Workstead: Interiors of Belonging with David Sokol

Acclaimed design studio Workstead celebrate their new monograph, collecting trendsetting commercial projects marked by craftsmanship, detail, and materiality. Principals Robert Highsmith, Stefanie Brechbuehler, and Ryan Mahoney will be in conversation with David Sokol, followed by a signing.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Doors open at 5:30 pm.
• This event will be mixed seated/standing. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served.
• Can't attend? (please specify that you would like it signed in the comments box at checkout).

Presenting acclaimed design studio Workstead's trendsetting commercial projects, public places of both beauty and necessity that embrace a distinct sense of place while making us feel almost right at home.

Over the past decade, Brooklyn-based Workstead has earned wide acclaim for its signature residential projects, as well as larger-scale projects such as the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn and the Rivertown Lodge in Hudson, New York. As their projects expand, Workstead's design approach continues to feel very of the moment, rooted in an appreciation of craftsmanship, detail, and materiality.

Known for their thoughtful approach to design, Workstead works with a network of skilled fabricators, collaborating with craftspeople and artists across all mediums to create customized interior design, lighting, and furniture. The resulting interiors feel homey and welcoming, spaces where we want to spend time, whether they're a wine bar, a restaurant, or a great room of a hotel.

Each of these interiors is crafted to make us feel at home, from the rows of bookshelves and inviting lighting to the cozy banquettes and displays of art and curios; these rooms upend the traditional notions of public and private space. Accompanied by thoughtful, descriptive texts, these interiors reward us with ideas and solutions for our own spaces and design challenges.

Workstead is a multidisciplinary studio celebrated by the AD100 as a global leader in design. They create one-of-a-kind buildings and interiors in their Brooklyn, NY office and lighting design in their Salisbury, CT studio.
Workstead cofounder Robert Highsmith is a professionally trained violinist and violist who, after earning his music degree, pursued his other lifelong interest in architecture—a trade practiced in his family for four generations. Upon graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, Robert collaborated on residences with Asher Israelow. Since 2009 he has contributed to all aspects of Workstead’s renowned environments while overseeing its lighting studio. There, he approaches luminaires as human-scale icons: Robert melds strong visual identity with tactile interactivity, while ensuring that an object embodies the highest standards of functionality, sustainability, and artisanship.
Stefanie Brechbuehler leads special projects for Workstead, which include branded partnerships such as Workstead’s most recent collaboration with Schumacher, as well as events and publications that range from open houses and portfolio days to the firm’s upcoming monograph of residences (Rizzoli). In this creative director position, Stefanie also coordinates design efforts taking place in both the building- and lighting-design studios. Among her previous positions, Stefanie oversaw interiors at Michael Graves Architecture & Design before matriculating at Rhode Island School of Design and she held a design position at Gensler prior to cofounding Workstead with Robert Highsmith in 2009.
Sculptor and designer Ryan Mahoney joined Workstead in 2010. He heads Workstead’s interiors and building commissions from the firm’s Brooklyn office. Prior to his career in design, Ryan designed and built sets for Chicago’s Redmoon Theatre, starting during his undergraduate studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. Today he applies a theater-community perspective to his leadership role at Workstead, by stewarding the studio’s collaborative process as well as its commitment to meticulously handmade spaces. Ryan designed coastal residences for a New England studio immediately after graduating from Rhode Island School of Design.

David Sokol is a New York–based writer and editor specializing in architecture and design. He contributes regularly to Architectural Record, Cultured, Dwell, and other publications, and is the author of Hudson Modern.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Rizzoli Bookstore, 1133 Broadway, New York, United States