SPAN Architecture brings together a diverse array of experiences and interests as practitioners, teachers, artists and theorists.  Registered architects, Karen Stonely and Peter Pelsinski began collaboration in 1998 and formed SPAN in 2004.  Their award-winning work combines thoughtful and inventive conceptual design with technological innovation and creative material application.  Above all else, SPAN shares a deep appreciation and reverence for architecture that guides their pursuit of creating superlative work.

Architectural Projects

In recent years, SPAN has continued to work on a broad range of project types, from residential to commercial, from development to high-end retail, hospitality and custom furnishings.

SPAN is currently designing an evolution of the retail store concept for Calvin Klein Collection throughout Asia as well as Pringle of Scotland in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London. SPAN received the AIANY 2014 NY Honor Award for Best Interiors for their Calvin Klein Collection store in Shenyang and a AIANY Design Award in 2016.

They completed The Core Club, featured in and on the cover of Interior Design November 2007, a 30,000 SF private club composed of a 60-seat screening room, a gym, a library, and the Spa which includes wellness areas, steam and saunas, manicure/pedicure, salon and barber, and a 8,500 square foot restaurant with outdoor terrace.  The project received a 2008 AIA Citation for Design. Other built commercial work includes the dental suite for GoSmile Aesthetics, featured in Interior Design, Business Week, and SPA-DE among others, Keyspan Energy’s advanced nationwide teleconferencing rooms which won a 2005 AIA Award forArchitectural Excellence, and Baron & Baron’s 12,000 square foot new New York office. They are designing a 2-acre, 21st century interpretation of a historic bazaar market located at the center of the Las Vegas strip for Bally’s.  They are the Interior Architects for the new 54 story, 500 key Hyatt Times Square which include a Spa and Sky Lounge - Restaurant.

Complementing their commercial work, recent residential work for both private clients and developers includes new houses, condominium and townhouse developments, and interior architecture and design.  Of note, they are completing work for the Gotham Development 
Corporation on a citywide block, four building complex which includes residential interiors and 35,000 square feet of amenity spaces and adjacent gardens. They are also the interior architects for Rockrose Development Corporation for the 1000 unit, 50-story high-rise residential development located in the burgeoning LIC district of Queens.  They continue to work on a new 660 unit residential development with 25, 000 square feet of amenity and exterior space located adjacent to and for the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  They are beginning work on LA Metropolis, a new 308 unit high rise condominium development with 14,000 square feet of amenity space located in downtown LA for Greenland Group and Tishman Construction.

In addition to development work, SPAN has worked on private residences for Calvin Klein and Ian Schrager. The Westport Residence and Pool House is featured and on the cover of Architectural Digest in August 2012.  The Sullen’s Residence was featured in the October 2007 issue of Architectural Digest.  They have undertaken work for Leslie Alexander on the penthouse of the Super Ink Building, as well as for Bob Hurst, Fabian Baron, Bruce Ratner and Ahmed and Cherine Tayeb.  Current residential projects include the conversion of a firehouse into an 8,000 square foot residence in the Village on Morton Street and the two story penthouse on Beech Street in Tribeca, to name a few.  A new compound comprising a pool house, tea house, guest house, and boat house and main house are underway in Bar Harbor ME on the previously owned hunting grounds of Brooke Astor.

The Architect’s Newspaper featured the studio’s diverse array of built work in August 2007 and the studio participated in the OHNY NYCxDesign 2013, a new city wide initiative to showcase the important role that architecture and design plays in New York. Recently, SPAN was also named an honoree of Inter

Speculative/Academic Endeavors

In addition to the office’s built work, SPAN continues to work on speculative development projects and pursue competitions.  SPAN coordinated a traveling studio focused on issues of reconstruction between the New Jersey School of Architecture and the schools of Architecture at Poznan and Warsaw Universities comparing the building site of the WTC with post-war sites in Berlin, Warsaw and Poznan.  SPAN currently teaches the integrated building design seminar and laboratory at Princeton University. SPAN participates on numerous panels.  They participated in “One Platform, One Solution” discussing the nature of technology on design and production, and were a juror for the 2008 and 2009 “Designing Brooklyn” awards as well as for the AIA DC Un-built Projects Awards. SPAN has lectured at the NJ School of Architecture (“Creative Generalism”). They were selected as one of five national firms to participate in the “Friends of Hudson Square Design Charrette Workshop & Exhibition”.  SPAN chaired the “Friends Committee” for the Design Trust for Public Space, is on the Development Committee for the Architectural League of NY, and is on both the Development and Program Committees for OHNY.

Firm  
The studio of 15 is composed of 2 Principals, 1 Studio Director, 2 Associates, 6 Project Managers/Draftsman, an Interior Designer and 2 support staff members.  Teams are tailored to the size, complexity and specialty of each project.  The office is a cross-platform environment utilizing both Windows and Mac OS workstations.  Facing the harbor and located in the heart of Manhattan’s financial district, SPAN built out its current office space in September of 2006.