Jenna Balute

Project Manager

Jenna joined The Brooklyn Studio as a Project Designer in 2016. She is currently working on a range of residential projects from rowhouse rehabilitations to new construction single-family homes. Jenna has also worked with Morris Adjmi Architects, where she gained experience in large scale mixed-use projects.

After earning her Bachelor of Architecture from the American University of Beirut in her hometown, she collaborated on the rehabilitation of a historic Lebanese house with local architect Simone Kosremelli. This experience inspired Jenna to earn her Post-Professional Master of Arts in Adaptive Reuse/Interior Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). There, she focused on the reuse of materials, transformative interventions, and the preservation of memory. Jenna contributed to RISD’s community by working as a teaching assistant in the Interior Architecutre MDes summer program. She was also involved in the publication of the IntAR Journal of Interventions and Adaptive Reuse.

After graduating, Jenna moved to Brooklyn to put her strong skillset into action. Jenna brings her knowledge of multiple languages to the office. She was initially draw to The Brooklyn Studio’s innovative and progressive approach to addressing design issues intrinsic to the adaptive reuse of existing structures.

The Proust Questionnaire

Taking inspiration from a popular nineteenth-century parlor game, we sat down with each member of our team and asked them a few questions about their inspirations and aspirations.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Being with my dog and husband.

What is your greatest fear?

Not being with my dog and husband.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Good coffee.

What talent would you most like to have?

Playing the violin.

What is your favorite color?

Cobalt blue.

What is your favorite virtue?

Empathy.

Which living architect or designer do you most admire?

Mariam Kamara, principal of Atelier Masōmī.

Which dead architect or designer do you most admire?

Eileen Gray.

What is the trait that you most appreciate in a building?

Serenity.

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

I enjoy working on projects that address design issues intrinsic to the reuse and transformation of existing structures.

Who is your favorite author?

Milan Kundera.

Who is your hero of fiction?

Mary Poppins.

Who is your favorite artist?

Gordon Matta-Clark, Rachel Whiteread, and Christo Vladimirov Javacheff. I love site-specific installation art.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Helen of Troy.

What is your most treasured possession?

My Nespresso machines.

Where would you like to live?

Brooklyn. There is no place like it.

What quality do you most admire in others?

Joie de vivre.

Stranded on a desert island, you have two books in your possession. What are they?

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (which counts as two books).