Franklin Report Report Card for The Brooklyn Studio in New York City
★ Franklin Report Card
The Brooklyn Studio
45 Main Street
Studio 824
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 624-1700
brooklyn.studio
design@brooklyn.studio
Main Contact: Brendan Coburn, Ward Welch, Jason Boutin
Categories
Architects

Services & Specialties
Pragmatic, modern, transitional residential architecture; row house specialists

FRANKLIN REPORT RATINGS
RECOMMENDATION
 
4.5]
WORK QUALITY
 
COST EVALUATION
 
VALUE ANALYSIS
 
ADD YOUR REVIEW Key to Ratings
Linked-In E-mail Share on Twitter Share on Facebook E-mail
Linked-In
E-mail
Share on Twitter
Share on Facebook
E-mail
FR Review:
Given carte blanche, principal Brendan Coburn most enjoys designing tailored, modern spaces. However, on more than one occasion he has successfully played preservationist, convincing dubious homeowners that their original moldings are worth holding on to. But whether creating a modern home from scratch or preserving a landmark, Coburn takes a straightforward, pragmatic approach to residential architecture. Rather than imposing a grand point of view on his clients' homes, he listens to their concerns and looks for the simplest and most elegant solution to each. The result is always layered and eclectic, yet completely logical-- impressive and unique, but not brash or flamboyant.

Recent Coburn projects have included country houses in Connecticut and the Hamptons, the occasional Upper West Side or Upper East Side apartment, and a large number of row houses in Brooklyn and the West Village. The last-mentioned is a particular specialty, as Coburn grew up in a row house and has been affectionately tinkering with them all his life. Sources highlight this aspect of the firm, saying "I wouldn't recommend anyone else for that kind of work."

Coburn studied architecture at the University of Virginia, then went on to earn his M.Arch at Yale. Not one to sit quietly in the library, he had built a house and received a large Hamptons commission before graduation. Those two jobs were the seeds of today’s firm, which has since grown to a sturdy staff of 22. Collectively, the team takes on around twenty projects at a time, with Coburn or a partner (Ward Welch, a former classmate of Coburn's at UVA, earns special praise from clients for his work on country houses, Jason Boutin handles commercial jobs) helming the design and the staff implementing the details. Depending on the project, the planning and permit stage ranges from four to eight months, with landmark clearance (another specialty of the firm) factored in. Clients say the staff is pleasantly informal, very creative, and fun to work with.

Representative Client Comments:
"I've worked with a lot of architects. Coburn really represented my best interests, and I couldn't say that of everyone." "Ward really takes delight in his job. They were tearing down the walls on my house in Columbia County and Ward drove up just to see what would be underneath." "Their addition to my house in Amagansett is seamless." "Brendan was available to help me choose an apartment, his advice was invaluable." "Ward always kept his cool, even if I lost mine." "They maintained the integrity of my pre-war apartment." "I was in Texas while the house was being renovated, and Ward was great about staying in touch. He was very reassuring." "Sometimes I worry, because they take on so many jobs, but I never felt ignored." "They did go over the schedule, but it was worth it; the house was perfect." "A very collaborative process." "A lot of my friends have used architects who drew up these beautiful plans, but when they were built, nothing worked. I never felt that way with Coburn. Both Brendan and Ward grew up working on houses as teenagers, and they have a real feel for the way things are put together." "I had to rein them in on budget a bit." "They gave me different options in terms of budget. Even when I chose the cheapest option, it turned out beautiful." "Ward has a house out in the Hamptons, so when he was there, he wouldn't charge me travel time to work on my project." "Won't look down their noses at small jobs." "They made a mistake in billing that I didn't notice. A week later, I got a call from their accounting department, pointing out the mistake and giving me a refund." "Modest, decent, smart, real people."

 
I work for this company and want to respond
(Registration required)
 
Welcome !
Hello !
Now that you have access to the site again,why not post a review?