A Singularity of Sorts
Narofsky Architecture’s innate understanding of space coupled with Ways2Design’s ability to craft emotional resonance from tactile expression, makes for a collaborative venture that embraces the roots of the industry while taking it to new heights.
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northeast | architecture
A SINGULARITY OF SORTS
Narofsky Architecture’s innate understanding of space coupled with Ways2Design’s ability to craft emotional resonance from tactile expression, makes for a collaborative venture that embraces the roots of the industry while taking it to new heights. by Joel Cornell
2 Architecture Leaders Today
architecture | northeast
LEFT: Manhattan Loft. New York City, N.Y. Penthouse and garden. Here, the environment is drawn in with the combination of trees, wood flooring and glass. Photo by Phillip Ennis. ABOVE: Waterfront Home overlooking Hempstead Harbor, Long Island, entry path. Photo by Ber Murphy.
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northeast | architecture
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THIS PAGE, TOP: Waterfront Home Renovation, Long Island, N.Y. Photograph by Phillip Ennis. THIS PAGE, BOTTOM: Jennifer Rusch and Stuart Narofsky. Portrait courtesy Narofsky Architecture
4 Architecture Leaders Today
s architects Stuart Narofsky and Jennifer Rusch progressed in their respective careers, one common thread became quite visible as a shared interest: a comprehensive suite of services delivered with passion, vision and integrity. Throughout the years, Narofsky and Rusch worked tirelessly to establish their own firms to fulfill the dreams of both their clients and themselves. Since the early 2000s, the couple and their respective firms, Narofsky Architecture and Ways2Design, have founded a partnership that has brought success to countless projects, from hospitality, corporate, commercial and retail work to each firm’s current focus on custom residential architecture across the New York Tri-State region. “My initial approach to architecture came from the world of art,” Rusch said. “However, I wanted a profession that would offer me more reliable financial opportunities; so, I soon switched over to architecture. I worked as an architect for many years in Long Island before I moved my geographical focus towards New York City. I founded Ways2Design in 2001 in order to establish a more defined presence in the region.” “Meanwhile, I came out of high school right into engineering as opposed to art,” Narofsky said. “I took my first elective in architecture during my college years and instantly switched my focus. I worked for several local architects before finally founding my own firm in 1983.” In the early 2000s, Narofsky and Rusch realized the possibilities of a joint venture between the two firms. It was then that the core of their current organization was first formed, where Narofsky is focused on the “macro” while Rusch hones in on the “micro.” Initally, the pair sought out a return to the ideals of turn of the century architects like Wright, Sullivan and White. “What we strive to be in entirely comprehensive,” Narofsky said. “‘One Stop Shop’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. We seek to provide a truly turnkey service in that we can address the landscape, interiors and the details; and, a deeper involvement overall with one big sustainable umbrella over everything we do. Even in our region, our approach seems to lie in the minority. We take on a bigger role, but it comes with a bigger risk and liability. In my
architecture | northeast
THIS PAGE: Manhattan Loft. New York City, N.Y. Master bathroom. Photo by of Phillip Ennis.
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northeast | architecture
ABOVE LEFT: Manhattan Loft. New York City, N.Y. Bar and Lounge. Photo courtesy of Phillip Ennis. ABOVE RIGHT: Waterfront Home Renovation, Long Island. Window & Balcony at Living Room. Photo courtesy of Phillip Ennis. OPPOSITE TOP: Waterfront Home. Hempstead Harbor, N.Y. View of rooftop. This project was awarded an Archi Award by the AIA Long Island Chapter. Photo courtesy of Ber Murphy. OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Waterfront Home. Long Island, N.Y. Rear view. Photo courtesy of Ber Murphy.
6 Architecture Leaders Today
lecturing work about BIM technology, it’s shocking how many people come up to us amazed that we take on such amount of responsibility. In recent history, architects have sought to take on less responsibility out of fear of liability. We jump into projects head first, embracing the entirety of the form. We want to return to the tradition way of architects as master builders who can handle everything.” For one of the recent projects the two firms collaboratively managed, a midtown Manhattan loft, comprehensive was exactly what the client was looking for. Part sworn bachelor, part musician, part pilot and part investment banker, the client sought out Narofsky Architecture and Ways2Design in order to achieve two requirements: black and white, and ugly with no maintenance. The penthouse apartment sits atop a five-story apartment building in New York City. “The floor of the penthouse is a floating floor isolated from the structure; same goes for the walls,” Rusch said. “The client wanted as much of the 4,000 sq. ft. apartment in black as possible. With zero interest in or expectations for long term guests, the apartment had just one bedroom was designed and built with no ‘plus one’ in mind. We even had trouble convincing him to go for a guest bathroom, which was eventually implemented in pure white; a stark contrast with the black in the rest of the apartment.” Narofsky and Rusch provided for the client full sound proofing for the apartment understanding that the apartment would be outfitted with a fully functional stage, including drum kit, built-in amplifiers, keyboards and a professional lighting rig.
Additionally, the project included a unique living area on the roof, complete with a hot tub, sauna, barbecue and a full garden. Though the two firms are not exclusively partnered, a large majority of the work completed by one firm sees heavy collaboration and involvement from the other. This approach further enhances the comprehensive ideals of the firm. In stark contrast to a bachelor home, Narofsky Architecture and Ways2Design again collaborated on a recent waterfront residence project on the east side of Long Island. “The home the client moved out of was a 100-yearold period house in the same region,” Narofsky said. “At that point in time, the couple we worked for had teenage children. For one reason or another, the client bought a property on the North Shore waterfront that already had a home on it. The client brought in the architect who had designed their previous home, but their only answer was to knock down the house and start with something fresh. The client fell in love with the house, however, and wanted a firm that could work with what was there. That’s where we came in.” The original residence was built in 1969 in stark white, inside and out, save for a terra cotta floor. With only one official bedroom and a housekeeper’s room, the family of five certainly needed space. Previously, the home was owned an eccentric art collector. Narofsky and Rusch expanded on the original concepts of the home to a great degree. Narofsky added a sensitivity to the familial context of the project, through expanding and renovating a majority of the structure, while still preserving the all white, minimalist aesthetic the clients had found
architecture | northeast
so appealing in the first place. Rusch brought natural woods into the interiors, that exuded rich color tones that were saturated and unified the entirety of the new home. Nearby, Narofsky and Rusch are putting the finishing touches on another waterfront project in Long Island. Overlooking Roslyn Harbor on the North Shore is a former bungalow colony, which began at the turn of the century as workers at the nearby sand and gravel pit became squatters on nearby properties. The pit was the largest in the country at the time, their last project being the concrete for the Empire State Building. What lay on the small property was a shack of a bungalow that couldn’t stand up to a brief breeze. “With one neighboring bungalow 15 feet away, and another just 7 feet away, we didn’t have much space to work,” Narofsky said. “We could only replace the shack with a 1,500 sq. ft. home. We developed a highly efficient where we worked within a box, slowly subtracting spaces here and there in order to get the interior to flow, to create outdoor spaces, etc. Through Jenn’s work, we used not drywall but an organic plaster made from clay. The end result was a highly sustainable project with a more Northwestern feel.” In everything they do, both Narofsky Architecture and Ways2Design are trying to form a new model; one that encompasses everything from architectural design to counseling, from a shopping partner to a financial advisor. Through this new form, the partnership is always seeking to do something more, and their endeavors are bringing about a new meaning to what an architect can and should be.
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Photo courtesy of Ber Murphy