Charlap Hyman & Herrero is a Los Angeles and New York City-based practice with an eclectic portfolio of visually stimulating and tightly composed projects that blend architecture, furniture design, and art in order to fill gallery spaces, performance stages, and remote sites with a maximalist flare.
The team, previously highlighted in a Studio Snapshot article back in 2018, is led by architect Andre Herrero and interior designer Adam Charlap Hyman and is now working on a series of ground-up residential projects in various locales, among other projects.
We caught up with Andre Herrero for our latest Studio Snapshot to get a better idea of how the practice has responded to the COVID-19 crisis, what kind of talent they are currently looking for, and how their work has progressed since we last spoke.
Where and when did your studio start?
We started CHH in New York in 2015 and started our LA office shortly thereafter.
How many people work at the company?
Currently, we have 8 people between the two offices.
We started our practice in New York doing gallery renovations and now are beginning to do more and more ground-up homes and small scale commercial projects - often times working with the brand to develop an intelligent architectural identity and approach.
How would you describe the nature of your practice in terms of specialization and/or market / project focus?
A lot of our clients are from the art world or work in creative fields. We started our practice in New York doing gallery renovations and now are beginning to do more and more ground-up homes and small scale commercial projects - often times working with the brand to develop an intelligent architectural identity and approach.
How has your practice shifted in response to the pandemic on a day-to-day level?
We're still clocking in and out at the same time but our screen time has gone up 1,000%. We're adapting, though, and it's going well :)
A lot of our clients are from the art world or work in creative fields.
Do you anticipate returning to your office once the stay-at-home orders are lifted?
Absolutely - there is really nothing better for our creative process than to be in a room together.
We're still clocking in and out at the same time but our screen time has gone up 1,000%. We're adapting, though, and it's going well :)
What sorts of design changes do you anticipate making to your physical office setup if / when you return?
We already have a good ratio of well-ventilated space to the number of people, but we might amp it up some more to get more air changes.
Will your work-from-home policies be extended permanently after it is safe to return to the office?
I think we could definitely take a day to work from home if we don't need to take meetings or collaborate then. There are certainly times when working from home can be nice!
We're looking for people who have a complex understanding of material culture, a point of view, and creative interests outside of the world of architecture.
What are you currently working on?
We're currently working on a couple of custom homes in LA and the NY area, as well as adjusting some existing retail spaces for a more touch-free experience.
What is your approach for getting new projects at the moment?
It has always been word of mouth.
there is really nothing better for our creative process than to be in a room together.
We noticed that you currently have a job listing up on Archinect Jobs. What are you looking for (skill sets, qualities, capacities,etc.) in potential new hires?
We're looking for people who have a complex understanding of material culture, a point of view, and creative interests outside of the world of architecture.
Antonio is a Los Angeles-based writer, designer, and preservationist. He completed the M.Arch I and Master of Preservation Studies programs at Tulane University in 2014, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis in 2010. Antonio has written extensively ...
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