Caples Jefferson Architects is an American design and

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

firm founded in 1987 in New York City by principal architects Sara Caples and Everardo Jefferson. The firm focuses on architecture in a public, cultural and community context, and is unique for its dedication to designing approximately half of its projects in communities underserved by the design profession.

Biography

Sara Caples attended

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

and received a Master of Architecture from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. She has taught at schools of architecture at

CCNY The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 18 ...

, Syracuse, and

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

. Everardo Jefferson attended

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

and received a Master of Architecture at Yale University. He has taught at schools of architecture at Columbia and Syracuse. Caples and Jefferson were invited to teach as the Louis I. Kahn Visiting Assistant Professors at Yale University in Fall 2015. In 2019, Jefferson was appointed Commissioner at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The firm has garnered numerous awards, including the AIANY President's Award 2017, AIA New York State Firm of the Year in 2012, NYC

MWBE Supplier diversity refers to the use of minority-owned businesses as suppliers, and a supplier diversity program is a proactive business program which encourages such use within an organisation's supply chain. Minority-owned includes black and min ...

Firm of the Year in 2009 and was a Mies van der Rohe Crown Hall Prize of the Americas nominee. Jefferson was the 2020 recipient of the Rowena Award, designated by the Rowena Reed Kostellow Fund at Pratt Institute.

Work

Caples Jefferson's body of work includes projects: Weeksville Heritage Center, Queens Theater in the Park addition and renovation, Marcus Garvey Community Center, Motion Pictures Editors Guild, Heritage Health & Housing Headquarters, Columbia University's Starr East Asian library renovation. Weeksville Heritage Center is a cultural center and urban design project that was completed in 2014 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The elegant new Modern structure is a two-story, 23,000 sq ft space that includes art exhibition, performance, education facilities, offices and green spaces for staff, visitors and the local community."Historic Districts Council Design Awards."

Historic Districts Council The Historic Districts Council (HDC) is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as the advocate for New York City's historic buildings, neighborhoods, and public spaces. HDC's YouTube channel provides a large catalog o ...

(2014).Caples Jefferson Architects. “Queens Theatre.” C3 No. 327 November 2011: 124“Queens Theatre.�
Design Develop Construct Journal
, Winter 2011: 165Nic Lehoux. "Queens Theatre in the Park: Breathing new life into Philip Johnson's World's Fair legacy." Detail July 2011: 358Gutierrez, Leonor. "Renuava Su Estilo Y Crece." Casas y Mas No. 148 September 2011: 60 The L-shaped building frames the historic houses that once belonged to 19th-century African-American freedmen. It is certified LEED Gold, and includes geothermal wells, and storm water gathering and percolation on site. Weeksville Heritage Center has been awarded multiple awards, such as AIA New York State's Design Excellence Award 2014 & Best in New York State 2014, Municipal Art Society's Best New Building 2014, Historic Districts Council’s Design Award 2014, and Chicago Athenaeum's American Architecture Award 2014. In The Architect Newspaper, Allen Blake notes that "Caples Jefferson has performed an art of architectural archeology, excavating, revealing and framing history through spatial expression. �� eeksvilleis a visual and sensory interplay between past and present." In 2010, Caples Jefferson Architects completed a 600 person reception room by the

Queens Theatre in the Park Queens Theatre, formerly Queens Theatre in the Park and before that Queens Playhouse, is an American professional theatre at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. Artistic and Executive Directors have included ...

, an addition to the

1964 New York World's Fair The 1964 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair) was an world's fair, international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activ ...

Site in

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

. The project features a transparent "nebula room" which looks out upon the large observation towers surrounding it. "The 'transparent "nebula room' allows visitors to view the observatory towers...the reception room's festive atmosphere is created by the rich color palette derived from the area's culturally diverse surroundings." This project received several awards including the 2010 New York Construction Cultural Project of the Year, a Queens Chamber of Commerce Award, a

National Organization of Minority Architects The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) is a professional organization for individuals practicing architecture and allied professionals to advance justice and equity in communities of color. History In 1968, activist and executiv ...

(NOMA) National Award of Excellence in Architecture as well as the 2011 MASterworks Award for Best Restoration by the

Municipal Art Society The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) is a non-profit membership organization for preservation in New York City, which aims to encourage thoughtful planning and urban design and inclusive neighborhoods across the city. The organization was ...

.Hart, Sara. “Queens Theatre.�
Architect Magazine
April 2012: 98 Projects in construction or in design include: The Africa Center, Louis Armstrong House Museum, ongoing Columbia University projects, ongoing New York City School Construction Authority projects, and ongoing US Department of State projects.

Selected design and renovation projects

Museums * The Africa Center, New York, NY 2025 (Projected) * Louis Armstrong Museum Center, New York, NY 2023 * Weeksville Heritage Center, Brooklyn, NY 2014 Educational Institutions * 10 Bouck Court Pre-Kindergarten, Brooklyn NY 2016 * New York University, Faculty Housing, Bleecker Street, New York NY 2016 *

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

Main Campus Scoping Documents, New York, NY 2014 (Projected) * 1337 Inwood Charter School, Bronx, NY 2015 (Projected) * Marshak Science Building (HVAC upgrade),

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

City University of New York The City University of New York (CUNY, pronounced , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven ...

