Stories & Insights
Reflections on design, process, and the art of creating meaningful spaces. From project narratives to practical guidance for clients.
On Materiality: Lessons from Mountain Architecture
The alpine environment teaches restraint and respect. Here, materials must weather, age gracefully, and feel inevitable within the landscape.
5 Things to Know Before Renovating in a Major City
5 Things to Know Before Renovating in a Major City 1. Timelines Are Always Longer Urban renovations move slowly—busy contractors, hidden conditions, and old infrastructure add delays. Add at least 30% to your expected schedule. 2. Your Building Board Has Its Own Rules Even with city permits, co-ops and building boards can impose extra approvals, restricted hours, higher insurance, and formal presentations. Start this process early. 3. Historic Districts Add Layers of Approval Landmarked buildings require review of exterior—and sometimes interior—changes. Expect 2–6 extra months and tighter design constraints. 4. Budget for the Invisible Older buildings contain surprises: outdated wiring, deteriorated structure, asbestos, hidden plumbing. Keep 15–20% of your budget reserved for contingencies. 5. The Right Local Team Is Essential Choose an architect, contractor, and expediter with deep city-specific experience—knowing local agencies, inspectors, and subcontractors often matters as much as technical skill. The Upside Despite the complexity, renovating in cities like Paris, London, or NYC yields extraordinary results. With the right preparation and team, you can unlock the full potential of historic urban architecture.
Behind the Design: Glass Pavilion Residence
An in-depth look at the design journey of our award-winning residence, from initial concept to completed home.
Working Within a Historic buildings
Design Process: Working Within a Historic buildings Venetian Palazzo Intervention within a listed Venetian palazzo required full adherence to municipal and heritage-protection regulations, with all works designed to preserve the existing structural and decorative fabric. The scope concerned the redistribution and complete MEP redevelopment of the ground, second, and third floors. Architectural modifications were limited to non-load-bearing partitions, ensuring no impact on the building’s historic structure or foundations. New service networks were routed through existing shafts, residual cavities, and controlled passages within bespoke joinery, or applied externally in regulated, fully reversible configurations to avoid invasive works on original walls. All historic finishes were maintained, consolidated, or restored according to conservation standards. The project concluded with an integrated furnishing and lighting scheme, ensuring functional upgrading while retaining full compatibility with the building’s architectural and regulatory constraints.
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