Following last week’s visit to California-based BAMO, we are using this week’s edition of our Meet Your Next Employer series to explore the work of New York City-based Andrew Franz Architect (AFA) as they are currently looking to hire a Junior Architectural Designer and an Intermediate Architectural Designer.

Founded by Andrew Franz in 2003, the firm has built a portfolio of projects ranging from private residences to hospitality venues, workplaces, and facilities for cultural and nonprofit organizations. Composed of architects and interior designers, the firm describes its workplace as an "open, collaborative studio environment that shares original ideas and proven building practices."

“In our work, we strive to distill simple, elegant, and humanistic solutions from complex and disparate ideas, creating functional and meaningful spaces with clarity of form and purpose,” is how the firm describes its philosophy. “We create links between users and the natural environment wherever we can. We believe hand craft is more vital than machined perfection – it creates a primordial connection between user and environment.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions across their New York City studio. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or those interested in learning more about the firm’s work, we have rounded up five renovated apartments across New York City by AFA that reflects the studio’s design ethos.

Tribeca Loft

Set within a warehouse dating from 1884, AFA’s 3000-square-foot Tribeca Loft is reimagined as a top-floor residence with open entertaining zones and convenient connections to the outdoors. Since its completion in 2013, the project has been published in The New York Times, Dwell, and The Wall Street Journal.

“The design, guided with a goal of a sustainable and healthy, living environment, features a relocated mezzanine with a planted interior court which connects to the new green roof garden,” the firm explains. “Embracing the building’s industrial past, a visual discourse between new and old is devised through insertions of modern materials along with restored or reclaimed materials.”

Chelsea Loft

Completed in 2020, the 1300-square-foot Chelsea Loft is designed for a family of four. Described by AFA as “efficient, comfortable, and open,” the scheme is composed of private and shared areas separated by a custom wall of cabinetry and casework, fitted with glass transoms that draw natural light into every room.

“Marked by natural materials and minimal details, the apartment is made with close to 100% reclaimed wood, everything from the flooring and kitchen ash cabinetry to the bathroom ceiling and a built-in sofa and storage unit created for the entry area,” the firm notes.

Chelsea Apartment

For their 800-square-foot Chelsea Apartment, AFA removed walls to bring natural light into the unit, aided further by the use of full height-glass partitions and high-glass lacquered ceilings. Since its completion in 2015, the project has been featured in Dwell and New York Spaces.

The project also saw the restoration of historic details such as crown moldings, door surrounds, and window frames, while a bold green kitchen palette of white, natural fir, and two alternating shades of green contrast with marble backsplashes. The home’s functional quality was further improved through the addition of acoustically separated ceilings, new glazing, and a new air conditioning system.

Upper West Side Duplex

AFA’s Upper West Side Duplex saw the gut renovation of a pre-war apartment which balanced the restoration of historic features with the reconfiguration of the floor plan to serve a modern family’s needs. The renovation process saw the original layout, composed of several small rooms, opened up to create what AFA calls a “consistent and generous sense of space.”

The resulting duplex features an enlarged kitchen and relocated dining room which shares an open, continuous space decorated with custom wood cabinetry and original arts-and-craft detailing. Elsewhere, new glass doors separate the master suite while allowing views towards a historic church and two bell towers.

West Village Apartment

Another comprehensive renovation of an existing building, AFA’s West Village Apartment saw an 1100-square-foot space opened up from a highly compartmentalized plan. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, pivoting glass louvers, and free-floating millwork were also added in the 2019 upgrade, designed to maximize the perceived height of the space.

“Integrated and efficient storage was prioritized to allow the space to remain clutter-free, while close attention was paid to the detailing of crisp new plaster against the raw exposed structural columns,” the firm explains. “Warmth, texture, and color were introduced through solid end-grain parquet flooring, rift white oak cabinetry, forest green doors, misty ceramic tile, and contrasting slabs of terrazzo and schist.”

Meet Your Next Employer is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Job Highlights series looks at intriguing and topical employment opportunities currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.