BIO

Jason Davoli’s blend of real world, pragmatic design and construction experience with true artisanal creativity began at upstate NY’s Alfred University where he received a BFA in 2000.  Alfred was founded on the design principles of the famed Bauhaus movement, as well as conceptual art, which left Davoli ultimately yearning to learn more practical applications for his work. There, Jason dove headfirst into a wide range of media: sculpture, ceramics, photography, glass blowing, wood working, foundry, mix media, conceptual work.  Rochester Institute of Design was next where he studied Industrial Design and earned a CAD certificate.

Work with the legendary American modernist sculptor Arthur Paley followed, 2004-2008, an experience Jason describes as “an eye opener.”  There was plenty of hands-on experience utilizing grinders, disc sanders, belt sanders, torch-cutting steel plate, and plasma cutting shapes out of sheet metal.  Also bending thick stock straight out of a forge, hammering sheet metal into wood molds, stamping sheet metal, heating and bending with large rosebuds–everything from the delicacy of jewelry torching, to using power and drop hammers.  It was also here that Jason became part of the design process by assembling all scales of models and fabricating small prototypes for large scale commission projects. Working with teams of people became commonplace to complete large corporate art sculptures before due dates: “You had to hire people, have a crew, have a product line and still be able to sell projects on line,” notes Davoli.  “There were multiple things going on at one time, including construction of Paley’s massive, large scale pieces.”

The chance to work in New York City was too good to pass up however, and in 2008, Jason became an installer and a fabricator at Kern/Rockenfield, Inc.,
a fast-paced high-end architectural metal fabrication company.  Here Jason was following in the footsteps of budding art star Roxy Paine, who had since branched out on his own.  Among his new executive functions at Kern/Rockenfeld were advanced hands-on support to top general contractors, interpreting CAD drawings from Engineers, Architects, and Interior Designers and ordering necessary stock, hardware, consumables, and abrasives to keep operations flowing smoothly.   

Long hours and extra days were often required to meet project completion deadlines and coordinate the execution and installation of what would become client-winning Architectural Digest/Dwell content.  Other major oversight functions were the planning and assembling of materials for high-profile client meetings, such as samples, and maintaining constant transparent communication between upper management and employees in the field, as well as communication/camaraderie between exterior trades on site.   Or as CEO John Kern states, ““We needed to streamline production of a specific part of a project in order for the overall jobsite to be complete by a tight deadline for a difficult client. I reached out to Jason Davoli for the assignment.  He then analyzed the situation and developed a more efficient process that we used to complete the project on time. He did a great job managing the project from start to finish, from fabrication to install.”

Jason reflects, “as a primary installer, I got to work the job sites, got to interact and know people, met the Architects & material designer, had to work well with all the trades, the craftsmen, the union guys.  I developed the ability to go on any job site and create camaraderie between the contractors and subcontractors.  In the end, you need something that you don’t have on site, a tool perhaps, and they need something that you have.  Ultimately, it’s all karma, what goes around comes around.”

The creation of JDavoliDesign,Inc. was the next logical step and that’s what Jason has directed as Owner/President from 2016 until the present day. 
Providing advanced architectural metal fabrication and project support on site for general contractors as a sub-contractor, Jason now brings over 12 years of
highly motivated, hands-on professional experience in a fast-paced architectural metal fabrication environment to high-profile residential projects.
All while maintaining his long-standing exceptional attention to detail and talent for managing information, researching and training employees on new techniques for fabrication and installation that significantly reduce build and install time.  Other skill sets Jason brings to the table are an innate ability to decipher when in-house accounting, drafting, and estimating is necessary and when outsourcing is most efficient.  He is prepared with best-practice guidelines for in-house employees for fabrication and on-site installation, and flexible enough to hire temporary employees when necessary.  And in project management and coordination, JDavoliDesign,Inc. enables metal work to be integrated with millwork and other trades’ material. They offer alternative solutions to general contractors for problems that arise on job sites, resulting in more accessible information and enhanced support for clients. 
Jason is certified in Site Safety Training with the SST Supervisor OSHA 62HR.

Throughout Davoli’s career, he has had the opportunity to work for world renowned architects. While at Kern/Rockenfield, Jason met the late Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey Siegel & Assoc. producing architectural accents for Gwathmey himself. Charles was a positive influence and was always fond of the artisans that that helped his visions come to life. Davoli had the privilege of welding a giant monolith staircase for Kang of Kang Modern, Gwathmey’s former understudy. Jason also worked closely with Annabelle Selldorf of Selldorf Architects on a major staircase for a prominent gallery owner Larry Gagosian. Upon the initial creation of JDavoliDesign, Jason started altering freshly imported metal work for starchitect Bjarke Ingels at his new penthouse in Dumbo. Davoli also immediately started chipping away at architectural accents for Richard Meier & Partners Architects.

Grazie tante,

Benjamin Liemer