About

Architecture often separates itself into categories: public work that is accountable but generic, and private work that is expressive but insular. ABA was founded in the refusal of that divide.

The office works across residential, civic, cultural, and commercial architecture as a single body of work. Each project is approached as part of an ongoing question about what buildings owe the people who use them and the cities they shape. The same material intelligence and spatial ambition brought to a public library informs a private house or a retail flagship; the same discipline and long view applied to institutional work carries through to interiors and adaptive reuse.

Much of the work begins with existing conditions: landmarked buildings, inherited structures, or interiors that no longer support how spaces are used today. These are treated as a starting point rather than a limitation. Through interventions in structure, circulation, light, and material assembly, ABA reorganizes buildings to make them more legible, more useful, and more responsive to their context. Historic fabric is neither preserved as artifact nor erased, but reinterpreted through contemporary systems and construction, allowing buildings to evolve without losing what gives them cultural and civic value.

Across project types, design is grounded in how spaces are made and experienced over time. Materials are selected for durability and performance as much as for character; daylight is used to organize space and define atmosphere; technical systems are integrated as part of the architecture rather than applied to it. In retail and cultural work, this approach supports environments that communicate clearly to their audiences while remaining robust and adaptable. In civic projects, it produces buildings that are both highly functional and legible as public space.

Founded in 2009, the practice works with public agencies, institutions, artists, developers, and private clients throughout New York City, Connecticut, and the United States. Current and recent work includes a New York Public Library branch in the Bronx, a Community Justice Center in Connecticut, the U.S. flagship for a British fashion brand, headquarters for a culinary and event planning team, and multiple townhouse renovations and restorations in landmarked neighborhoods.

ABA is a woman-owned business enterprise (WBE) and a member of New York City’s Department of Design and Construction Design Excellence Program. The firm has received the Architectural League Prize, AIA New Practices New York, Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard, and the AIA Arnold W. Brunner Grant, among other honors. Its work has been widely published and exhibited internationally.

Abruzzo Bodziak Architects is an architecture and design studio working across civic, cultural, commercial, and residential projects. Our work spans scales and typologies while maintaining a consistent focus on clarity, material intelligence, and careful engagement with existing conditions. Each project is approached as a specific problem, informed by context, program, and use, and shaped through an integrated consideration of urbanism, landscape, interiors, and research.

Our work is guided by disciplined design thinking and a structured, schedule-aware process. We use defined checkpoints across design and construction to align architectural intent with technical performance, cost, and delivery requirements, allowing the work to remain rigorous while adapting to changing constraints.

The office is known for clear organizational strategies, precise detailing, and spaces that are both analytically rigorous and experientially grounded. Where appropriate, we employ systems-based approaches to produce work that is adaptable, legible, and efficient to build. This clarity supports coordination with clients, consultants, contractors, and, in some cases, public stakeholders.

We prioritize design excellence, accountability, and professional responsibility. The studio operates through collaboration, shared standards, and a culture of careful thinking, with the belief that strong work emerges from clear expectations and sustained attention to detail.

Below are examples of our quality assurance methods and representative documents, illustrating both our process and the collaborative work of the extended project team.

At the outset of each project, we define a target schedule, scope of work, deliverables, and a concise project brief that establishes goals, priorities, and process. This framework documents the owner’s objectives, sets benchmarks for quality across all phases, and clarifies expectations for decision-making and review.

The project brief also establishes protocols for internal coordination, quality control, documentation, and archiving. It provides a clear but adaptable structure that can respond to evolving project conditions while maintaining continuity in design intent, client communication, and the consistency of both digital and physical deliverables.

Our design work follows AIA guidelines, established professional best practices, and a set of internal standards developed by the office and calibrated to the needs of each client and project. For most commissions, our services span early concept development through design development, construction documentation, permitting, bidding, and construction administration through project closeout. Where appropriate, we also work with clients on furnishings and interior elements as an integrated part of the architectural scope.

At the outset, we tailor the scope and sequencing of work to align with project goals, constraints, and schedule. We are experienced in structuring overlapping phases when required to support expedited timelines while maintaining coordination and technical rigor.