, New York, NY (2012-2014 Projected) * Life Sciences Building (upgrade), SUNY Stony Brook, New York, NY 2012 (Projected) * Neighborhood Charter School of Harlem, New York, NY 2012 * Starr East Asian Library renovation, New York, NY 2009 * NYU Warren Weaver Cogen Plant, New York, NY 2004 (Masterplan) * Hybrid School - Stephen Gaynor, New York, NY 2002 (Project) *

Grace Church School Grace Church School is a private school whose original building is located at 86 Fourth Avenue between East 10th and East 12th Streets in the East Village neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The school was founded in 1 ...

renovation, New York, 2002 * Child Care Center,

Borough of Manhattan Community College The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is a public community college in New York City. Founded in 1963 as part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, BMCC grants associate degrees in a wide variety of vocational, business, ...

, New York, 2002 * Howard Haber Blue Feather School interior design, Bronx, NY 1993 * Jennie Knauff Children’s Center, Bronx, NY 1991 Theatres *

(addition of reception hall), Queens, NY 2009White, Norval. Willensky, Elliot. Leadon, Fran. American Institute of Architects. New York Chapter. “Queens Theatre.”

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Peñas de Aya, small mountain range in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ...

Guide to New York City 2010: 773 *

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...

(renovation), Harlem, New York 2002 Community centers * Marcus Garvey Community Center, Brooklyn, NY 2011 * Cooper Park Community Center renovation, Brooklyn, NY 1997 * Taylor-Wythe Community Center renovation, Brooklyn, NY 1997 * Williamsburg Community Center, New York, NY 1997 Religious centers * New Spirit Café (restaurant), New York, NY 2000 Treatment centers * Central Harlem Alcohol Crisis Center, New York, NY 1995 (Project) Urban design and infrastructure * NYU Warren Weaver Cogen Plant preliminary design, New York, NY 2004 (Masterplan) * Lehman Maintenance Building, New York, New York 1996 Offices * Heritage Health and Housing HQ, New York, NY 2002 * DeSimone Consulting Engineers, New York, NY 1997 *

Motion Picture Editors Guild The Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG; IATSE Local 700) is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States. The Motion Pi ...

(renovation), New York, NY 1999 Industrial * Estee Lauder Cogeneration Plant, 2000 (Project) Residential * 691 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 2016 (Projected) * Intergen Senior Housing, Chicago, Illinois 2006 (Project) * Three Generations House, New York, NY 1996 * Sutton Residence, New York, NY 1995 * Olivebridge, Olivebridge, NY 1991 * House in Vermont, Greensboro, VT 1975

Awards

* Mies van der Rohe Crown Hall Americas Prize, Nominee * National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) * 2nd place, Institutional, Cultural, Government, Urban Design and Planning, AIA Queens Design Award * Entertainment, NYCxDESIGN Award presented by Interior Design Magazine * AIA Archi Award Long Island, Commendation, 2023 * Rowena Award, Rowena Reed Kostellow Fund at Pratt Institute, 2020 * AIA NY President's Award, 2017 * The City of New York City Council Citation Weeksville Heritage Center, 2015 * Built By Women New York City Award Weeksville Heritage Center, 2015 * AIA NY COTE Institutional Award Weeksville Heritage Center, 2015 * Chicago Atheneum American Architecture Award, 2014 * AIA New York State Best in New York State, 2014 * AIA New York State Design Award of Excellence, 2014 * MASterworks Award, Best New Building,

, 2014 *

, Design Award, 2014 * Mies van der Rohe Crown Hall Americas Prize Nominee, 2014 * Building Brooklyn Awards, Best New Civic/Institutional Building, 2014 * Architect Magazine Annual Design Review Best Cultural Project Citation, 2013 * NOMA Honor Award for Excellence, 2013 * Architect Magazine Top 50 Sustainable Firms, 2013 * AIA New York State Firm of the Year, 2012 * MASterworks Award for Best Restoration,

, 2011 (Project) * AIL Design Award with special citation Best Use of Color, 2011 * Cultural Project of the Year, New York Construction, 2010 * CWB Design Portfolio Award, 2010 * City of New York MWBE of the Year, 2009 * First Prize Award for Excellence in Design, Queens Chamber of Commerce, 2008 * NOMA National Awards for Excellence in Architecture, 2004, 2008, and 2009 * NY Chapter AIA Design Awards Citations, 1995, 1996, 2006 and 2007 * New York City Art Commission Design Award, 2006 * NY Chapter AIA Honor Award for Architecture 2004 *

National Honor Award for Architecture, 2003 * New New York 3,

Architectural League of New York The Architectural League of New York is a non-profit organization "for creative and intellectual work in architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construct ...

, 2002 * Emerging Voice,

, 1998

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

Official website
1987 establishments in New York City American companies established in 1987 Architecture firms based in New York City Companies based in Queens, New York Design companies established in 1987 Long Island City