The first project to integrate WFORC and WFORA services, a large private residence in Millerton, New York is nearing completion. After 3 years of design and 2½ years of construction, the owners moved in this past June. Currently our team is working on the exterior features surrounding the house such as the terraces and roadways. More
Workshop for Architecture
526 W 26th St #410
New York, NY 10001
Tel 212 674 3400
Fax 212 674 0400
For general inquiries and new projects, please email info@wfora.com. For information on jobs and internships, email jobs@wfora.com with a current portfolio and CV.
Established in 2003, WFORA is a collaborative design and research studio based in New York City. Our practice covers many different types of buildings and projects but we focus on the unique circumstances surrounding each one. More
Clients provide the core direction and intentions for our projects, but we believe these factors should also address the changing currents of our times. Cultures evolve, new sciences allow new perceptions, and economic models reprioritize what is valuable. By keeping a curious, open and disciplined mind, we can direct our clients to a better project.
As a further means to these intentions, we recently established Workshop for Construction Inc. As the ‘build’ side to our practice, our joint company manages the construction of our projects ensuring that this aspect of architecture is better controlled. Our ultimate goal is construct an artifact that is true to our imagined reality.
John Lee (AIA, LEED AP) is the founder of both Workshop for Architecture LLP and Workshop for Construction Inc. Based in New York and having worked as an architect for over twenty years, he brings an impressive level of experience from both the architectural and construction industries. More
A graduate of the Harvard University GSD, John has worked for several respected firms including Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners (aka, Pei Partnership) and KPF & Associates. Eventually he became a Partner at HLW Int where he supervised the design direction of the Financial & Developers Studio. There, he led the design of projects including the Schering-Plough Corporate Headquarters, Bloomberg Office Headquarters and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Campus all in New Jersey. He also worked closely with Mack-Cali Realty, SJP Properties and other developers designing various commercial complexes. John also worked internationally designing office towers in Shanghai, China for the Ciros Corporation and in Seoul, South Korea for the LG Group Corporation.
In 2003, having left his corporate position, John established his own practice, Workshop for Architecture, with the MIG Offices project. In 2008, the project was awarded a Design Merit by the AIA New York Chapter. Since then, his office has been steadily completing projects of varying sizes and types both in NYC and abroad.
In 2008, to extend his practice and pursue his growing interest in the building process as an integral part of architecture, John established Workshop for Construction. Currently, the two entities work together to create a wholistic approach to designing and building.
John has served as a Visiting Instructor at Pratt Institute’s School of Design in the Interior Design department and has lectured at the SUNY School of Architecture. He has served on design juries at several architectural school including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and Cornell University. He was a fellow at the MacDowell Colony in 2010.
Stephen Lee (Senior Project Architect) is not only a senior architect with WFORA, but also a key connection between the architecture group and WFORC. More
With over 9 years of experience as an architect working on a variety of building types and scale, he joined the firm after having managing an award-winning project for the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory with Payette Associates. Because of the complexity of the project, Stephen was instrumental in supervising the design as the senior construction administration architect on site.
Since joining WFORA, he has been responsible for several private residence projects as well as a number of commercial interiors. His chief achievement has been managing the continuity of design and construction of a $14 million dollar private residence in Millerton, NY. Working closely with the construction team and interacting daily with the subcontractors, Stephen has taken on a leadership role in successfully managing the first design-build project undertaken by WFORC.
Stephen is a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and the undergraduate program at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture.
Kevin Desharnais (Project Executive) brings senior leadership to the construction side of the company, with 17 years of experience in the industry, as well as formal training as an architect. More
Having worked with the most respected residential construction firms in New York, such as Clark Construction, Xhema and Hobbs Inc., Kevin brings an impressive understanding of project management for high end construction. His relationship with subcontractors provides an important connection to the subcontractors from both union and non-union backgrounds. He has been a project manager on private residences with budgets of up to $18 million dollars as well as commercial projects in and around New York City.
Currently, Kevin is managing several projects as well as the construction of a $14 million dollar private residence in Millerton, NY. Involving a significant number of trades, this project has employed both union and non-union companies to provide the client with the highest level of construction quality in the tri-state area. Kevin has been the primary contact with these trades, defining their scope of work as well as organizing the overall project schedule.
Kevin is a graduate of the City College of New York with a dual-degree Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science, also in Architecture.