Architect Says 30-Somethings Are Learning the Benefits of Home Ownership – Mansion Global

Jennifer Zeckendorf, founder of residential architecture firm Zeckendorf Architects, is continuing her familys long-standing legacy in the real estate business. Her father, Arthur Zeckendorf, is the owner, founder and co-chairman of Zeckendorf Development and the co-founder of Terra Holdings, a company that owns and operates Brown Harris Stevens. The Zeckendorfs are responsible for many high-end New York buildings, including the famed 15 Central Park West.

But Ms. Zeckendorf, 31, decided to go into architecture rather than development, starting her own firm in 2019. Before that, she attended Yale and received a masters degree in architecture from Columbia University. Shes worked as an architect at Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) as well as at Robert AM Stern Architects. Among the projects she contributed to were 1500 Mission in San Francisco and Hudson Yards in New York.

Her latest project is Healdsburg House, a renovated 1920s single-family ranch house situated along the Russian River in Californias Sonoma County. Ms. Zeckendorf gut renovated it and connected a garage to the main structure, interweaving two narratives: Russian River camp and sleek modern wine country.

We caught up with Ms. Zeckendorf, who splits time among New York City; East Hampton, New York; and Sonoma, to discuss forging her own path, learning from Manhattan real estate royalty, and more.

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Mansion Global: How do you define luxury?

Jennifer Zeckendorf: To me, its about having a sense of place. Usually thats about views, but its really a combination of views and location. Its also a mixture of architecture, interior design and landscaping. They all come together to make it feel luxurious.

MG: How would you describe your dream home?

JZ: It would have classical elementsa courtyard with columns, but also modern in its sense of simplicity. It would have beautiful stone work, wood and natural elements. Where it is could be anywherewith remote work there are so many options.

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MG: What was your vision behind Healdsburg?

JZ: That was built in the 1920s and Healdsburg was an agricultural town near a Russian River resort. Its now a premier wine country destination. I wanted to modernize it but retain the classic Craftsman character, so I embraced gables, retained cedar beams and restored some cedar siding.

When you have older structures, theres character you wont get when you build something new. When we did the addition, we converted the garage into a master bedroom and connected it with a glass breezeway. What made it so special was the rustic element of the ceiling. The ceiling was original, and we added another roof on top of it to preserve it.

MG: Do you expect architecture and design tastes to change as a result of Covid?

JZ: The fact that youre showing so much of your home on Zoom has changed things. That started with Instagram, when people were creating the perfect social media backdrops. Were going to see that more often because people are showcasing their homes more than ever. Its an interesting design challenge. Lighting is an issue too, as are things like where you place doors, so you dont have people coming in and out all the time while youre on Zoom meetings.

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MG: You come from a family thats very well known in the New York City real estate world. How has that affected your career thus far?

JZ: I learned a lot from my dad and from [15 Central Park West architect] Bob Stern, who was the dean at Yale, where I went. And its given me a lot of exposure. I chose to go into architecture as opposed to development. Its so technical and I always liked that.

A lot of times when you interact with architects, you think just about the end product, the beautiful spaces, but theres a lot of technical work that goes into it.The more technical you are, the better the architect you are.

MG: Is there a way people can make their homes feel more relaxing and more like an oasis at this difficult time?

JZ: Lights can be overlooked, but changing ceiling lights can really affect your mood. Its also important to have a work-free zone. For my family, thats the sunroom and outdoor patio space. Its nice to be able to disconnect from the work day and spend quality time there.

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MG: What kind of long-term impact do you expect the pandemic to have on real estate?

JZ: What is going to be long-term, for my generation especially, is the shift from renting and traveling. Now people really see the value of the home. Well see people putting all of their assets into residential homes, whether theyre working from home full-time or not.

Your Hamptons house, for example, willat the leastgo from being home for 30 days a year to 45 days a year.

MG: What about the future of apartment living?

JZ: I think apartments will get bigger. Theres recently been a trend of a great rooma primary living space, which was something I was against, even at SOM, because of the noise and privacy issues. I think thats something developers are going to reassess.

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Architect Says 30-Somethings Are Learning the Benefits of Home Ownership - Mansion Global