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What a treat to spend an evening celebrating the inaugural class of @elledecor Rising Stars @cove.ny. A great big congratulations to all 35 honorees - and really, it’s quite a list. Wildly diverse and well worth a deep dive.

Three from our nominations were there to celebrate (@thomasyangstudio @present__practice @chromasf) but it was so special to see and meet many of the other Rising Stars and to feel the promise of emerging practices that are already making waves and meaningful change in the design world. A huge thank you to @elk_elisa @fourhandsfurniture and @cristobalita for bringing us together for this special purpose and the loveliest evening. Here’s to more of this!

What a treat to spend an evening celebrating the inaugural class of @elledecor Rising Stars @cove.ny. A great big congratulations to all 35 honorees - and really, it’s quite a list. Wildly diverse and well worth a deep dive.

Three from our nominations were there to celebrate (@thomasyangstudio @present__practice @chromasf) but it was so special to see and meet many of the other Rising Stars and to feel the promise of emerging practices that are already making waves and meaningful change in the design world. A huge thank you to @elk_elisa @fourhandsfurniture and @cristobalita for bringing us together for this special purpose and the loveliest evening. Here’s to more of this!

What a treat to spend an evening celebrating the inaugural class of @elledecor Rising Stars @cove.ny. A great big congratulations to all 35 honorees - and really, it’s quite a list. Wildly diverse and well worth a deep dive.

Three from our nominations were there to celebrate (@thomasyangstudio @present__practice @chromasf) but it was so special to see and meet many of the other Rising Stars and to feel the promise of emerging practices that are already making waves and meaningful change in the design world. A huge thank you to @elk_elisa @fourhandsfurniture and @cristobalita for bringing us together for this special purpose and the loveliest evening. Here’s to more of this!

What a treat to spend an evening celebrating the inaugural class of @elledecor Rising Stars @cove.ny. A great big congratulations to all 35 honorees - and really, it’s quite a list. Wildly diverse and well worth a deep dive.

Three from our nominations were there to celebrate (@thomasyangstudio @present__practice @chromasf) but it was so special to see and meet many of the other Rising Stars and to feel the promise of emerging practices that are already making waves and meaningful change in the design world. A huge thank you to @elk_elisa @fourhandsfurniture and @cristobalita for bringing us together for this special purpose and the loveliest evening. Here’s to more of this!

What a treat to spend an evening celebrating the inaugural class of @elledecor Rising Stars @cove.ny. A great big congratulations to all 35 honorees - and really, it’s quite a list. Wildly diverse and well worth a deep dive.

Three from our nominations were there to celebrate (@thomasyangstudio @present__practice @chromasf) but it was so special to see and meet many of the other Rising Stars and to feel the promise of emerging practices that are already making waves and meaningful change in the design world. A huge thank you to @elk_elisa @fourhandsfurniture and @cristobalita for bringing us together for this special purpose and the loveliest evening. Here’s to more of this!

What a treat to spend an evening celebrating the inaugural class of @elledecor Rising Stars @cove.ny. A great big congratulations to all 35 honorees - and really, it’s quite a list. Wildly diverse and well worth a deep dive.

Three from our nominations were there to celebrate (@thomasyangstudio @present__practice @chromasf) but it was so special to see and meet many of the other Rising Stars and to feel the promise of emerging practices that are already making waves and meaningful change in the design world. A huge thank you to @elk_elisa @fourhandsfurniture and @cristobalita for bringing us together for this special purpose and the loveliest evening. Here’s to more of this!

What a treat to spend an evening celebrating the inaugural class of @elledecor Rising Stars @cove.ny. A great big congratulations to all 35 honorees - and really, it’s quite a list. Wildly diverse and well worth a deep dive.

Three from our nominations were there to celebrate (@thomasyangstudio @present__practice @chromasf) but it was so special to see and meet many of the other Rising Stars and to feel the promise of emerging practices that are already making waves and meaningful change in the design world. A huge thank you to @elk_elisa @fourhandsfurniture and @cristobalita for bringing us together for this special purpose and the loveliest evening. Here’s to more of this!

