The New York Office 1994 - present The following is a description of how we work - organizational structure, methods and materials: Rietveld Architects LLP New York consists of architects from all over the world - United States, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Argentina, Italy and Switzerland with a wide range of professional experiences. We are a young office still defining itself, but we like to think of our firm as evolving into the world's smallest multi-national. Together, we embody the cultural diversity that is NYC. Our organizational structure is atelier like, or open and transparent. In fact, we are small only in number, because we work on large-scale, complex commissions and have the benefits of a large office with the design control of a small organization. The two partners, Margaret and Rijk Rietveld, lead the conceptual design process until a project architect is determined to head a project team. All our staff have professional degrees and we are limited to two openings for trainees. Our office structure allows for a wide range of consultants in the United States and the Netherlands. This includes consultants that are not ubiquitous in the U.S., such as building physics engineers. Our European work presents us with the necessity to incorporate energy saving methods and environmentally conscious means of construction known in America as sustainable design.

As a member of the U.S. Green Building Council we are staying abreast of new technology. Recurring components in our designs are a bio-climactic curtain wall, geo-thermal heating and cooling, and climate ceilings. Therefore, we are developing a way of designing that integrates their use - not just add them to the mix - because we are passionate about light and transparent architecture. In addition, northern European worker protection laws have made us aware of the benefits of many ergonomic features and individual environmental controls, such as programmable high frequency lighting, individual thermostats, natural daylight, operable windows, and a view for all occupants in a building (even in the mail room) which we strive to incorporate in our designs. Despite an international focus, we live and work in New York City, which has disciplined our office to collaborate effectively even at a long distance. To begin with, Margaret and Rijk visualize the program using three-dimensional paper models as well as virtual computer models, and make many diagrams. In other words, they work from an understanding of the physical model of the problem to the two dimensional plans. This is important to grasp the large- scale of what is going to be built in the real world and its effect on the immediate surroundings, which are often much smaller in size and scope. When sketches or models are made at this stage it is not to solve problems. Instead ideas are articulated that are expressed through architecture and are robust enough to hold up throughout the entire design and in actual construction. The conceptual design is a very fluid process and the danger of overlooking or misunderstanding something lies at the juncture of these methods where they do not provide a visual overlap or a way to pose the right questions.

The architects design in ArchiCAD and AutoCAD to produce plans, elevations, and cross-sections. The computer stations and technology in general are used as tools in addition to more laborious methods of drawing and modeling. In other word, we promote virtuosity in information technology so that the software applications refine, not define, the look and feel of the architecture. This is an important distinction for the entire duration of a project because, Margaret and Rijk rely on modeling software, movie imaging, and rendering to grasp the potential of the evolving design to accommodate the quantitative program and respond quickly to changes. Finally, the organization of the office and the methods and materials used exist not only for our benefit, but also to make the design and the design process accessible for our clients. Margaret Sobieski Rietveld AIA BNA New York

Sandra Chemas Brian Coughlin Liezl Diaz Pascal Groothedde Hai Lin Jordi Matas Piet Meijs Timo van den Noort Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Sam Rivera Ali Soltani Kasia Zarzecka Yi Zhou

Tim de Bruijn Brian Coughlin Liezl Diaz Ryan Faleska Emma Kingaby Anna Kamacka Vera Kuipers Junseop Lee Alessandro Mascia Piet Meijs Robert Moran Rob Pruiksma Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Sam Rivera Kim Shuddinck Ali Soltani Monika Szary Kasia Zarzecka

Niels van den Berg J. Boutef Gabriel Bunea Daniel Burkhardt Caroline Galbraith M. Gastaud David Hamerman Anna Komacka Vera Kuipers Junseop Lee Allesandro Mascia Piet Meijs Robert Moran Prashant Pradhan Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Sam Rivera Sam Sassa Kim Shuddinck Sabine Starke Monika Szary Andrew Udit

Ariane Barbanell Dick van der Beek Gabriel Bunea Daniel Burkhardt Julia Buse Herman Ekkelkamp Caroline Galbraith Adina Greenberg Matthieu Hollander Esteban Koffsmon Alessandro Mascia Andreas Mueller Prashant Pradhan Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Kim Shuddinck Darcy Thompson Arend van Triest Kamil Tumelis Karen Vanoppen Adzer Verweij

Karem Aksoy Ariane Barbanell Dick van der Beek Julia Buse Ian Fitzgerald Caroline Galbraith Paul Geurts Matthieu Hollander Vincent Huang Harm Kampen Edgar Klagges Esteban Koffsman Matthew Lohden Alessandro Mascia Andreas Mueller Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Kim Schuddinck Nicole Schuller Kimberly Tobash Arend van Triest Kamil Tumelis

Kerem Aksoy Brett Auerbach Thomas Barry Scott Baumberger Julia Buse Caroline Galbraith Pat George Matthew Hasetine Vincent Huang Edgar Klagges Markus Klein Gwen van Knippenberg Estaban Koffsmon Alessandro Mascia Andreas Mueller Linda van den Noort Norbert Philippen Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Kim Schuddinck Kimberly Tobash Kamil Tumelis Karin Vanoppen Tanya Wills Michael Zwerger

Thomas Barry Kees Brinkman Ellen Depoorter Peter Paul van Dijk Martin Eisler Martin Elzinga Marta Falkowska Caroline Galbraith Maarten Janssen Nathan Kibler-Silengo Markus Klein Kristopher Monroe Linda van den Noort Norbert Philippen Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Elaine Sun Kimberly Tobash Grit Vitavsky Andrew Whiting Michael Zwerger

Sabine Accensi Kees Brinkman Penelope Crash Ellen Depoorter Peter Paul van Dijk Martin Eisler Marta Falkowska Carolyn Galbraith Paul Garrett Jo Meers Kristopher Monroe Georgette Ost Gijs Raggers Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Anthony Roman Heidi Serbruyns Elaine Sun Kimberly Tobash Grit Vltavsky Michael Zwerger

Ellen Depoorter Jonathan Dewdney Martin Eisler Marta Falkowska Geraldine Fourmon Paul Garrett Filip Jacob Jo Meers Gijs Raggers Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Heidi Serbruyns Michael Zwerger

Derek Conde George John Dimitriou Geraldine Fourmon Filip Jacob Joris Luchinger Jo Meers J. Gregory Reaves Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld Gerda Vlugter David Willems

Jo Meers Bill Griffin Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld

Margaret Rietveld Rijk Rietveld

Margaret Rietveld