History of Modellus Novus
MN DPC, now going by Modellus Novus, which is Latin for «new model», was founded in 2015 by co-founders Preeti Sriratana, Jonathan Garnett, and Steven Harper. They were later joined as partners by Anya Gribanova, who also has the title of Practice Director.
Modellus Novus is an architecture firm that creates spaces that influence and define culture. Their New York City-based team is led by individuals who share not only diverse backgrounds and perspectives, but also an optimistic commitment to designing spaces for the many. MN’s goal is to redefine access to exceptional design. Their work emphasizes that every user’s experience matters, whether they are in private residences or the busiest public cultural institutions. Regardless of the scope or scale of the project, these outstanding experiences are the result of precise, wise, and bold decisions.
Preeti Sriratana
As Managing Director and founding partner, Preeti Sriratana oversees growth and gives strategic direction. He is dedicated to changing communities and providing access, whether through non-profit work or MN’s attempts to build spaces for the many in all of their projects. Preeti started his professional career working for Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel in Paris. He later graduated from Harvard University with a Master of Public Administration, Columbia University with a Master of Architecture, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies.
Jonathan Garnett
Jonathan Garnett is Creative Director and a founding partner at the firm, where he oversees the creative direction for a variety of architecture and design projects, as well as internal and external initiatives. He was born in Oakland, California, and is of Black and Japanese descent. He received his Bachelor of Arts (Magna Cum Laude) with Concentrations in Industrial Design and Graphic Design from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, studied at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands, and earned his Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles.
Steven Harper
As a founding partner and operating director, Steven Harper is responsible for managing the business’s finances and operations as well as the implementation of its strategic goals. He is LEED and NCARB certified, licensed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Florida, and serves on Plus Pool‘s advisory board. After graduating from Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Virginia Tech) with a Bachelor of Architecture (Magna Cum Laude), Steven held positions at Kohn Pederson Fox in New York and Skidmore Owings & Merrill in Chicago.
Anya Gribanova
Anya earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Virginia Tech) and a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. She had previously worked in New York at SRA Architecture and Engineering and Kohn Pederson Fox. Anya is a licensed architect in both New York and Virginia. She is a Russian immigrant from Washington, D.C., who is passionate about making—from upcycling furniture to working on bespoke details for MN clients.
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Company Culture at Modellus Novus
The team of over twenty-five individuals, including the leadership, embodies the diverse social fabric of New York City. With members representing eleven different nations and four continents, the team is more than 50% female across all seniority levels.
Diverse perspectives are pivotal to our work, and we partner with clients who share our belief that great design should not be elusive nor exclusive. For us, architecture is a collaborative effort between those who create and those who experience. We design for where those moments meet.
MN is passionate about redefining architecture as a profession and fostering an atmosphere that welcomes and supports individuals from diverse origins, viewpoints, and areas of the world.
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Architect-US is proud to work in close contact with Modellus Novus and to be able to ensure the firm gets to know and work with amazing young architects like Maria Lopez de Murillas Fores and Blanca Alonso Gonzalez whom we helped process and sponsor their J1 Visa as well as find a job in the US through our Job+J1 Visa Program!
Blanca Alonso Gonzales
Blanca is a Spanish architect who graduated with a Master’s in Architecture and a Bachelor’s Architecture from the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM). She has experience in leading teams and small to medium-scale workplace projects. Blanca is proficient in designing across all phases of the design and construction processes, producing technical drawings, layouts, and assisting with clients.
Modellus Novus’s Selected Projects
Al Coro – New York City, NY
Modellus Novus created a setting that was traditional and ceremonial but yet festive, drawing inspiration from Chef Melissa Rodriguez’s description of her dish as a «beautiful wedding dress, without the beads.» MN focused on the great expanse of the existing space that had housed Del Posto but decided to highlight its structure in order to match the clarity of Chef Melissa’s statement. The two Michelin-starred venue, which opened in 2022, is made both grander and more intimate by repeating arching patterns. The arches enhance the volume of this expansive area while letting the viewer’s gaze float upwards. However, the arches also divide the room into smaller volumes within smaller volumes, modulating the space’s grandeur.
Although there are many instances of classical unidirectional arches in architecture, MN was drawn to the stark elegance of the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. Its continuous arches convey a sense of arrival and antiquity, yet their grandeur has been subtly chosen to avoid becoming frightening.
Photos provided by MN DPC
Crye Precision – New York City, NY
The 100K square foot, multipurpose Crye Precision Headquarters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard was built for the leading manufacturer of protective armor. Finished in 2016, this adaptive reuse of the historically landmarked property, housed in a former Navy shipbuilding facility on the waterfront, offered architecture a chance to contribute to the creation of planned or spontaneous gathering places. The project’s size necessitated precise programming and effective building techniques suitable for different kinds of work. The project received a 2020 AIANY Design Award thanks to the addition of a creative and technically difficult live forest landscape feature created by Verdant, which introduced an unexpected element of delight and helped the architecture come into greater focus.
This project combined a vast 100,000 square foot building with designation as a city, state, and national landmark, making it a test of logistical skill. In addition to adhering to a strict schedule for permit clearances, Modellus Novus addressed these difficulties head-on by planning for them rather than avoiding them, which allowed them to complete the project 3% under budget and on schedule.
Photos provided by MN DPC
Coast – Private
Modellus Novus finished a proposal for a 25-key hotel with ryokan-style accommodations for a high-end hospitality group located on the US northeastern coast. Coast’sarchitecture and the surrounding environment are intimately connected by this simple yet elegant design. The buildings, which purposefully combine comfort and utility, are a means of highlighting the shifting conditions of the coastal landscape.
The resort’s features are spread across two complementary buildings and provide direct access to the immaculate beach, sand dunes, and forest. As well as guest suites with private outdoor areas, a 75-seat restaurant, health and wellness centers, and an outdoor pool. Designed to be utilized in all four seasons, the hotel’s architecture encourages a laid-back, DIY spirit. Which provides a break from the bustle of the city while simultaneously granting visitors solitude and comfort.
Photos provided by MN DPC
We will be posting more projects by Modellus Novus in the upcoming weeks and months, so keep an eye out for more of their incredible work! Every Friday we will be posting a new Featured Company, so join us again next week!
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