FIRM PROFILE
At Christina Griffin Architect, we promote creativity and individualism in design through a collaborative process with the client. Established in 1988, we have designed buildings, interiors, and public spaces throughout the New York metropolitan area. We are a civic-minded firm known for community projects including a firehouse expansion, a school playground, a downtown plaza for the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, and affordable housing for the Town of Mamaroneck. Our projects range from renovation, restoration and new construction of private residences to civic and commercial projects. Our firm has adopted principles of green design and sustainability which are demonstrated in our recent projects. Christina Griffin is a LEED AP (Leader in Energy and Environmental Design) and the firm is a member of the US Green Building Council.
Our design methodology begins with an analysis of the client’s goals and a feasibility study. The project team conducts a site visit, reviews zoning and survey information, examines contextual features of the site, and interviews key building users. Parameters for design, scope and cost are assembled, and various design options explored, for review at a series of client / architect meetings. Throughout this process, the project evolves from initial concept to a formula for construction, translating design objectives into a physical structure. Our team approach continues during construction, emphasizing close communication with client, contractor, and architect, and working towards achieving a leading standard of aesthetics, function, and high-performance construction.
Christina Griffin’s artistic flair and creativity is intrinsic to her designs. Themes characteristic of her style include light and airy interiors, gracious proportions, integrated indoor and outdoor spaces, and the balance of architectural forms and materials with the surrounding environment. Her designs seek to elevate the quality of life, whether in creating a welcoming communal space, a comfortable and serene living area, or in the assembly of dramatic architectural forms.
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT
CHRISTINA GRIFFIN A.I.A. LEED AP studied at Syracuse University, and the Architectural Association of London. She received a Bachelor of Architecture in 1979. Christina has been a registered architect with the State of New York since 1985, and is a member of the Westchester Chapter of the A.I.A.
Prior to opening her practice, Christina Griffin was the Project Architect at Ferrenz, Clark and Associates in NYC, designing medical and health care facilities. Her design for the Mercer County Geriatric Center was exhibited in 1984 at the Health in Architecture Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1988, Christina Griffin, opened her own practice. In 1991 she was featured in “Women of Achievement” by Women’s News. She was a board member of the Westchester Chapter of Habitat for Humanity from 1988 to 1992, and designed the first Habitat affordable housing project in Westchester. She has been a member of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce and the Westchester Association of Women Business Owners, and from 1996 to 2007 was the Chairperson for the Hastings Architectural Review Board. She wrote the Hastings Design Guidelines, in collaboration with the Hastings Design Guidelines Committee, for the commercial district in the Village of Hastings-on Hudson, which was adopted in March 2011.
In 1998, Christina Griffin Architect received a Citation for Recognition of Architectural Excellence from the AIA for the renovation/extension of Protection Engine Company No. 1, the firehouse in downtown Hastings-on-Hudson. In 2005, Westchester Home featured an outstanding example of one of her modern homes in the article, “Glorious Home”.
Christina Griffin Architect PC became a member of the USGBC in 2007, and obtained her LEED AP accreditation in 2009. She actively promotes sustainable design by participating in the development of a Sustainable Design Plan with the A.I.A Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter, and is working on the Hastings Green Code Committee to write a green codefor the municipality of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.
Christina Griffin has embarked on the development of sustainable and eco-friendly designs over the past few years. She co-founded Green Building Professional Consortium, a development company to build and promote environmentally conscious buildings. GBPC developed a two-unit townhouse called River Town House in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, which received the first Platinum LEED for Homes certification in Westchester in 2009. Christina is a member of the Educational Committee for the Westchester Chapter of A.I.A. and has created a program on sustainable design for teenagers called the Exploring Architecture- Youth Workshop, which was held in the summer of 2009. She is also a member of the AIA Westchester Chapter Committee to develop a proposal for the AIA Sustainable Design Database. Their proposal was chosen as the winner of the 2011 A.I.A.N.Y.S. Empire State Challange.
In 2012, Christina Griffin was selected by Westchester Magazine as "The Architect" in "People to Watch, 22 Stars on the Rise". She won top honors by Westchester Home, in their 2012 Design Awards Contest. cg@christinagriffinarchitect.com
PROJECT DESIGNER
SUZANNE LEVINE is a designer who joined the firm in 1999. She provides all aspects of the practice; design, construction document preparation, project management and administration. She is a member of the Hastings Design Guideline Committee, which drafted goals & priorities for the downtown.Prior to joining Christina Griffin Architect, Suzanne was a studio assistant for several prominent New York artists, working as an archivist and photographic printer, as well as a coordinator for a large-scale public sculpture project.
Her professional career began as a writer and editor for publications on the arts, politics & health. She authored a book on political activism (Riverhead Press, 1995), and has written a series of children's books on world mythology for Franklin Watts. Suzanne has a BA in English from Boston University. She obtained her LEED AP accreditation in 2009, and is currently working toward her license in architecture. sl@christinagriffinarchitect.com
ARTISTIC COORDINATOR
JOSEFA MULAIRE provides layout & coordination of presentation materials and building permit submissions. She is the webmaster and photographer for our firm. Her photographs of historical buildings in downtown Hastings were included in the Design Guidelines.
Josefa is a founding member of the Farragut Middle School Playground Committee, spearheading the site planning and design of a recreation space for the students of Hastings-on-Hudson. Josefa is a visual artist with a BA in theater from Bard College, and an MFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts at Syracuse University. Her artwork (www.josefamulaire.com) has been exhibited throughout the United States.
Before joining Christina Griffin Architect, Josefa ran the digital photography department at Dementi Studios in Richmond, Virginia, and was the Art Director for Theatre-in-Action in Tribeca, New York. jm@christinagriffinarchitect.com
PROJECT DESIGNER
RENA MANDE is a graduate of Binghamton University with a B.S. in Psychobiology and a minor in Geology and has recently received her Masters of Architecture from the Newschool for Architecture in San Diego, CA.
PROJECT DESIGNER
ANA MARIA MCGINNIS is the owner of Going Native a fine garden and stonework landscaping company. She works freelance for the firm as a designer. Annie received a B.A. in Art and Mathematics at Connecticut College, and a M.B.A. from Harvard University.
CONTACTS
tel:
914-478-0799
fax: 914-478-0806
10 Spring Street, Hastings-on-Hudson,
NY 10706
info@christinagriffinarchitect.com
