About Us
Approach
Our approach to architecture and interior design is at once rigorously academic and endlessly playful. We take seriously our role as stewards of the built environment — always mindful of the historical, cultural, and environmental context in which we work.
We also embrace the opportunity to modernize and to personalize, meeting each of our clients’ unique programmatic goals. We delight in playing with traditional forms, from the bonding of brick and the arrangement of windows to the appointment of fixtures and furnishings.
The result is a body of work that reflects the very nature of architecture and design: a conversation across time, transcending generations, cultures, and sensibilities.
Guiding Principles
Our work is guided by three simple principles: Place, Craftsmanship, and Experience. Together, these principles form the foundation of our design philosophy.
Place
Architecture and interior design exist in perpetual dialogue with their environment. Our work honors this connection. Whether rehabilitating a brownstone, designing a new building from the ground up, or reimagining the interior of a pre-war apartment, we are deeply sensitive to the existing elements — scale, rhythm, proportion, ornament, and light — which coalesce to create a sense of place.
Craftsmanship
Our work reflects a profound appreciation for craftsmanship, materiality, and technique. We use durable, reliable materials, and we combine traditional techniques with contemporary methods to create enduring designs.
Experience
We celebrate the shared experience of architecture and interior design. It is a tie that binds communities, capable of enriching lives and inspiring joy. We imbue buildings and spaces with life, creating memorable and delightful experiences for our clients, for the community, and for generations to come.
The Endlessly Adaptable Rowhouse
At the center of our approach to architecture and design sits the modest nineteenth-century rowhouse. The rowhouse is a fundamental building block of the city, the essence of New York’s architectural vernacular. An endlessly adaptable structure, the rowhouse provides a blueprint for community-based living, and it offers a unique model for sustainability.
Over the last twenty-seven years, The Brooklyn Studio has rehabilitated more than 150 rowhouses. Our extensive expertise with nineteenth and early twentieth-century masonry structures has come to define our practice, and we have built a reputation as one of New York City’s leading rowhouse architecture firms.
Interior Design
Interior design is an integral part of our practice. We develop a seamless and consistent design language throughout our projects — from the exterior structure to the arrangement of rooms to the furnishings and decor.
Our in-house interior designers collaborate closely with our architects, resulting in cohesively designed homes and streamlined communication.
Building a Sustainable Future
Our approach to sustainability goes hand-in-hand with our approach to architecture: we are stewards of the environment. This begins with the act of rehabilitation. By preserving, adapting, and modernizing historic buildings, we aim to extend the life of these structures by another century.
We continually make use of the latest sustainable materials and construction methods. We incorporate solar arrays and green roofs wherever possible. And starting in 2021, we began designing our projects to meet or approach Passive House standards.
We have proudly committed to the 2030 Challenge, with the goal of designing buildings that are 100% carbon neutral by the year 2030.
Brooklyn: The City of Homes
The Brooklyn Studio was founded on the top floor of a brownstone in Cobble Hill. Today, we are headquartered in the Dumbo Historic District. Brooklyn is forever our home, and the values of this exceptional place are woven into our DNA.
The self-proclaimed “City of Homes and Churches,” Brooklyn is largely characterized by its nineteenth and early twentieth-century urban fabric: the majestic Brooklyn Bridge, the pastoral meadows of Prospect Park, and the sturdy brownstones that adorn its tree-lined streets. This enduring infrastructure provides us with an endless source of inspiration.
All of our work is tied to and informed by the basic values of Brooklyn — its architecture, its public spaces, its people, and most of all, its human scale.
Our Studio
The Brooklyn Studio is comprised of more than thirty architects, interior designers, and creatives. We are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive practice. Our team hails from five continents, and our office is home to seven native languages. We believe that the power of diversity enriches our work: it provides us with a broad framework to understand and engage with our community, address challenges, and design innovative solutions.