What a treat to spend an evening celebrating the inaugural class of @elledecor Rising Stars @cove.ny. A great big congratulations to all 35 honorees - and really, it’s quite a list. Wildly diverse and well worth a deep dive.

Three from our nominations were there to celebrate (@thomasyangstudio @present__practice @chromasf) but it was so special to see and meet many of the other Rising Stars and to feel the promise of emerging practices that are already making waves and meaningful change in the design world. A huge thank you to @elk_elisa @fourhandsfurniture and @cristobalita for bringing us together for this special purpose and the loveliest evening. Here’s to more of this!

A before and after. Our transformation of an expansive Upper West Side townhouse for a really fun family with young children centered on bringing clarity, light, and spatial cohesion to a building that had been reconstructed and expanded over decades through successive renovations. What was once a rambling series of disconnected rooms became a fluid sequence of spaces organized around movement, openness, and the rhythms of family life. See the full feature @elledecor.

The design seeks a balance between architectural order and domestic energy: opening sightlines and movement through the house, expanding thetransitions between rooms, and layering warm materials, strategic lighting, and unfussy but considered furnishings throughout. The interiors are relaxed yet precise - spaces that welcome play dates, large gatherings, moments of quiet, and everyday life with ease.

Here, the before and after of the combined ground floor kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces that open onto a double-width rear yard, along with the upstairs family room, transformed from what had once been a stiff formal dining room.

Built by @structurenyc, landscape by @brooklandscape, photos by @brookeholm #brownstone #townhouse #beforeandafter

A before and after. Our transformation of an expansive Upper West Side townhouse for a really fun family with young children centered on bringing clarity, light, and spatial cohesion to a building that had been reconstructed and expanded over decades through successive renovations. What was once a rambling series of disconnected rooms became a fluid sequence of spaces organized around movement, openness, and the rhythms of family life. See the full feature @elledecor.

The design seeks a balance between architectural order and domestic energy: opening sightlines and movement through the house, expanding thetransitions between rooms, and layering warm materials, strategic lighting, and unfussy but considered furnishings throughout. The interiors are relaxed yet precise - spaces that welcome play dates, large gatherings, moments of quiet, and everyday life with ease.

Here, the before and after of the combined ground floor kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces that open onto a double-width rear yard, along with the upstairs family room, transformed from what had once been a stiff formal dining room.

Built by @structurenyc, landscape by @brooklandscape, photos by @brookeholm #brownstone #townhouse #beforeandafter

A before and after. Our transformation of an expansive Upper West Side townhouse for a really fun family with young children centered on bringing clarity, light, and spatial cohesion to a building that had been reconstructed and expanded over decades through successive renovations. What was once a rambling series of disconnected rooms became a fluid sequence of spaces organized around movement, openness, and the rhythms of family life. See the full feature @elledecor.

The design seeks a balance between architectural order and domestic energy: opening sightlines and movement through the house, expanding thetransitions between rooms, and layering warm materials, strategic lighting, and unfussy but considered furnishings throughout. The interiors are relaxed yet precise - spaces that welcome play dates, large gatherings, moments of quiet, and everyday life with ease.

Here, the before and after of the combined ground floor kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces that open onto a double-width rear yard, along with the upstairs family room, transformed from what had once been a stiff formal dining room.

Built by @structurenyc, landscape by @brooklandscape, photos by @brookeholm #brownstone #townhouse #beforeandafter

A before and after. Our transformation of an expansive Upper West Side townhouse for a really fun family with young children centered on bringing clarity, light, and spatial cohesion to a building that had been reconstructed and expanded over decades through successive renovations. What was once a rambling series of disconnected rooms became a fluid sequence of spaces organized around movement, openness, and the rhythms of family life. See the full feature @elledecor.

The design seeks a balance between architectural order and domestic energy: opening sightlines and movement through the house, expanding thetransitions between rooms, and layering warm materials, strategic lighting, and unfussy but considered furnishings throughout. The interiors are relaxed yet precise - spaces that welcome play dates, large gatherings, moments of quiet, and everyday life with ease.

Here, the before and after of the combined ground floor kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces that open onto a double-width rear yard, along with the upstairs family room, transformed from what had once been a stiff formal dining room.

