Immersed in the vibrant heartbeat of culture, arts, and diversity, New York City brims with electrifying energy. Skyscrapers silhouette the sky, while the city’s parks and museums lend a dynamic contrast. Dining and entertainment options resemble a tour of the world’s best cuisines, rendering every day an adventure. Speaking of standout experiences, the list below contains eight of the best interior architects in New York, New York. They were chosen based on their awards, experience, and portfolios.
Architecture Research Office
170 Varick Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10013
Recognized for combining beauty, form, strategy, and intelligence in architecture, Architecture Research Office has been delivering inspiring buildings since 1993. Founded on the values of curiosity and inquiry, the New York City-based firm advances equity and resilience, furthering institutional missions. The firm’s leadership—Stephen Cassell, Kim Yao, and Adam Yarinsky—have extensive experience and professional affiliations, including FAIA. Their academic accomplishments and industry involvement underscore the firm’s credibility.
Highly regarded in the industry, the firm has won many awards, including the AIA Architecture Firm Award in 2020 and the AIA New York State Firm of the Year in 2018. Demonstrating a commitment to sustainable building practices, the firm has had multiple projects certified LEED Platinum, Gold, and Silver.. Its notable work has been featured in The New York Times, The Architect’s Newspaper, and Architectural Record, adding to its impressive track record.
LTL Architects
11 Bdwy, Suite 1530, New York, NY 10004
Established in 1997, LTL Architects is an architecture firm known for inventive design solutions that capitalize on project constraints. Based in New York City, it leverages space, program, form, budget, and materials to create a broad spectrum of projects, ranging from large-scale academic and cultural edifices to interiors and speculative research tasks. Under the leadership of principals Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, and David J. Lewis, 2019 Inductees to the Interior Design Hall of Fame, it leverages decades of architectural experience and industry affiliations.
The company’s work has been repeatedly celebrated—it won the 2021 Excellence in Design from The Public Design Commission of New York City and the 2019 Firm of the Year award from AIA NYS. Its commitment to sustainable architecture is evident in its numerous LEED Platinum, Gold, and Silver-accredited projects. Featured in prominent press outlets like The Architect’s Newspaper and Architectural Record, it maintains a distinguished presence in the industry.
Rice+Lipka Architects
40 Worth Street, Suite 828, New York, NY 10013
Rice+Lipka Architects, a New York City-based design studio, focuses on creating enduring cultural and public works with a distinctive sense of place. It brings civic-minded intelligence and resourceful vigor to various building, planning, and research projects. Since its establishment in 2004, the studio has thrived under the direction of Lyn Rice and Astrid Lipka, using complex contexts and constraints as a source of new design potential. Both principals maintain significant industry affiliations, including Fellow and LEED AP statuses, and they have received a number of prestigious awards as well.
The studio itself has been recognized with multiple accolades, including the 2023 SARA/NY Design Award of Excellence for the Woodstock Library and the 2018 NYC Public Design Commission Award for Excellence for the Hamilton Fish Park Library. Its commitment to sustainability is evident in the LEED Silver certifications it has earned for its projects. Regularly featured in publications like Architect and The Architects Newspaper, it continues to have a significant impact after 18 years in the business.
SRA Architecture & Engineering
511 Canal Street, 300, New York, NY 10013
SRA Architecture & Engineering, a multidisciplinary firm established in 2004, offers a suite of services encompassing architecture, engineering, expediting, and code consulting. Operating from its SoHo base, it embraces an integrated design approach to meet each client’s unique needs efficiently. It has established a strong reputation in the hospitality sector, having worked on notable projects across New York City and beyond, such as Bagatelle, Soho House, Tao, Lavo, and Wolfgang’s Steakhouse.
Under the guidance of Founding Principal Adrian R. Figueroa, an alumnus of Pratt Institute, the firm has garnered recognition, including the 2020 AIANY Design Awards Interiors Merit Award. With its work frequently highlighted in press outlets like Forbes and New York YIMBY, it consistently captures industry attention. As it nears two decades of operation, the firm remains steadfast in its commitment to efficient and integrated design solutions.
Desai Chia Architecture
3 W 18th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10011
Since its establishment in 1996, Desai Chia Architecture has developed a portfolio imbued with authenticity and expressiveness. The firm, founded by Katherine Chia and Arjun Desai, has left an indelible imprint on various sectors, including a number of cultural, residential, to commercial projects as well as product design collaborations and artist partnerships. Operating across the United States and internationally, it continually crafts environments that eloquently articulate their use and materiality.
The firm is driven by Chia’s architectural proficiency—cultivated at MIT and honed through various leadership roles—including at the AIA New York. Desai’s offers a distinct perspective, enriched by his Indian roots and architectural expertise. As a result of this strong blend of experience and cultural perspectives, the firm has won awards like the SARA NY Design Awards and the American Architecture Awards. Its work has been extensively covered in Metropolis Magazine and The New York Times.
Barker Associates Architecture
61 Ninth Street, Suite C8, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Established in 2006, Barker Associates Architecture Office (BAAO) offers an intelligent blend of inventive design brought to fruition through a diverse range of residential, interior, cultural, and commercial projects. Its broad scope encompasses architecture, interiors, and landscape design. Townhouses, residential developments, and educational and retail projects are part of its expansive portfolio.
Under the seasoned leadership of Alexandra Barker, a Harvard-educated architect with over two decades of professional experience, it proactively extends its design expertise to speculative work and community outreach. This commitment to future-facing architecture has earned the firm numerous accolades, including the AIA Brooklyn Queens Design Awards and prestigious coverage in international media outlets like Architectural Digest and Vogue. As an MWBE-certified business with a global footprint, it celebrates its 16-year history of creating designs that beautifully reflect the dynamic, multivalent world.
Martin Hopp Architect
250 West 24th Street, #GBE, New York, NY 10011
Established in 2013, Martin Hopp Architects (MHA) is a New York City-based firm cultivating a distinctive design perspective and focusing on educational facilities, civic projects, healthy buildings, and pioneering sustainability practices. With an impressive legacy of project direction at Rafael Vinoly Architects, founder Martin Hopp infuses a global sensibility into a boutique studio culture predicated on thorough research and deep-rooted collaboration with clients.
Unsurprisingly, MHA’s commitment to circular construction and timber structural systems, paired with its innovative approach, was recognized with an AIANY Design Awards Merit Award in 2020. MHA’s forward-thinking design sensibility has also gained it noteworthy mentions in esteemed publications such as Dezeen and Architectural Record. As it celebrates its 10th year in business, MHA continues to evolve and advance in its mission to merge design excellence with environmental responsibility.
Young Projects
68 Jay Street, #302, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Beginning its journey in New York City in 2010, Young Projects has positioned itself at the nexus of innovative design, crafting an eclectic mix of buildings, interiors, objects, and furniture. Under the helm of founder Bryan Young, it veers away from the conventional, embracing ambiguity and complexity in architectural design. Experimentation is deeply embedded in its DNA—be it breaking traditional fabrication techniques, hand-pulling plaster, or burning materials to achieve the desired effect. This pioneering spirit won the firm numerous accolades, including the 2022 ARCHITECT Magazine Honor Award and the 2020 Design Vanguard Award from Architectural Record.
Having been featured in revered publications such as Wallpaper Magazine and Architectural Record, Young Projects has left a deep imprint on the design world. As it embarks on its 13th year, Young Projects continues to blur the boundaries of architecture with its unorthodox approach to materiality and geometry.
