted pages. The book is designed to be viewed closed as well as opened, and one cover features a mirrored surface. Dancers open the pages to change the scene and further the story. See the work in progress here: https://youtube.com/shorts/E4KdQkaUHD8?si=2ru5LluX7ePL6747.

Now, behold the finished product!

Congratulations again to the cast, designers, and crew on their successful run of "Romeo & Juliet" and to the dozens of ADKS artists and craftspeople who turned an engineering challenge into a scenic marvel.



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📷: Thays Golz and Zecheng Liang of Philadelphia Ballet in 'Romeo and Juliet,' choreography by Juliano Nunes. Photo by Alezander Iziliaev.

05/11/2026

Professional pics from the Themed Entertainment Association Thea Awards are here, and we must say, our team cleans up nice. 😎

From left to right: Jessie Shur, Carita Petta, Jody Slagle, Michael Blau, Matt Reardon, Clara Rice, Jeff Moulton, Bill Grayson



📷: PB and J Studios