Built by @structurenyc, landscape by @brooklandscape, photos by @brookeholm #brownstone #townhouse #beforeandafter

A before and after. Our transformation of an expansive Upper West Side townhouse for a really fun family with young children centered on bringing clarity, light, and spatial cohesion to a building that had been reconstructed and expanded over decades through successive renovations. What was once a rambling series of disconnected rooms became a fluid sequence of spaces organized around movement, openness, and the rhythms of family life. See the full feature @elledecor.

The design seeks a balance between architectural order and domestic energy: opening sightlines and movement through the house, expanding thetransitions between rooms, and layering warm materials, strategic lighting, and unfussy but considered furnishings throughout. The interiors are relaxed yet precise - spaces that welcome play dates, large gatherings, moments of quiet, and everyday life with ease.

Here, the before and after of the combined ground floor kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces that open onto a double-width rear yard, along with the upstairs family room, transformed from what had once been a stiff formal dining room.

Built by @structurenyc, landscape by @brooklandscape, photos by @brookeholm #brownstone #townhouse #beforeandafter

A before and after. Our transformation of an expansive Upper West Side townhouse for a really fun family with young children centered on bringing clarity, light, and spatial cohesion to a building that had been reconstructed and expanded over decades through successive renovations. What was once a rambling series of disconnected rooms became a fluid sequence of spaces organized around movement, openness, and the rhythms of family life. See the full feature @elledecor.

The design seeks a balance between architectural order and domestic energy: opening sightlines and movement through the house, expanding thetransitions between rooms, and layering warm materials, strategic lighting, and unfussy but considered furnishings throughout. The interiors are relaxed yet precise - spaces that welcome play dates, large gatherings, moments of quiet, and everyday life with ease.

Here, the before and after of the combined ground floor kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces that open onto a double-width rear yard, along with the upstairs family room, transformed from what had once been a stiff formal dining room.

Built by @structurenyc, landscape by @brooklandscape, photos by @brookeholm #brownstone #townhouse #beforeandafter

A before and after. Our transformation of an expansive Upper West Side townhouse for a really fun family with young children centered on bringing clarity, light, and spatial cohesion to a building that had been reconstructed and expanded over decades through successive renovations. What was once a rambling series of disconnected rooms became a fluid sequence of spaces organized around movement, openness, and the rhythms of family life. See the full feature @elledecor.

The design seeks a balance between architectural order and domestic energy: opening sightlines and movement through the house, expanding thetransitions between rooms, and layering warm materials, strategic lighting, and unfussy but considered furnishings throughout. The interiors are relaxed yet precise - spaces that welcome play dates, large gatherings, moments of quiet, and everyday life with ease.

Here, the before and after of the combined ground floor kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces that open onto a double-width rear yard, along with the upstairs family room, transformed from what had once been a stiff formal dining room.

Built by @structurenyc, landscape by @brooklandscape, photos by @brookeholm #brownstone #townhouse #beforeandafter

A before and after. Our transformation of an expansive Upper West Side townhouse for a really fun family with young children centered on bringing clarity, light, and spatial cohesion to a building that had been reconstructed and expanded over decades through successive renovations. What was once a rambling series of disconnected rooms became a fluid sequence of spaces organized around movement, openness, and the rhythms of family life. See the full feature @elledecor.

The design seeks a balance between architectural order and domestic energy: opening sightlines and movement through the house, expanding thetransitions between rooms, and layering warm materials, strategic lighting, and unfussy but considered furnishings throughout. The interiors are relaxed yet precise - spaces that welcome play dates, large gatherings, moments of quiet, and everyday life with ease.

Here, the before and after of the combined ground floor kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces that open onto a double-width rear yard, along with the upstairs family room, transformed from what had once been a stiff formal dining room.

Built by @structurenyc, landscape by @brooklandscape, photos by @brookeholm #brownstone #townhouse #beforeandafter

I'm moderating a lecture with Michael K. Chen at CUNY CityTech on Wednesday at 6:00 PM. Come join us! "Beside, Between, Beyond"--design as an expression of cultural values and identity, exploring queerness, representation, and new modes of creative practice. Voorhees Hall (downtown BK), link in bio for tickets.

