ARCHITECTS
“During restoration projects, every effort is made to create a home that is aesthetically beautiful and historically accurate.”
CREOLE CREATION Shapiro & Company’s Creole House was built by North Alabama-based Mike Mitchell, who ensured that all Creole details were meticulously maintained.
MICHAEL PICCIRILLO, OWNER Designing and building a home is a monumental undertaking, which is why MPA provides clients with services from project conception to completion. Each project begins with schematic design, where the overall needs and desires are assessed. The design development phase includes the initial sketches. During phase three, drawings and specifications are prepared in order to acquire a permit. After bidding and negotiations with general contractors, project construction begins. Piccirillo ensures that each project fulfills the design. A fullservice design firm, MPA also assists the client in obtaining town approvals and in selecting specific materials and products. In addition, Piccirillo empowers clients by providing many opportunities for them to have input on the design. He gives an honest assessment of the budget required to get the job done. Even though the current economy can challenge a client’s budget, it works as a lab for creative architectural ideas. The final product is always authentic, practical, and tailored to the client’s needs. When restoring a home in Waccabuc, MPA transformed a mundane house into an 1800s Cape Cod saltbox-style residence. From the beginning, the owner collaborated on every detail. “She owns horses and has a large pickup truck, so we built a garage that looked like a barn,” says Piccirillo. The traditional floor plan was completely rearranged to accommodate the contemporary needs of the owner. “The master bedroom was placed on the first floor for the owner’s parents,” Piccirillo explains. He did extensive research on the type of moldings, floorboards, and beams of the ninetheenth century. “During restoration projects, every effort is made to create a home that is aesthetically beautiful and historically accurate.” MPA’s emerging Westchester County presence issues the opportunity for growth, which is one of Piccirillo’s goals. Known for his keen attention to detail, Piccirillo has set himself apart from other highly reputable architects. It’s not hard to imagine that he and his firm are on their way to making a broader mark among the elite corners of New York.
ELEMENTARY ELEGANCE The Leeland Residence, located on Lake Leelanau, Michigan, is a newly constructed home, set to resemble the Newport shinglestyle houses of Rhode Island.
Jonathan Lee Architects LUXURY MEETS SIMPLICITY TO CREATE DESIGNS THAT EXHIBIT BEAUTY, RELATE TO NATURE, AND AGE GRACEFULLY by Eugenia M. Orr A background in education has honed the philosophy of architect Jonathan Lee. For Lee, each project, each client, and the process of crafting spaces to suit his clients’ needs and desires presents an ever-changing context to create beauty, luxury, and overall good design. The ultimate goal of every project is to create architectural solutions that not only are aesthetically beautiful, but have beautiful qualities in function. With each design, Lee strives not only to improve the quality of life for his clients, but also to leave behind a body of quality work. “Beauty carries through the test of time and sustains through the generations,” Lee says. “Beauty is a luxury and things of beauty are luxurious. They are there for us to enjoy.” Lee sees luxury as more than just material selections. Luxury is a feeling that comes from a place of comfort and safety. “Luxury can be found in 1,000 square feet or 10,000 square feet. If the surroundings are safe then there is a sense of luxury,” Lee says. He believes that luxury can be incorporated into any home through the smallest of details. The client-architect relationship is a crucial component of Lee’s design approach. “Design is not a
one-way street. My approach is specific to the project and to the client; the design evolves as we get to know one another,” Lee says. The relationshipbuilding process provides Lee with the opportunity to design spaces that are as specific to each client as a fine-tailored suit. “My job is to take my client’s ideas and interpret them, using details that cohesively express those ideas,” he says. Lee’s body of work has been greatly influenced by his life and travels. “I’ve lived on three continents in four different countries and traveled through a lot more along the way,” he says. His observations and experiences have shaped his evolution as an architect. His design solutions are influenced by every structure he has experienced, from small villages in Central Africa to the largest cities in Europe and the United States. Lee uses clues from the past to bring a sense of place to current design. At the Leland Residence, Lee was charged with the task of designing a new home that featured all the comforts and conveniences of modern architecture, but appeared as if it had been there a long time. Set on a Lake Leelanau, Michigan, the home’s design was inspired by the Newport
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