Our History

Coppa Montalbano Architects, formally Comerro Coppa Architects, has a long history in dating back to its founding in 1956 started by the late Harold Comerro. Steve Coppa has been a part of this organization since 1984 and Mark Montalbano rejoined the firm in the spring of 2016 forming Coppa Montalbano Architects (CMA). Mark and Steve have a strong relationship dating back to 1999 and a combined working experience of over 50 years. CMA’s philosophy of good design, personal service to all our clients, and utilization of cost effective methods and materials, has served the firm well in our 69th year.

CMA is a full service architectural, planning and interior design firm committed to serving our clients with the best possible design within their budgetary constraints.

Our reputation is our single biggest asset and it is a testament to past performance and philosophy that the majority of our work is with repeat clients. CMA is small enough to provide principal participation in each and every project, and large enough to handle complex and challenging design commissions. Our experience is well rounded, our staff has been together for near 20 years, and the leadership of the principals brings over 60 years of hands on expertise to the table of any commission. We include the offering to each project the most sophisticated new technology in computer aided design, 3D modeling, and virtual walk thru, visualizations. Computer technology is imbued within the fabric of our everyday working environment, becoming an invaluable asset, assisting us to provide the most complete and accurate realization of our design intent.

The firm has extensive experience with the design and construction administration of many building types including institutional, commercial, educational, medical, laboratory, penal, residential, and other specialized computer and technology oriented projects. Our designs have also addressed high density in crowded urban centers, as well as large complexes on expansive open tracts of land.  We have strong background in preservation architecture, and adaptive re-use, having worked in Paterson, and its environs, where many older mills and factories, have now been given a second life, with new purpose.

We have strong background in preservation architecture, and adaptive re-use, having worked in Paterson, and its environs, where many older mills and factories, have now been given a second life, with new purpose.

No matter the type of project, nor the constraints placed upon it, our design methodology remains the same. Listen carefully to the client, respond to their needs, and prepare designs that meet their goals and expectations. This is the core belief shared by all those at Coppa Montalbano Architects.

Leadership

Steven M. Coppa, AIA

Partner
Education: Catholic University of America & University of Pennsylvania

Bio: Steve Coppa has been involved in all aspects of the profession, from apprentice to owning and managing his own firm. His experience includes buildings in education, beginning with early child development to post-secondary academic facilities, the corrections field, juvenile justice, municipal and civic buildings, medical and allied fields, radiation medicine, commercial and industrial buildings, housing and recreation and arts buildings.

Mark B. Montalbano, AIA

Partner
Education: Pratt Institute

Bio:  Mark has extensive experience in multiple public and private sectors.  The earlier part of Mark’s career was spent as project manager with Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, and Kohn Pederson and Fox in New York City. While there, Mark was involved with high end corporate, institutional and celebrity type residential projects. This experience has lead Mark to other similar type clients over his 23 plus year career.

Mark has also had extensive experience with challenging urban adaptive reuse projects as well as older historic building restorations and corporate and industrial projects of varying scale. He has assisted the New York Archdiocese on several religious and annex structure for multiple church organizations throughout New York and other religious institutions in New Jersey.

Trav J. New AIA

Associate
Education: New Jersey Institute of Technology

Bio: Trav’s area of focus throughout his academic and professional career have been in the areas of resiliency, security, and sustainability. He has presented his work to representatives of FEMA, Homeland Security, and the Governor’s office as well as being a presenter at the Precast Concrete Institute Convention in Grapevine Texas. In his career, Trav has been involved with all phases of the design process and client management on a variety of projects. He is experienced with commercial, Industrial, retail, and governmental projects.

Tim Ferraro

Associate

Bio: Tim has more than 20 years of educational, municipal and residential experience throughout his architectural career. He is involved with the planning, design, construction documents and construction administration phases of a variety of projects. Tim has successfully managed governmental projects and school projects ranging from early childhood development through post-secondary.

Our Clients

Educational

Belleville Early Childhood Center
Clifton BOE
Ethical Community Charter School – JC
Jersey City Golden Door Charter School
NJ Schools Construction Corporation
NJ Economic Development Authority
Passaic County Technical Institute
Paterson Charter School Paterson Public Schools
Totowa BOE
Wharton BOE
Woodland Park BOE

Civic

Bloomingdale
Hoboken, The City of
Little Falls Township
North Bergen
North Haledon
Passaic County
Paterson
Pequannock
Pompton Lakes
The City of Jersey City
The State of New Jersey
Totowa Borough
United States Department of Agriculture
Wayne Township
Westwood
Woodlland Park

Commercial · Corporate · Industrial

APL Limited
ATCO
Biogenesis
Broadway Bank
Caravan Products
Columbia Savings Bank
Commercial Realty Group
Corporate Contracting
Crestron-Volvo
Ethan Allen
Golden Bear Golf Center
Gro-Mex
Honda Motorcycles Dealership
Holiday Inn
Hudson United Bank
KARI-OUT
Market Basket
National Community Bank
Nissan Dealership
P.F. Laboratories
Pow-Pack
Prudential Bank
Totowa Mazda
Unlmtd Real Estate
Winn Development
Winfield Capital

Higher Education

County College of Morris
Felician University
Passaic County Community College
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Stevens Institute of Technology
William Paterson University

Housing Authorities

Cliffside Park Housing Authority
Edgewater Housing Authority
Fort Lee Housing Authority
Freehold Housing Authority
Passaic County Affordable Housing
Paterson Housing Authority
Red Bank Housing Authority
Secaucus Housing Authority

Organizations

Archdiocese of New York
Archdiocese of Paterson
Arcola Country Club
Greenbrook Country Club
Hindu Temple, West Orange, NJ
Holland Christian Home
Morris County Boys and Girls Club
New Jersey DMV
North Jersey Country Club
Oasis: Haven for Women
Paterson Boys and Girls Club
Preakness Healthcare Center
Preakness Hills Country Club
Rockaway River Country Club
Saint Andrew Kim Church
Saint Johns of Paterson
Saint Mary’s Hospital
Springbrook Country Club
St. Anthony of Padua Church, Caldwell, NJ
Young Men’s Christian Association
Young Woman’s Christian Association