Homes Designed for How You Actually Live
ArcheA Studio is a full-service residential architecture firm in New York City — handling everything from the first sketch and zoning analysis through DOB permitting and construction administration, without handing you off between teams.
We design custom homes, renovations, additions, and multi-family buildings for homeowners, developers, and investors across all five boroughs. The firm was founded by Ana Kurtsikidze, a licensed architect with over 16 years of experience and a Master’s in Architecture and Design. Whether your project is a brownstone gut renovation in Brooklyn, a new construction home in Staten Island, a luxury townhouse redesign on the Upper West Side, or a multi-family building in Queens — one team manages the full scope, start to finish.
What We Design
Your home, designed from scratch
Single-family homes, duplexes, and luxury residences tailored entirely to your site, your zoning envelope, and the way you want to live — from conceptual design through full construction documentation and DOB permitting.
Transforming what you already have
Reconfigured floor plans, new floors, basement conversions, full gut renovations — we handle design, DOB NOW filings, engineering coordination, and construction administration with a team that already knows how to avoid plan examiner objections.
Historic character, modern performance
Narrow lots, party walls, aging infrastructure, and often an LPC landmark overlay on top of standard DOB requirements. We’ve done this work extensively — modernizing performance without losing the character that makes these buildings worth owning.
From walk-ups to mid-rise buildings
Three-unit walk-ups through mid-rise apartment buildings — designed to maximize unit count within the zoning envelope, coordinate fully with structural and MEP engineering, and perform financially without feeling like it.
Where the details define everything
Upper East Side apartments, Westchester estates, Todt Hill custom homes — custom millwork to the inch, material palettes selected for actual light conditions, bespoke detailing at every scale. Quality that shows in how the space feels every day.
Building on a vacant lot in NYC
Every new construction project begins with a full zoning analysis — establishing exactly what the lot allows before any design decision is made. We then design a building that maximizes the site’s potential and manage every phase through DOB permitting and construction administration.
How a Project Unfolds
Every residential project follows the same six-phase arc — though the pace and specifics vary with scope, budget, and regulatory context. Here is what working with ArcheA Studio looks like from the first conversation to the finished home.
Initial Consultation & Site Review
We visit your property, talk through your goals, and review the zoning constraints that will shape what’s possible. By the end you’ll have a clear picture of what the project involves, what a realistic budget looks like, and whether we’re the right fit. No obligation — just an honest conversation.
Schematic Design
We develop preliminary floor plans, massing studies, and design concepts. This is where the home starts taking shape — you see it in drawings and 3D visualizations and give feedback until the direction feels right. This phase is intentionally iterative.
Zoning & Code Review
We verify that the design complies with the NYC Zoning Resolution, building code, energy code, and any landmark regulations — before design development begins. Catching a zoning conflict in a sketch costs nothing. Catching it in a permit drawing set that’s already in review costs weeks.
Design Development
We refine the schematic design into a fully detailed architectural set — material selections, interior elevations, custom millwork, lighting, and full coordination with structural and MEP engineers. Every decision that will affect the building’s appearance and performance is made and documented before construction documents are produced.
Construction Documents & Permitting
We produce the full architectural drawing set for DOB NOW filing and permit approval — handling all agency submissions, tracking application status, and responding to plan examiner objections. We prepare drawings to pass review on the first submission wherever possible, because every revision cycle adds time.
Construction Administration
Having the architect of record present during construction is what ensures the built result actually matches the approved design. We visit the site regularly, review contractor submittals, manage change orders, and conduct the inspections needed for sign-offs and certificate of occupancy.
Where We Work
What Sets Us Apart
NYC’s regulatory system — inside out
In 2024, the NYC DOB processed over 175,000 permit applications. Projects with incomplete filings or wrong zoning calculations face stop-work orders and fines of $2,500–$25,000 per violation. We handle DOB NOW submissions, zoning analyses, energy compliance, and agency expediting — and we design around the objections that derail projects from the very start.
One team handles everything
When design, zoning, code compliance, DOB filing, interior design, and construction administration all pass through the same team, coordination errors disappear. No intent gets lost in translation, no design change fails to reach the permit drawings. One team, one model, one point of accountability.
Engineering coordination that starts early
NYC residential projects almost always require structural, MEP, and energy code documentation — and coordination between architecture and engineering is where projects most often get delayed. Our engineering partners know how we document and detail, which means conflicts are resolved in the design phase, not during construction when they cost five times as much.
Experience across the full residential range
From a single-family home on Staten Island to a mixed-use building in Brooklyn, we’ve designed across the full residential spectrum — new construction, gut renovations, brownstone restorations, townhouse modernizations, and luxury custom residences. Navigating a Carroll Gardens landmark renovation requires different expertise than maximizing a Queens vacant lot. We bring both.
NYC Residential Construction Today
In 2025, the NYC DOB received 1,972 new building permit filings totaling 67.5 million square feet — proposing over 57,000 residential and hotel units across the five boroughs.
Brooklyn led with 513 permits — 26% of all new filings — followed by Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. For homeowners and developers, the difference between a smooth permitting experience and a months-long delay almost always comes down to the quality and completeness of the architectural filing.
Demand for architects with deep DOB fluency, zoning expertise, and established relationships in the NYC construction market has grown with the volume of projects. ArcheA Studio’s familiarity with DOB NOW, zoning variance strategy, and the full code compliance process means projects move from design to approved permit faster — without the revision cycles that add weeks or months to less experienced filings.
Common Questions
Start Your Project
Whether you’re building a new custom home, renovating a brownstone, or developing a multi-family building in New York City, ArcheA Studio delivers residential architecture designed around your life and built to navigate NYC’s regulatory requirements without losing momentum. The first conversation is free — reach out and let’s talk about what you’re trying to do.
