Architecture

Designed in collaboration with Prem Krishnamurthy, the founder of the Department of Transformation, this project transforms a former classroom within The Clemente—a historic cultural center on the Lower East Side—into an adaptable studio, office, and gathering space. The design began with a commitment to affordability, openness, and lightness: to create more through less. Within a modest budget, we sought to unify the existing volume, celebrating the room’s high ceilings and original details.

The resulting environment reflects DOT’s mission of “togetherness, learning, and collective healing.” The plan organizes the space into overlapping zones for individual focus, collaborative work, and quiet retreat, allowing the group to shift fluidly between modes of interaction. Built with simple materials and a “fast and light” approach, the project balances pragmatism with generosity—an architecture of invitation that supports DOT’s ongoing experiments in transformation.