Studio ai

It was our absolute pleasure and good fortune to work with Studio a+i. "Tell us your wish list" they began.... We were hesitant, having already been led to believe the site and our budget held serious restrictions. This was not true in Studio a+i's capable vision. Lily and Mateo challenged us respectfully when they felt we were wrong, with reams of additional renderings to show us where we could carve more space, or spend a little to achieve more. They were tireless in delivering what we wanted, within our budget. It was a space that had been many times divided and never combined. From what had been pieces of an apartments, carved into two one bedrooms and a studio, Studio a+i created a single family dwelling, with an intuitive flow. Early century bones gave us the space for amenities unheard of in Manhattan terms (a washer dryer, air conditioning, and in Studio a+i's proposal an unused hallway became an office and a breakfast area... Its helpful to mention ALL, as an architect we dismissed had been clear NONE of that would be possible). They were delighted to work with materials and finishings from every source and price point, finding better performing and more aesthetic solutions without being solicited. Studio a+i graciously owned the few bottlenecks that inevitably crop up in gut renovating a landmarked Manhattan co-op more than a century old. Lily and Mateo, and their staff were a pleasure. Professional, Courteous, Considerate, Timely and Daring! There is no doubt we would not have the home we have today without Studio a+i and three years later.... where we did not take their advice? We will tell you they were right.

Complete renovation of a modernist house that was originally built in the '40s. We looked for an architect with a strong sensitivity for modern architecture and an understanding and respect for the spirit of the original building. Mateo and his team have been extremely professional: they helped us with original ideas and careful planning during the design stage, and a thorough and knowledgeable supervision during the execution of the project. Above all, the communication with Mateo has always been a pleasant and stimulating experience. We were completely satisfied with the results. We highly recommend Studio a+i and we hope to hire them again in the future.

I worked with Mateo Paiva on the complete renovation of a one-bedroom apartment in New York City. His practice was able to deliver an innovative design solution given a challenging space. His Team worked within the budget and on schedule. He was able to maintain an effective line of communication with the property manager. The client was extremely happy with the results.

Studio a+i renovated our loft in Tribeca. They were imaginative and managed to create a space that was both comfortable and edgy at the same time. Mateo and his team are personable and listen very carefully to what we want. We plan to use them again when we build our dream home.

I hired Studio a+i to help with a full gut of a brownstone. The kitchens, bathrooms and walls were moved and redone. The entire rear of brownstone was opened up to the garden. All new electrical, plumbing and HVAC were installed. The Studio a+i team was a pleasure to work with, and I would hire them again in heartbeat. The team clearly has tremendous natural talent and creativity, but I was also impressed with the dedication and follow through in the project.

Mateo Paiva oversaw a gut renovation of my apartment, completely reworking the floor plan in a prewar building owned by NYU. He came up with a very creative design that vastly improved the space, and dealt well with the university-hired contractors and project manager. He was great at coming up with the big picture, and at helping negotiate for changes that the manager had resisted.

We hired studio a+i twice. Our first experience with them was a gut renovation of our downtown loft. The project included a complete redesign of the space, including adding windows. The space turned into a beautiful three bedroom apartment that maintained the character of the original apartment, with exposed beams and large spaces, and allowed our family of five to live comfortably. We had a wonderful experience with them, from designing the space, top picking the materials of the bathrooms and appliances. Based on our extremely positive experience, we hired studio a+i again to build a house form scratch in Mountauk. We are about to break ground and we are happy to report that we have had the same experience than we did with our original apartment.