baao is a New York-based architecture studio integrating rigorous research, collaborative practice, and inventive design.

BAAO
Living room with a curved gray sofa, orange armchair, black coffee table with a book and flower vase, white brick fireplace with modern art, wooden shelving, glass partition, and wooden stairs.
Living room with large windows, a plaid sofa with a red throw, black and white striped armchair, green lounge chair, white coffee table, fireplace with artwork and black candle holders, and decorative plants.
Modern white house with flat roof beside a calm lake, surrounded by tall green trees and a clear blue sky, with its reflection visible in the water.
Interior of a modern building with wooden accents, white walls, and blue ceiling. On the left, children are playing in a hallway with a wooden cubby area. On the right, a girl is sitting by a window, and a woman is visible in the upper area. Multiple
Modern living room with large window, white sofa, abstract artwork, plants, coffee table, and a TV.
Modern multi-story house with wooden siding, large windows, and balconies, under a blue sky with some clouds.
A modern kitchen with beige cabinetry, a marble countertop, and a large window. A glass vase with pink blossoms sits on the kitchen island, along with bowls of fruit, a loaf of bread, and kitchen utensils.

Our Approach

We work closely with clients, collaborators, and communities, combining technical rigor with open inquiry to expand the possibilities within each project and shape enduring buildings, spaces, and environments.

Learn More →

Townhouse rear facade renovation

Services

Architecture

Modern white house with yellow-lit windows and balconies, surrounded by tall trees, at dusk near a body of water.

We work across new construction, adaptive reuse, and renovation in residential, institutional, and commercial sectors, bringing disciplined curiosity and inquiry to every project.

View Projects →

Interiors

Contemporary kitchen with beige cabinets, marble countertops, and a large window. A pink flowering branch in a dark glass vase is on the island, along with bread, fruit, and a bowl of eggs.

We practice interior design as both a standalone service and an extension of our architectural work, shaping spaces through the strategic integration of lighting, finishes, millwork, and furniture.

View Projects →

Specialities

With expertise across architecture and interiors, we bring particular depth to areas where complexity calls for thoughtful, inventive design.

Children playing in a modern, pastel-colored indoor space with a small sink and a tiled backsplash.

Institutional & Educational

Our institutional work ranges from early childhood centers to cultural facilities. We design environments that balance programmatic rigor with openness and flexibility, supporting diverse users, from children to communities,  that accommodates evolving needs and patterns of use.

View Projects →

Two brownstone apartment buildings with staircases leading up to their entrances, black wrought iron fences, potted plants, and windows, under a clear blue sky.

Adaptive Reuse & Alterations

We specialize in working with existing building fabric, navigating evolving codes to transform historic townhouses and façades, repurpose industrial buildings, and design climate-adaptive responses for sensitive structures and vulnerable waterfront sites.

View Projects →

Modern multi-story wooden house with angled rooflines, multiple windows, and a deck with a railing. Blue sky with clouds in the background.

Ground-Up Architecture

Our ground-up work spans expansive estates to urban and waterfront sites. We respond to site-specific challenges, from climate vulnerability to spatial constraints, designing buildings that perform structurally, environmentally, and socially with imagination and precision.

View Projects →

Children playing in a modern, brightly lit preschool with wooden cubby storage and decorative white pendant lights hanging from a blue ceiling.

Ideas

A black and white photo of a city street with historic building facades and a modern glass and concrete structure in the center. Trees line the street and a clear sky is visible.

Big Ideas for Small Lots

Big Ideas for Small Lots NYC is a design competition for small-scale, urban infill housing. The competition is organized by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the American Institute of Architects...

View Story →

Display window of Sister's Uptown Bookstore with books on shelves inside and signage indicating the store's name and slogan, with trees and building facades in the background.

Sisters Uptown Bookstore

We partnered with Overlay Office and Parc Office as part of Design Advocates to assist Sisters Uptown Bookstore, a minority woman owned store in Washington Heights, with making much needed updates to the building storefront.

View Story →

A modern architectural building with angular glass walls and geometric shapes, featuring a person walking past the structure.

Ordos House

The design of this villa was influenced by the parcel’s location at a turn in the main roadway through the site. The house is wrapped in a rotating, sloping brick wall that reorients the primary spaces of the house toward the southern exposure.

View Story →

Sign up for occasional emails from our studio