At the conclusion of each phase, we prepare presentations and drawing packages that clearly document decisions and progress. These materials may be accompanied by cost studies prepared by others, supporting informed decision-making and formal client approval before advancing to the next phase.

We place strong emphasis on early and ongoing collaboration, including client engagement, interdisciplinary coordination, and environmentally responsible design strategies. Throughout design, we can also recommend mechanisms to verify alignment with budget expectations, such as early contractor involvement or engagement of an independent cost estimator, depending on project scale and delivery method.

Concept and schematic design proceed through parallel tracks of research and design development. We collect and analyze historical, contextual, and technical information while testing ideas through drawings, physical and digital models, reference imagery, montage, and renderings. Early in the process, we issue a detailed questionnaire addressing project goals, daily routines, items to be incorporated such as furniture and art, and preferences related to controls, audiovisual systems, and integration with other building systems. This work establishes a clear project narrative that informs character and serves as a consistent reference as the design develops.

Using information gathered through questionnaires, meetings, and site analysis, we develop multiple design options exploring alternative spatial, material, and organizational strategies. These options are reviewed with the client and refined through iterative discussion until a preliminary direction is defined. In parallel, we evaluate scope and program against the project budget to confirm alignment between objectives, level of intervention, and cost, and to identify necessary adjustments early in the process.

All projects are led directly by ABA partners Emily Abruzzo and Gerald Bodziak and assigned a dedicated project architect. Project teams are scaled to the scope and complexity of each commission and supported by experienced staff and specialized consultants. Unlike larger firms, the partners remain closely involved throughout all phases of work, ensuring continuity of design intent and decision-making.

We collaborate with a network of top-tier, trusted technical consultants, and engage them early in the process to support coordinated, well-integrated design solutions and clear communication across disciplines.

Clear and consistent communication is central to each project. At the outset, we establish defined channels, meeting structures, and documentation protocols to support efficient coordination. ABA prepares and distributes meeting notes and manages project communications to ensure that decisions, responsibilities, and next steps are clearly documented and shared, and that clients remain fully informed as work progresses.

We use collaborative platforms including Bluebeam, Miro, Google Workspace, and Zoom to coordinate with clients and consultants across locations and time zones. Within the studio, we maintain open lines of communication and deliberate delegation to support clarity, accountability, and continuity across the project team.

We maintain a hands-on studio that supports both advanced digital production and physical making. Our workflow incorporates CAD, BIM, 3D modeling, and rendering alongside a fully active woodshop equipped with CNC milling, laser cutting, and tools for fabrication and assembly. A dedicated photo studio allows us to document models, mockups, and installations with the same care given to finished work. Moving fluidly between drawing, modeling, and building, we use physical prototypes to test geometry, material behavior, light, and construction logic, including full-scale studies when questions of performance, craft, or experience demand it. This integration of digital and physical work keeps design decisions grounded, testable, and directly connected to how projects are ultimately built.

From early concept through construction, we use detailed 3D models to organize information, test design decisions, and coordinate closely with consultants. These models are used to evaluate structure, systems, and constructability early, reducing ambiguity as the work progresses.

Photo-realistic renderings are produced in house as part of the design process and used to assess proportion, material behavior, and light. Physical models and full scale mockups are employed to study spatial relationships, verify details with fabricators and contractors, and resolve decisions that affect how spaces are built and experienced.

ABA brings a focused understanding of material systems and their role in shaping form, space, and use. Partner Emily Abruzzo has taught architectural materials research and application for over a decade, informing the office’s approach to material selection, detailing, and performance. Materials are evaluated not only for appearance, but for durability, constructability, environmental impact, and effects on human health.

The studio maintains an actively used materials library that supports design development, specification, and coordination. Physical mockups are used throughout design and again during early construction, as defined in the construction documents, to verify color, assembly, sequencing, and tolerances. This iterative, hands-on process supports clear decision-making and helps ensure that material intent is realized in the completed work.

A structured digital filing system is maintained throughout each project to document decisions, communications, and deliverables. Files are organized using consistent standards and regularly backed up, with offsite duplication in place to support data security and continuity.

Drawing revisions, issue logs, and key correspondence are tracked systematically, allowing project decisions to be traced over time and supporting coordination, accountability, and efficient project management.