Jane Kim Architect is a small-scale architecture office which specializes in custom residences, boutique retail/cafes, and historic renovations, in the Greater New York City region. Our focus is on creating innovative design solutions using in depth research and creative problem solving. The firm employs a simple set of principles: research-based design; strong client relationships; integrating the historic with the contemporary; and intelligent material use, foregrounding a sustainable practice in the use of spaces and products. Using this approach, we have produced a wide range of residential and retail environments. 

Jane Kim Architect practices a concise, four-part design approach which weaves client relationships, branding, historic preservation, contemporary design,
sustainability, and collaborative research into a straightforward, meticulous workflow. First and foremost, we materialize our clients’ values into immersive yet simple environments. Through dialogue and iteration, we strive towards designs which produce interiors reflective of their client’s brand and ideals. To do so, we employ a properly proportioned public/private balance; tactful signage, textures, and color; and constant communication with all parties involved.

Second, JKA integrates historic renovation with innovation through careful use of quality finishes in existing environments. New York City is a bricolage of architectural periods and styles. We gently mesh the old with the new, and through tactful contemporary design, highlight the historic while updating it with exciting touches. The re-appropriation of common materials, the search
for salvaged goods, the reuse of public space—all of these techniques explore oblique ways at creating productive environments. 

As a third principle, we use sustainable practices as a jumping-off point rather than a means to an end. Aware of material waste and the limited resources that are available in the world, our work foregrounds craft and community in contemporary architecture.

Finally, we anchor our work in research and collaboration. Through our own academic pursuits, and in concert with historians, writers, and other professionals, we continually feed new ideas and ways of thinking into our practice. Design is relational: architect-to-client, environment-to-user, artist-to-artist, etc. Our research seeds threads of inquiry, and in turn gives breadth and depth to each project.