River Architects

River Architects River Architects is a MWBE-certified (Minority Women-Owned Business Enterprise).

River Architects is a Hudson Valley, New York-based, full-service architecture and design studio with a bold commitment to achieving environmental sustainability through intelligent, beautiful design. Our firm is an energetic design studio focused on delivering high quality design and technical consulting to a variety of clients. Our design aesthetics, technical expertise and commitment to sustainability form the core of our practice, along with a commitment to meeting the needs and aspirations of our clients. We have completed a variety of projects ranging from apartment build-outs and green roof design in New York City; restorations of landmark buildings throughout NYC and the Hudson Valley; and acclaimed bars and restaurants. We are currently designing ultra-low energy houses and renovations, including projects for certification by the Passive House Institute, US. Specialties:Progressive design for a variety of markets including residential, restaurant and bar design; technical consulting to other architects, contractors and committed building owners to solve challenging detailing and performance problems; sustainable design and consulting to enable green design and performance choices for healthier, inspiring places. We are passionate about bringing the science and sensibility of highly efficient building design together with exciting and alluring modern designs.

A new chapter for Obercreek Brewing Company! 🍻Congratulations to the Obercreek team on the opening of their newly renova...
10/19/2026

A new chapter for Obercreek Brewing Company! 🍻

Congratulations to the Obercreek team on the opening of their newly renovated tasting room in Wappingers Falls, NY!

River Architects' James Hartford led the architectural design for the renovation, and he and Juhee Lee-Hartford were delighted to join Saturday evening's celebration. It's always rewarding to see a project come to life, especially one that creates a welcoming new space for people to gather.

The new location, on the other side of Obercreek Farm, officially opens to the public this Thursday, October 22. If you're in the Hudson Valley, stop by and check it out!

Congratulations to everyone involved, and cheers to what's ahead!

Architecture: River Architects
📷 repost from Obercreek Brewing Company

A little village of its own. At Vivian's Village in Hyde Park, NY, three small buildings come together to create a place...
10/15/2026

A little village of its own. At Vivian's Village in Hyde Park, NY, three small buildings come together to create a place centered on gathering, relaxation, and connection to the landscape.

Each has its own purpose and personality: a kitchen and dining building for meals and celebrations, a pool house for leisurely afternoons, and a small studio offering a quiet retreat.

Inspired by the intimacy of a traditional hamlet, the design brings these buildings together through gardens, pathways, and outdoor rooms. Simple forms, natural materials, and abundant planting create a sense of familiarity, as though the village has always belonged to its setting.

These updated renderings offer another glimpse of the atmosphere we're hoping to create: welcoming, informal, and deeply connected to outdoor living.

Architecture + Design: River Architects
Builder: Sustainable Design Works

The Bank Lofts is a 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Award winner! We’re incredibly proud to see this project recognized ...
10/01/2026

The Bank Lofts is a 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Award winner! We’re incredibly proud to see this project recognized as the winner in the Retrofit or Repositioning category.
The Bank Lofts began with an ambitious question: How can we preserve a building that carries the history of a community while preparing it for a very different future?
Our transformation of this long-vacant 1880s bank in Richfield Springs, New York, preserves the building’s historic character while introducing a high-performance envelope, all-electric systems, renewable energy, and nine new homes alongside civic and commercial space. The project meets Phius CORE REVIVE standards and demonstrates what can be possible when preservation and building science are considered together.
We’re deeply grateful to our clients and to the entire team of collaborators, consultants, builders, and craftspeople who helped give this building a new chapter.
Thank you to METROPOLIS and the 2026 Planet Positive Awards jury for this recognition.

Post-Construction Photos by Pamela R Cook


https://metropolismag.com/planet-positive-awards/river-architects/

The architecture begins to reveal itself in the framing: at Jaycox Pond House, the structure is taking shape, and with i...
09/14/2026

The architecture begins to reveal itself in the framing: at Jaycox Pond House, the structure is taking shape, and with it, the relationship between the home’s interconnected volumes, rooflines, and openings to the surrounding landscape.

This stage of construction offers a temporary view of the building we rarely get to see once it is complete: the repetition of rafters, the intersections between forms, and the structural framework that will ultimately disappear behind the finished envelope.

Designed by River Architects to meet the Phius ZERO 2024 standard, Jaycox Pond House brings high-performance building principles together with a design shaped by its wooded site and connection to the landscape.

We love seeing the ideas developed through drawings and models become tangible on site.

Construction Management: Sustainable Design Works

Where does the home office belong when working from home becomes part of everyday life? For many of our residential proj...
09/09/2026

Where does the home office belong when working from home becomes part of everyday life? For many of our residential projects, the answer isn't necessarily a separate room.

Workspaces can be integrated into kitchens and living areas, tucked into overlooked corners, or designed to serve more than one purpose throughout the day. Natural light, views, acoustic privacy, ergonomics, and the relationship between work and family life all influence where these spaces belong.

Juhee Lee-Hartford recently spoke with Forbes contributor Terri Williams about how we approach work-from-home spaces and the small design decisions that can make them more comfortable, functional, and adaptable.

We're sharing a few examples from River Architects projects here.

Read the full article, WFH Office Design Trends, Part 2: Creating a View, Carving Out Space: www.forbes.com/sites/terriwilliams/2026/08/27/wfh-office-design-trends-part-2--creating-a-view-carving-out-space/

A snapshot from the site in Damascus, PA: with exterior cladding underway, the relationship between the home’s simple ga...
09/01/2026

A snapshot from the site in Damascus, PA: with exterior cladding underway, the relationship between the home’s simple gabled forms and taller central volume is coming into focus. At the top, an observation room creates a perch for taking in the expansive views, while standing-seam metal roofs and a restrained palette of dark exterior materials bring the composition together.

Designed as a family retreat today and a home that can adapt to its residents over time, the project considers gathering, privacy, aging in place, and connection to the surrounding landscape from the outset.

We love this stage of construction, when finished materials meet exposed building assemblies and both the architecture and the process behind it are visible.

Inside China Pond Passive: natural materials, carefully framed views, and a restrained palette shape the everyday spaces...
08/25/2026

Inside China Pond Passive: natural materials, carefully framed views, and a restrained palette shape the everyday spaces of the home, from the kitchen at its center to the cedar-lined sauna tucked within.

Throughout China Pond, comfort and performance were considered together. The result is a Phius Certified Passive house designed not only to use dramatically less energy, but to feel quiet, tactile, and deeply connected to its surroundings.

Architecture + Interiors: River Architects
Photography: Pamela Cook

Address

178 Main Street
Cold Spring, NY
10516

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+18452652254

Website

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