I'm moderating a lecture with Michael K. Chen at CUNY CityTech on Wednesday at 6:00 PM. Come join us! "Beside, Between, Beyond"--design as an expression of cultural values and identity, exploring queerness, representation, and new modes of creative practice. Voorhees Hall (downtown BK), link in bio for tickets.

I'm moderating a lecture with Michael K. Chen at CUNY CityTech on Wednesday at 6:00 PM. Come join us! "Beside, Between, Beyond"--design as an expression of cultural values and identity, exploring queerness, representation, and new modes of creative practice. Voorhees Hall (downtown BK), link in bio for tickets.

GRWM. The bay-windowed dressing room of our Upper West Side brownstone is lined with lacquered cabinetry in a dusky lavender, surrounded by an abstracted stormy sky. We’ve always loved this classic #Fornasetti #wallpaper of clouds. We gave it a more surreal, slightly less pictorial twist by asking @cole_and_son_wallpapers to print half of it in reverse, and bookmatched it like marble along the length of the room. @estudiopersona’s bench with twin donut holes is upholstered in a Raf Simons textile from @kvadrattextiles, draperies are a @dedarmilano sheer. Pendants by @michaelanastassiades. Did we mention one of the clients is a psychiatrist? #rorshach #dressingoom #closet

See the full story (by @williamlinyc) @elledecor.

Photo by @brookeholm.

The parlor level library of our Upper West Side brownstone is an adult-focused counterpoint to lighter, kid-friendly spaces of the home. It’s a space for reading, cocktails, and evening gatherings.

A massive sliding door partitions the space from other open spaces in the floor. Oiled walnut is layered on top of the creamy, rounded plaster. Surfaces are burnished and richer, but still playful. A magnificent scagliola fireplace mantel was developed in collaboration with our long-time collaborators at @art_in_construction. Scagliola is an ancient technique, historically used to simulate marble. We embraced the sculptural possibilities of the material but took it somewhere else aesthetically. “Zoomed in you might think it’s stone,” Michael recounted to @williamlinyc writing for @elledecor, “but stepping back, you see that it’s a something else entirely.”

The vintage seating elements are by Mario Bellini, Luigi Massoni, and Enrico Carbone. The wonderfulsquiggly table is by @evanwoodgiles, drapery fabric by @elitisfrance, and the mirror by @talbot.yoon. Arca chandelier by Philippe Malouin from @matterstore, cascading shelving unit by us, fabricated by @structurenyc.

MKCA project team of @bdcaldwell, Thomas Kuei, and @bradsilling. Built by @structurenyc. Photos by @brookeholm. See the full feature @elledecor.

The parlor level library of our Upper West Side brownstone is an adult-focused counterpoint to lighter, kid-friendly spaces of the home. It’s a space for reading, cocktails, and evening gatherings.

A massive sliding door partitions the space from other open spaces in the floor. Oiled walnut is layered on top of the creamy, rounded plaster. Surfaces are burnished and richer, but still playful. A magnificent scagliola fireplace mantel was developed in collaboration with our long-time collaborators at @art_in_construction. Scagliola is an ancient technique, historically used to simulate marble. We embraced the sculptural possibilities of the material but took it somewhere else aesthetically. “Zoomed in you might think it’s stone,” Michael recounted to @williamlinyc writing for @elledecor, “but stepping back, you see that it’s a something else entirely.”

The vintage seating elements are by Mario Bellini, Luigi Massoni, and Enrico Carbone. The wonderfulsquiggly table is by @evanwoodgiles, drapery fabric by @elitisfrance, and the mirror by @talbot.yoon. Arca chandelier by Philippe Malouin from @matterstore, cascading shelving unit by us, fabricated by @structurenyc.

MKCA project team of @bdcaldwell, Thomas Kuei, and @bradsilling. Built by @structurenyc. Photos by @brookeholm. See the full feature @elledecor.

The parlor level library of our Upper West Side brownstone is an adult-focused counterpoint to lighter, kid-friendly spaces of the home. It’s a space for reading, cocktails, and evening gatherings.

