In The Workshop

Workshop/APD’s greatest strength lies in the diverse talent and expertise of our multidisciplinary team. We bring global perspectives and vast experience in architecture, interiors, product design, planning, engineering and branding to projects of every type and scale. We pursue innovation relentlessly but never lose sight of the past.

The Workshop/APD aesthetic is indefinable, because each project is characterized by a unique combination of talents and circumstances that is impossible to recreate; the perfect team, collaborators and consultants, endlessly unique project locations, and client needs and desires. However, our work – obsessively detailed and crafted, inviting and intentional – is unmistakable.

The Workshop Values

People First

A People First approach means centering the needs of the Workshop/APD team, our clients, collaborators, and colleagues. Our diversity is our strength, and we build a better practice by fostering community, prioritizing equity and inclusion, and creating a culture of mutual respect, compassion, and shared success.

Creativity

Pushing the boundaries of architecture and design, we ask “What if?”, ideating and iterating to create uniquely tailored, one-of-a-kind solutions that are both forward thinking and contextually relevant. Unconstrained by a singular style or aesthetic, we begin each project with an exploration of the people, place, and purpose that makes it unique, applying a modern vision to contextually relevant architecture and design, with a focus on the endless ways that craft and technology can transform and elevate materials.

Learning

Curious, engaged, and hands-on, we’re driven forward by a shared love of learning. Our past successes inform our future work, with a focus on constantly improving technically, aesthetically, and professionally. From exploring technological and sustainable developments to historical deep dives, we’re passionate about exploration, education, mentorship, and the transfer of knowledge between colleagues and teams.

Excellence

Beyond beauty, we strive for intuitive, human-centered design, livable, comfortable spaces, flawless execution, and above all, extraordinary client experience. Every detail is conceived of and executed to perfection, with an equal emphasis on form and function. Our rigorous process, honed over nearly 25 years, ensures seamlessly integrated design at every scale.

Collaboration

Seamless collaboration is the key to a holistic design process where architecture, interiors, and product are consciously intertwined. Through communication and compromise, we gain a better understanding of a project’s direction and potential. This clarity and alignment create a clear path forward for flawless execution and innovation.

Our History

1999

Matt Berman and Andrew Kotchen join forces to create Workshop/APD.

2001

After two years of successful partnership, the two began hiring their first employees. The trappings of a true collective “workshop” began to form.

2006

The Sustainable Design Competition for New Orleans invited designers to create housing that could become a prototype for the rebuilding of New Orleans. Workshop/APD’s “GreeN.O.LA” won, earning the firm global acclaim.

2009

In collaboration with Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, Workshop/APD was chosen to transform BLDG92 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard into a premier tourist destination for one of the borough’s fastest developing sites.

2010

Multidisciplinary to our core, a product collaboration with Aster Cucine brought Workshop/APD’s crafted modern approach to the Timeline kitchen collection.

2010

Established dedicated interiors department, bringing Workshop/APD closer to the multi-disciplinary firm it is today.

2011

From a nearby location in Midtown Manhattan, Workshop/APD’s staff walked office supplies and computer monitors to a new space on West 38th street, where we still are today.