Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 43
Occupation: Architect
Instagram: @ravirajarchitect
Hometown: Boulder, CO
Studio Location: Brooklyn, NY
Describe what you make: Our work ranges from residential to commercial projects, mostly in the greater New York area. In each project, we try to connect our design with the history of the place, crafting a narrative in dialogue with the client’s specific needs. We enjoy working closely with our clients, from the early stages of conceptual sketches all the way through construction.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: We recently completed a new studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard for the artist Glenn Ligon. Working with Glenn and his team was truly delightful. It was particularly interesting to explore how the design could accommodate different modes of production while having a cohesive logic. I’m very happy with how that project turned out.
Describe the problem your work solves: Fundamentally, we strive to make functional spaces that also express each client’s lifestyle. A simple solution may seem mundane at first, but it’s our task to show how that can become something unique and timeless.
Share the project you are working on now: We are nearing the completion of two houses for a developer in the Hudson Valley that have very different sites, yet similar characteristics. It’s been interesting working for a developer, where the eventual homeowner is unknown, but also liberating to test different design ideas within the single-family typology.
What you absolutely have to have in your studio: 25ft Stanley tape measure—in fact, we have two to three of them scattered around—I get nervous if there’s not one in plain sight.
What you do when you’re not working: As a new father, my time is somewhat limited outside of work, but I do enjoy early morning runs through Brooklyn.
Sources of creative envy (dead or alive): I recently went to see a documentary on Sigurd Lewerentz, the iconoclastic Swedish architect, and was struck at how deeply he was involved in the construction of his projects. It was interesting to see him on site, making changes, and talking with his builders. Innovation is definitely a collaborative process.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Podcasts—and start listening to more music in the mornings.
Concrete or marble? Marble, mostly honed.
High-Rise Or Townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember Or Forget? Always remember.
Aliens Or Ghosts? Aliens?
Dark Or Light? 51% dark, 49% light.