A massive sliding door partitions the space from other open spaces in the floor. Oiled walnut is layered on top of the creamy, rounded plaster. Surfaces are burnished and richer, but still playful. A magnificent scagliola fireplace mantel was developed in collaboration with our long-time collaborators at @art_in_construction. Scagliola is an ancient technique, historically used to simulate marble. We embraced the sculptural possibilities of the material but took it somewhere else aesthetically. “Zoomed in you might think it’s stone,” Michael recounted to @williamlinyc writing for @elledecor, “but stepping back, you see that it’s a something else entirely.”

The vintage seating elements are by Mario Bellini, Luigi Massoni, and Enrico Carbone. The wonderfulsquiggly table is by @evanwoodgiles, drapery fabric by @elitisfrance, and the mirror by @talbot.yoon. Arca chandelier by Philippe Malouin from @matterstore, cascading shelving unit by us, fabricated by @structurenyc.

MKCA project team of @bdcaldwell, Thomas Kuei, and @bradsilling. Built by @structurenyc. Photos by @brookeholm. See the full feature @elledecor.

The parlor level library of our Upper West Side brownstone is an adult-focused counterpoint to lighter, kid-friendly spaces of the home. It’s a space for reading, cocktails, and evening gatherings.

A massive sliding door partitions the space from other open spaces in the floor. Oiled walnut is layered on top of the creamy, rounded plaster. Surfaces are burnished and richer, but still playful. A magnificent scagliola fireplace mantel was developed in collaboration with our long-time collaborators at @art_in_construction. Scagliola is an ancient technique, historically used to simulate marble. We embraced the sculptural possibilities of the material but took it somewhere else aesthetically. “Zoomed in you might think it’s stone,” Michael recounted to @williamlinyc writing for @elledecor, “but stepping back, you see that it’s a something else entirely.”

The vintage seating elements are by Mario Bellini, Luigi Massoni, and Enrico Carbone. The wonderfulsquiggly table is by @evanwoodgiles, drapery fabric by @elitisfrance, and the mirror by @talbot.yoon. Arca chandelier by Philippe Malouin from @matterstore, cascading shelving unit by us, fabricated by @structurenyc.

MKCA project team of @bdcaldwell, Thomas Kuei, and @bradsilling. Built by @structurenyc. Photos by @brookeholm. See the full feature @elledecor.

Introducing the Upper West Side townhouse. A house and then some.

We combined a landmarked brownstone on a storied block with apartments in the building next door, creatingdouble-wide spaces and a massive rear garden, clearing away decades of additions and extra stairs to shape an expansive home that is “meant to be lived in, not just viewed,” in the words of our wonderful and intrepid clients. Parents of two young boys, they entrusted us with a full renovation and a complete interior reimagining from top to bottom.

On the sun splashed parlor level, the family room opens fully to the 45-foot garden through new floor-to-ceiling windows. Vintage Togo sofas, upholstered in outdoor fabric, become oversized pillow forts on sleepovers. The wire and LED clouds above are from @moooi. Budding chess champions gather at the brass and acrylic games table by @smstwrt. Walnut stools by @studiokallang. The leather coffee table is by @stephaneparmentier, vintage floor lamp by Franco Bresciani. The media console is from @bludot

We are deeply grateful to the extraordinary team at @elledecor, especially @stellenevolandes, @elk_elisa, @bebehoworth, and our dear @williamlinyc, who wrote such a thoughtful piece on this three-year transformation.

We are well into our second decade of partnership with @structurenyc who built the project and fabricated the millwork. Garden by @brooklandscape. Structural engineering by David Keane; mechanical engineering by All City. In our studio, @bradsilling and Thomas Kuei played key roles in the design, with @bdcaldwell steadily guiding the project over multiple years. A pair of his playful paintings now hang in the boys’ bedroom upstairs.

Photos by @brookeholmc, spiritual guidance from @thisbythat

Michael will give the closing lecture of @citytechcuny @citytech_architecture 2026 Spring Lecture Series on May 6.

“Beside, Between, Beyond” addresses the cross-disciplinary, materially expressive, and values driven work of MKCA, and the studio’s pursuit of craft and its expanded dimensions. Presented with @aiabrooklyn, 1.5 CEU.

