WELCOME TO LEVEL STUDIO!
Level Studio Architecture provides distinctive design solutions that aren’t afraid to explore unconventional materials and assemblies. At our core, we believe that addressing environmental, social, and functional concerns are equally important to aesthetic beauty. In practice this means we take a rigorous approach to contextualizing a client’s design problem through extensive research and examination. Collectively we aim to elevate the built environment through this layered approach.
Level Studio Architecture is a New York and New England based team of architectural designers with complementary backgrounds and skills. The studio was formed by 3 former classmates who met while pursuing design-build competitions. After a decade of working together, the studio is built on a strong foundation of trust. We see great potential to deliver purpose-driven designs while maintaining efficiency by embedding our knowledge in fabrication and construction early in the design process. Our experience ranges from conceptual design through construction administration, and includes various typologies such as gallery/exhibition, residential, and public facing projects.
Ethos
At Level Studio Architecture, our ethos is rooted in a profound commitment to sustainability, equity, and designing in symbiosis with the context of our projects. These core principles guide our every endeavor, shaping our vision and driving our creative process.
Sustainability:
We believe that architecture can play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable future. Our commitment to sustainability is not just about designing "green" buildings, it's about fostering a deep respect for the planet and its resources. We strive to create spaces that are not only environmentally responsible but also regenerative. We aim to minimize our carbon footprint, incorporate renewable energy sources, and prioritize the use of sustainable materials. Our projects are a testament to our dedication to reducing environmental impact and promoting a healthier, more resilient world.
Equity:
We are devoted to the principle that architecture should serve as a vehicle for social equity and justice. We are committed to ensuring that our designs are accessible and inclusive, irrespective of race, gender, socio-economic status, or physical ability. We actively engage with communities to understand their unique needs, and we use design to address issues of accessibility and inclusivity. Our projects are a reflection of our unwavering belief that architecture has the power to unite and empower people from all walks of life.
Contextual Design:
We view every project as a conversation with its surroundings. Designing within the context means embracing the heritage, culture, and the natural environment that shape a place. We seek to harmonize the built environment with the existing landscape, blending the old with the new to create spaces that are culturally rich, aesthetically pleasing, and ecologically responsible. Our architecture seamlessly integrates with its surroundings, paying homage to the past while inspiring the future.
Level Studio Architecture recognizes that the world is rapidly changing, and these three principles—sustainability, equity, and contextual design—form the foundation of our architectural practice. We are dedicated to creating spaces that endure, that uplift people from all backgrounds, and that harmonize with the beauty of our diverse world. Through every project, we strive to leave a legacy that not only reflects our values but also enriches the lives of those who inhabit and experience our designs.
Meet the Team
Lexi White
Weekday
Lexi White is currently an architectural designer living in Portland, Maine. She has experience across various scales of design—working on projects within the United States and abroad. Her work has included museum exhibitions, small pavilions, towers, institutional education spaces, and residential. More recently she has worked on cultural typologies from public gardens to performance spaces in Los Angeles. Her personal interests in aesthetic form finding stem from the ability of materials to affect sensory perception of a space.
Lexi graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis as well as Lehigh University where she received her Master in Architecture and Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degrees respectively.
Weekends
When not at her desk designing, Lexi gets outdoors as much as possible. She likes exploring the majestic landscapes of Maine on long walks with her dog, Ogi. In the winter you can find her on the slopes, and in the summer she’s running around on a tennis court!
Jeffrey Lee
Weekday
Jeffrey Lee is currently an architectural designer working in NYC with half a decade of experience in construction administration and digital fabrication. His work in CA has spanned museums, gallery exhibitions, research labs, and OBO contracts.
Prior to that, Jeff was the digital fabrication shop manager at the Sam Fox School of design at Washington University in St. Louis where he received his Masters in Architecture with honors and graduated with the “Excellence In Craft” award. He received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture with honors from the University of Missouri, Columbia.
Weekends
When he’s not busy building, he’s busy bowling… or maybe night of billiards. Either way, Jeff enjoys spending his weekends out and about in the city, trying new foods, experiencing shows, and finding healthy outlets to release his competitive nature while making new friends along the way.
Christopher Taurasi
Weekday
Christopher Taurasi is a co-founder of level studio. Having previously worked on masterplan, residential, office, mixed-use, and interior projects, Chris can easily navigate multi-scalar design processes. He has expertise ranging from conceptual to technical scopes—from overall schematic design, to the design of core and shell, façade systems, and detailing. Before starting level studio, Chris worked his way up from Designer to Associate Project Architect while working at Handel Architects, Studios Architects, and multiple small firms around New York City and Boston.
While working in Boston Chris served as a Board Member of Architecture for Humanity Boston. There he worked closely with community groups and nonprofits organizing charrettes to realize unmet potential for community initiated design projects.
Chris received his Master of Architecture degree with honors from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He is a registered architect in the State of New York.
Weekends
When Chris is not dreaming up new designs on the computer, you will probably find him in the kitchen cooking up a storm with his wife Maria who is also a talented architect. Together they live in Brooklyn and dream of having a pet dog but alas, the lease forbids it! Outside of the house Chris enjoys riding his 1986 Cannondale road bike all over the city.
Chris trained in fine art oil painting with Rosemarie Morelli from age 6-16 and still presses the bristles to canvas from time-to-time.
Friends and family are the heart of his life and he especially loves tormenting his nieces and nephews who reluctantly call him Funcle—a term he swears he did not come up with!
Our Origin Story
Final thesis presentations were complete and apartments packed—our 3.5 year stint studying at WashU was coming to a close and three best friends were dispersing to alternate coasts. A final night of bar hopping was planned with our classmates to celebrate our successes and say our goodbyes. As the music faded and the crowds thinned only three souls remained standing with time for “just one more” before last call. We lumbered down the street like a pack of three legged dogs and propped ourselves up at the bar in Llywelyn’s Pub.
The conversation turned to naïve hopes and dreams. We had all enjoyed working together over the years and were not ready to stop the collaboration. While long distances would soon separate us, we had to find a way to keep the dream alive. “That’s it!” one declared, “We’ll go out and get some real world experience then reconvene and start an office of our own!” But how could we make this real, and not just late night promises forgotten at sunrise like the forms of yesterday's clouds.
Like all high-performing architecture students, our pockets were filled with colorful markers which soon landed upon the bar as we reached for a stack of cocktail napkins and the goals flew out like kids at recess. Thus, our first (and second) partnership agreements were born:
Attempt 1
Give a s**t to get out to New York
Give a s**t about 1-3 - NO!
1 year plan
5, 10, 20 yr plan
Reassess 1 yr plan
Write 1 yr plan
Reconvene team. - Be in same city
Real 5/10 yr plan
Start making money! Oh?! Here we go!
Attempt 2
Mission Statement
1 yr plan - 5 yr plan reassessed every year - repeated every year?
1 project manager 51% 2 represent 49% can reassess if misalignment of goals from mission statement
Be conscience of client base
Don’t _____ you ______ on fire!
Write mission statement by end of January
Write ______ → _____ _____ monthly.
Meet monthly and reassess goals
January 10th - 1st mission statement completed
With our goals outlined as clearly as our blurring vision, it was safe to call it a night.
Working Together for Over Ten Years…
