Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects is an award-winning architecture and design practice with an international reputation for design excellence. Founded in 1998, and led by firm principals Stephan Jaklitsch and Mark Gardner, the studio is based on the belief that design is for people and possesses the ability to communicate collective values, provide relevance, and create meaning. We believe that there is fundamental value in designing distinctive buildings, spaces, interiors, furniture, and products of all scales that contribute to the quality of how we live.
We believe in the power of design and holistically interpret and integrate architectural, cultural, social, and environmental contexts into our work. J/GA’s highly collaborative process begins with thorough research into each project’s history, context, challenges, and opportunities. Both partners promote dialogue in order to create a sense of place and architectural experiences that engage people.
Jaklitsch/Gardner is a Black-and-LGBTQIA+-owned architecture and design studio.
WHO WE ARE
SUSTAINABILITY
Jaklitsch/Gardner is proactive in taking action towards addressing and expressing how sustainability remains a core principle in design; to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.
The climate emergency is a reality and as architects we must be aware of our own agency during the design process. Jaklitsch/Gardner is a USGBC firm and signed the US Architects Declare statement regarding climate, social justice and biodiversity in the built environment. Per the US Architects Declare website: “Efforts in the US have been defined by an intersectional approach to climate, justice, and biodiversity. We believe that these issues must be understood in relation to each other, and that the urgency of the crisis requires immediate transformation in the ways we teach, practice, and build. We see our work as complementary and supportive of a range of organizations addressing complex climate, social, and ecological challenges.”
Inclusion and belonging is how we unleash the power of diversity. We strive to foster a culture of empowerment and professional growth in our practice. We listen and engage with our diverse communities to nurture a sense of inclusion. At Jaklitsch/Gardner, we value collaborative teamwork with our varied clients, diverse staff, sub-consultants, and contractors. We are committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and understand that varied perspectives help generate the best ideas.
DIVERSITY STATEMENT
Leadership
Stephan Jaklitsch
Principal, FAIA
Mark Gardner
Principal, AIA
Jonathan Kirk
Studio Director, AIA
Andrew Miller
Associate, AIA
Asuka Hayashi
Associate
Awards
JAKLITSCH/GARDNER Architects has received nine American Institute of Architects Awards - including a National Honor Award - been awarded by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture & Design, Architizer, and honored by the Japan Institute of Architecture, among many other prestigious national and international design institutions. In 2016 JAKLITSCH/GARDNER was selected to be part of a group of twenty-six firms by the New York City Department of Design + Construction to participate in invited bids within the NYC’s DDC’s Design Excellence Program, a multi-year contract with the City of New York. The firm is currently leading the rehabilitation of 20 Nolan Park on Governers Island into non-profit foundation offices, which was designed as a model for future restoration/rehabilitation work in Nolan Park. We were also recently selected as the architect to design a space commemorating Native American and African American histories in Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood on a site known to be a burial ground for enslaved Africans and adjacent to sites of significance to the Lenape people.
Publications
Stephan Jaklitsch: Habits, Patterns, Algorithms
FRAME Zoom In
By the City / For the City: An Atlas of Possbility for the Future of New York
Elle Decor: The Height of Style