6pm at Voorhees Hall, 186 Jay Street in Brooklyn. To register in-person or access the live stream, please visit https://www.ctarch.online/events/lecture-beside-between-beyond

Hope to see you there!

Michael will give the closing lecture of @citytechcuny @citytech_architecture 2026 Spring Lecture Series on May 6.

“Beside, Between, Beyond” addresses the cross-disciplinary, materially expressive, and values driven work of MKCA, and the studio’s pursuit of craft and its expanded dimensions. Presented with @aiabrooklyn, 1.5 CEU.

6pm at Voorhees Hall, 186 Jay Street in Brooklyn. To register in-person or access the live stream, please visit https://www.ctarch.online/events/lecture-beside-between-beyond

Hope to see you there!

Michael will give the closing lecture of @citytechcuny @citytech_architecture 2026 Spring Lecture Series on May 6.

“Beside, Between, Beyond” addresses the cross-disciplinary, materially expressive, and values driven work of MKCA, and the studio’s pursuit of craft and its expanded dimensions. Presented with @aiabrooklyn, 1.5 CEU.

6pm at Voorhees Hall, 186 Jay Street in Brooklyn. To register in-person or access the live stream, please visit https://www.ctarch.online/events/lecture-beside-between-beyond

Hope to see you there!

UPDATE 05/04. We’ve had quite aresponse and are no longer accepting applications. To all who’ve sent in materials, thank you so much for your interest in the studio.
—
Friends! We are seeking (paid) interns for summer 2026 at our studio in Manhattan. This is full-time, in-person, short term employment working closely with our team and principal this summer on projects in New York City and beyond. Qualified candidates are those currently enrolled in a professional architecture program (graduate or undergraduate), with an interest in craft, construction, and working across architecture and interior design.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and portfolio to jobs@mkca.com.

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

@rnlefevre appreciation post.

We said so long to Rachel Lefevre this week after almost six years at MKCA. We met over zoom in 2020,she a standout fresh graduate among a group of hundreds of applicants to our office that year, and we a growing firm of five, trying to navigate the early pandemic period from home. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her growth over these past years. Practices are projects and portfolio, but most of all, they are people. Even as an exceptionally green junior architect, Rachel brought intelligence, skill, care, and integrity to everything she did in the office, as well as a savagely sharp wit, an awesome technical facility, and an aesthetic sensibility that she might even admit has developed into something more playful, more color-loving, and more refined over her years at MKCA. She played a key role in our Nomad Loft project, our Watershed House, and Villa Abreuvoir in the Côte d’Azur among others (NYC > Hudson Valley > Hawaii > Paris > Nice), growing from a junior to a mentor and leader in a short time. One of the greatest privileges of having an office is participating in the growth of the people in it. Rachel’s has been incredible to witness.

We will be watching and cheering her (literal) rise, working on new towers and major buildings all over world with @cookfox who are tremendously lucky to have her. We’ll keep the natty Austrian oranges and rosés chilled for your visits, Rachel. Thanks for everything. 🦋

Pattern play in Paris. Inlaid zellige in the foyer, former service hall, and kitchen, and an extraordinary operable stained glass partition by our very own @folk_poke, now in production with the artists at @studiovitrail.

Pattern play in Paris. Inlaid zellige in the foyer, former service hall, and kitchen, and an extraordinary operable stained glass partition by our very own @folk_poke, now in production with the artists at @studiovitrail.

Construction or installation masterpiece? The protection scheme in Stuyvesant Heights with @gdt.nyc. Precious historic mantels, pierced mahogany scrollwork, original monumental mirrors, railings, built-ins, and a working pulley-operated dumbwaiter all safeguarded for restoration as plaster demolition for new building systems, insulation, and services happens around them. Wish we could use that amazing cast iron coal stove! Definitely repurposing that original door stockpile. #brownstone #constructionsite #sarcophagus #shroud

Construction or installation masterpiece? The protection scheme in Stuyvesant Heights with @gdt.nyc. Precious historic mantels, pierced mahogany scrollwork, original monumental mirrors, railings, built-ins, and a working pulley-operated dumbwaiter all safeguarded for restoration as plaster demolition for new building systems, insulation, and services happens around them. Wish we could use that amazing cast iron coal stove! Definitely repurposing that original door stockpile. #brownstone #constructionsite #sarcophagus #shroud

