Richard P. Tokarski, AIA, LEED AP

Richard Tokarski is the founding principal of Tokarski Millemann Architects, LLC. He went into private practice in 1999 after working for two of New Jersey’s largest school design firms. While his early career touted extensive work on K-12 educational facilities, his current experience includes religious facilities, restaurants, and commercial ventures and high-end custom modern residential homes. Rick enjoys listening to his clients and finds himself inspired by their stories, their passions and their dreams. He feels it is his job as an architect to transform their dreams, however abstract, into an artistic integration expressed in a built form. This is the language of architecture. This synthesis of forms is done through brainstorming, sketching, model making and periodically by what he refers to as ‘a divine download’: an idea is birthed out of his inspired spirit — true inspiration. Some of Rick’s religious projects include New Beginnings Church in Brick, the Church of Grace and Peace in Toms River, Restoration Family Worship Center in Howell, and a renovated building in Jersey City to house the Hope Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. In the higher education arena, he managed the MicroBiology Laboratory, Food Science Laboratory, Genetics Counseling Offices and a DNA Repository Building for Rutgers University and designed an athletic field house for St. Peter’s University. His K-12 clients include Bay Head, Lavallette, and Seaside Park. The Borough of Manasquan has been a great client allowing us to re-imagine and build their Sea Watch Beach Pavilion facility and renovate the exterior of the municipal building to give a unifed architecture to the township’s civic buildings. He has worked with the Playa Bowls, Broadway Hot & Honey Chicken, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Bubbakoo’s Burritos to establish stores throughout New Jersey. Rick is passionate about distinctive designs that foster creative solutions for his clients. His experience in custom residential projects is comprehensive and includes: new custom homes, major additions, flood elevations, interior and exterior alterations. Mr. Tokarski has also completed extensive renovations of existing buildings for seven Ashley Furniture HomeStore locations in New Jersey and Staten Island. Working with the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, he has guided the process of a new masterplan for Camp Agnes DeWitt in Hillsborough, which included a new STEM activities building. His varied experience does not end there. Additionally, he has assisted Irwin Lincoln-Mercury-Mazda in obtaining planning board and historical review committee approval for the expansion of their dealership and facility in Freehold Township. He also completed an addition and EBE program upgrades to Richard Lucas Chevrolet in Avenel. Prior to starting his career, Rick had the privilege of traveling throughout Italy, France and Switzerland, studying architecture and enhancing his formal education. Mr. Tokarski, his wife Joanne, and their four children reside in Brick Township.