Our Interview with Peter Pelsinski *91 of SPAN-NY Architecture

M&K: Peter, thank you for taking the time to meet with us. We really appreciate it. We know you’re busy so we will jump into our first question.

What are some key questions a client should ask when selecting an architect to renovate their apartment?

Apartment projects involve a lot of trust in the design team. Owners should ask questions about the process. How does it work? How long does it take? Who else do we need? Most importantly they need to feel a connection with their designer. Design and construction take time, so hiring an architect is a bit like having a new family member briefly. You need to like and trust her values and aesthetics.

M&K: Are there any trends in sustainability that are currently impacting your designs?

Very much so. We specify materials that are carbon neutral or biogenic in nature. For interiors we look to materials that help create a healthy environment from low VOC paints to lime-based plaster and sustainably-harvested materials. We also look to reuse what is already there to optimize designs so they have a long life with new interventions that are meaningful.

M&K: Many people prefer pre-war apartments in New York, because of their gracious floor plans and “great bones”. Do you have architectural strategies specific to postwar apartments?

I’d say that pre-war bones are great but post-war stuff is also pretty great. Look to “billionaires row” and we can see that post-war buildings do quite well and are very desirable. With new buildings one needs to be respectful of a few inevitabilities. It is hard to move plumbing (pre-war buildings are easier!). Ceilings will be lower in general. All that said, look to buildings that have qualities you desire from outdoor space to great room proportions and flow.

M&K: Half the apartments in NYC are interior and do not have a view. Do you design interior apartments differently than apartments facing a view?

Great question! Our thinking is to always maximize natural lighting and a connection to the outdoors. This doesn’t require an iconic view. Biophilic design is about creating a connection to the living world. There are lots of ways to do this perhaps as simply as with a great room layout and furnishing plan that optimizes inherent opportunities.

M&K: Where do you find inspiration?

Collaboration. We like understanding our clients. We ask a lot of questions. A great client for us is a partner in design, in the sense that we understand what their desires are and create solutions that are better. I like this process because it means every project is different and unique.

M&K: What or who has had the greatest influence on your aesthetic?

My partner Karen Stonely. She has unerring design instincts and a strong commitment to ethical design. There are many designers whose work I respect and have influenced me but I will say I often look outside of “design” for influence- art, music, writing… and on occasion what our peers are doing.

M&K: You received your Master of Architecture from Princeton and now teach there. Can you talk a little about what attracted you to teaching and more specifically to teaching at Princeton? Can you also let us know how you have seen the program changed since you were a student?

I did go to Graduate school at Princeton and I fortunately had a great experience. Architecture was changing from a practice of postmodern "quotation" to one of thinking forwardly- environmentally, socially, and tectonically. Race and gender issues were at the forefront even during my education some 25 years ago. Teaching at Princeton (for 13 years now) was not a consciously sought-after goal but I am very happy it happened. The students are smart and engaging and my colleagues at Princeton are, not surprisingly, intelligent serious people. I appreciate the approach we share to rethink Architecture’s practice and its place in society.

M&K: What is your favorite spot on campus?

I like walking through the campus during the days I teach. I like the walk from the Dinky Station near New South to the School of Architecture. I like seeing the community of students and teachers during those walks. If I had to pick one place, perhaps the lawn next to Henry Moore's "Oval with Points” sculpture stands out.

M&K: What is your favorite NYC activity?

I love my work. I love my time with my family and I love that we eat Sushi on Sundays and Tacos on Tuesdays.

M&K: What is your favorite building(s) in NYC?

Such an impossible question. I love the city- the whole thing and its fabric is so much more to me than any individual building. I live downtown so I love walking from the Seaport to Bowling Green and up through Battery Park and Tribeca.

M&K: Thank you, Peter.