Construction or installation masterpiece? The protection scheme in Stuyvesant Heights with @gdt.nyc. Precious historic mantels, pierced mahogany scrollwork, original monumental mirrors, railings, built-ins, and a working pulley-operated dumbwaiter all safeguarded for restoration as plaster demolition for new building systems, insulation, and services happens around them. Wish we could use that amazing cast iron coal stove! Definitely repurposing that original door stockpile. #brownstone #constructionsite #sarcophagus #shroud

Construction or installation masterpiece? The protection scheme in Stuyvesant Heights with @gdt.nyc. Precious historic mantels, pierced mahogany scrollwork, original monumental mirrors, railings, built-ins, and a working pulley-operated dumbwaiter all safeguarded for restoration as plaster demolition for new building systems, insulation, and services happens around them. Wish we could use that amazing cast iron coal stove! Definitely repurposing that original door stockpile. #brownstone #constructionsite #sarcophagus #shroud

Construction or installation masterpiece? The protection scheme in Stuyvesant Heights with @gdt.nyc. Precious historic mantels, pierced mahogany scrollwork, original monumental mirrors, railings, built-ins, and a working pulley-operated dumbwaiter all safeguarded for restoration as plaster demolition for new building systems, insulation, and services happens around them. Wish we could use that amazing cast iron coal stove! Definitely repurposing that original door stockpile. #brownstone #constructionsite #sarcophagus #shroud

Construction or installation masterpiece? The protection scheme in Stuyvesant Heights with @gdt.nyc. Precious historic mantels, pierced mahogany scrollwork, original monumental mirrors, railings, built-ins, and a working pulley-operated dumbwaiter all safeguarded for restoration as plaster demolition for new building systems, insulation, and services happens around them. Wish we could use that amazing cast iron coal stove! Definitely repurposing that original door stockpile. #brownstone #constructionsite #sarcophagus #shroud

Construction or installation masterpiece? The protection scheme in Stuyvesant Heights with @gdt.nyc. Precious historic mantels, pierced mahogany scrollwork, original monumental mirrors, railings, built-ins, and a working pulley-operated dumbwaiter all safeguarded for restoration as plaster demolition for new building systems, insulation, and services happens around them. Wish we could use that amazing cast iron coal stove! Definitely repurposing that original door stockpile. #brownstone #constructionsite #sarcophagus #shroud

Construction or installation masterpiece? The protection scheme in Stuyvesant Heights with @gdt.nyc. Precious historic mantels, pierced mahogany scrollwork, original monumental mirrors, railings, built-ins, and a working pulley-operated dumbwaiter all safeguarded for restoration as plaster demolition for new building systems, insulation, and services happens around them. Wish we could use that amazing cast iron coal stove! Definitely repurposing that original door stockpile. #brownstone #constructionsite #sarcophagus #shroud

A quick glance before we locked the front door. The clients arrived tonight.

Five years ago, we received a cold email: “Hi, we really like your work and are wondering if you design houses in non-urban settings….We want to build something beautiful but not stuffy, modern but not dogmatic about it, totally comfortable and flexible, with a great relationship to the outdoors.We’d like to do this in an environmentally responsible way. If this is something that might interest you, please let me know.”

I said at the time that the project sounded like a dream. It’s been that, times a thousand. We’ve poured our hearts and souls into this building for five years, seriously challenged ourselves, working with an amazing team, terrific consultants, and the loveliest, most thoughtful, most generous and patient clients anyone could ask for. We’ve learned and grown so much over the course of this process. There is still work to do, but this marks the moment when a project becomes a home. It’s an incredible feeling.

It’s been a mad scramble with @jkadesign @lcthreecorp and @taconic_builders these past days, weeks, and years. It’s so hard to really see the work as you’re pushing to complete it. You hope that you’ve done enough, made the right decisions, and created something that will be legible and able to be experienced the way you hope it will be. I’m always almost afraid to leave, to make it so the work has to stand on its own, and wondering if it will. Tonight, after closing the door and driving away, some of us settled into a much needed cocktail. Halfway in, I got a text. Exhale. “It’s amazing.” ❤️