Bio
Michael Hunton, AIA, NCARB, is a registered Architect based in Brooklyn, New York dedicated to the Built Environment with a creative and technical background in the Design, Management, and Construction of Residential, Commercial, Hospitality, and Healthcare projects. Michael is comfortable working at different scales – his current projects include apartment and Brownstone renovations, office fit-outs, and new construction.
Prior to establishing his own Design office, Michael was a Designer at Arquitectonica in New York, collaborating on residential and hospitality projects in the US, Asia, and South America. Additionally, Michael was a lead Designer and Project Architect on projects for the world’s leading cancer care and pediatric care institutions while employed at EwingCole and ZGF Architects in New York.
Michael began his Architecture education at The University of Houston, College of Architecture + Design where he received a Masters of Architecture. He later studied Architecture in Vienna, Austria as a member of the Wolf D. Prix Architecture Studio (founding partner of Coop Himmelb(l)au) at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria. Upon his return from Vienna, Michael taught Design at the University of Houston, College of Architecture + Design.
Design Approach
The built environment is one of the most impactful conditions that informs human flourishing. Michael’s focus is to design warm and inviting spaces – balancing episodic experiences within a unifying compositional gesture.
He is deeply interested in both the art and craftsmanship of construction – experimenting with natural light, materiality, and Architectural form. He works to develop cohesive compositions that consider the building enclosure, interior space, and the site (nature) at once, not separately, throughout his design process.
Michael sees design as a process of discovery, where initial ideas evolve through dialogue with the client, careful analysis of the site, and attention to the construction budget. Michael welcomes initial assumptions and “big ideas” from his clients. He facilitates a process that encourages ideation and then works to refine those ideas so that the most useful, impactful and creative outcomes are actualized.
By leveraging his experience in construction administration and project management, Michael works in partnership with contractors and construction managers to ensure projects are on schedule and on budget.
Sustainability
Michael believes successful Design is Sustainable. He considers all aspects of building making during the initial stages of Design related to material composition and sourcing, and works with contractors and construction managers to maintain sustainability objectives during construction to project completion and occupancy.
