OUR TEAM
Led by a founding principal committed to workplace equity, our compact, cohesive team delivers refined design solutions with economy of means and efficient management. We devote close, personal attention to every client.
Equally skilled at new construction and historic preservation, we are expert at fusing past and present to meet today’s diverse design aspirations.
Designing with the future in mind, we also embrace environmental responsibility over the lifetime of our projects. Our complementary skills, educations, and experience provide a wellspring for inspiration and innovation in practice.
University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Fine Arts: Master of Architecture, 1976
Yale University: BA, Urban Studies and Art History, 1973
Belmont Freeman, informally known as Monty, established his eponymous firm (BFA) in 1986 with a mission to fulfill his clients’ visions through elegant and appropriate design across diverse practice sectors.
Monty is dedicated to enlightened solutions that synthesize complex functional, technical, and contextual issues, delivered with economy of material and aesthetic means. He is equally committed to environmental responsibility and sustainability, particularly expressed though his expertise in historic preservation, restoration, and renovation.
Recognized as an innovative designer, progressive practitioner, and a scholar, Monty is regularly featured in the media and is a columnist for Places journal. He speaks widely on his work and related research and has received numerous awards from the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Interior Designers, and other professional and civic organizations. He was named a Fellow of the AIA in 2009.
A dedicated educator as well as practitioner, Monty taught for many years as an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and is currently a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design, where he teaches a design studio within the Historic Preservation program. He is a frequent guest critic and lecturer at schools across the country.
Monty is on the board of directors of New York’s Storefront for Art & Architecture, an internationally known not-for-profit design gallery, of which he was president for a decade. He has also served on the board of directors of the Society of Architectural Historians and the board of governors of the Yale Alumni Association.
An American of Cuban descent, Monty is regarded as an expert on Cuban architecture, about which he speaks and writes widely. He co-produced the Storefront for Art and Architecture’s landmark exhibition Architecture and Revolution in Cuba, 1959-1969, and has conducted many celebrated architectural tours of the country. He recently acquired a midcentury modern home in Havana, which he is renovating as a base for professional and family activities on the island.
Monty conducts business in English, Spanish, and French. He is licensed as an architect in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, and holds certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
Southern California Institute of Architecture: Master of Architecture, 2008
Purchase College, SUNY: BA, Art History and Contemporary Art, 1998
Haan joined BFA in 2010 and holds a leadership role in the firm’s design, company culture, and business development practices. Highly attuned to the complexity and technical challenges of each project, her responsive work style delivers clarity while guiding clients through the design and construction process.
Specializing in higher education, cultural, and civic design, Haan’s significant projects include offices for Columbia Business School, an international research center for Teacher’s College at Columbia University, and ongoing projects for New York University.
The minimalist yet tactile palette she incorporates into each project embodies a carefully considered use of space and materials. Her work continually draws on a sensitivity to visual arts and materials, fostered by prior work as an independent curator and gallerist, managing the fabrication and installation of contemporary art in museums and galleries. These projects were recognized by the New York Times and Artform International.
Prior to joining BFA, Haan worked as a designer on a new campus for San Francisco State University, and One Santa Fe, a mixed use project in in Los Angeles, at Michael Maltzan Architects.
Haan has led academic, cultural, and civic projects including:
Pratt Institute: Bachelor of Architecture, 2007
Alex joined BFA in 2013 and was elevated to Principal in 2020 for his record of leading some of the firm’s most important and technically complex projects through construction. As Principal and Technical Director, Alex collaborates with the entire BFA team on all aspects of technical design, detailing, and coordination of building systems, and comprehensively addresses quality control, compliance with codes and regulations, and advances the firm’s sustainable design efforts.
Specializing in projects with exacting construction requirements, Alex’s significant projects include the historic preservation at the Yale Club of New York City and the environmentally-sensitive development of an expansive oceanfront residence in Martha’s Vineyard.
A craftsman’s sensibility, deep care for materials, and a passion for drawing as a means to explore ideas with clients define Alex’s professional identity. His “hands on” building experience with framed houses, built furniture, and welded steel fosters advanced solutions to technical detailing and coordination challenges.
Alex believes that protecting the environment through sustainable design is his most vital social responsibility as an architect. He continually seeks to ensure that the firm’s practices align with the American Institute of Architects’ greater goals for sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity.
Licensed as an architect in the State of New York, he also holds certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
Alex has served as lead project architect on commercial and residential projects including:
- Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia University
- Chelsea Art Studio
- Chelsea Private Residence
- FDNY Engine Company 23
- Martha’s Vineyard Residence
- Operations Assistance Unit, NYC Department of Sanitation
- Stockwell-Rodríguez Residence
- Sushi Yasuda
- The Yale Club of New York City
Columbia University, GSAPP: Master of Architecture, 2014
Brown University: A.B., Architectural Studies, 2011
Maya joined BFA in 2018. She is a skilled designer and seasoned project manager with more than seven years of experience in architecture and interiors. Before joining the firm, she worked on a variety of institutional, non-profit, civic and private projects in New York City, including interior office renovations, supportive housing, and theater renovations.
Maya believes architecture and urbanism are tools through which people negotiate their relationships and experiences with society as a whole. She is professionally motivated by social justice and environmental sustainability and is invested in designing engaging and inclusive projects.
Active in professional organizations, Maya serves as the National Organizer for The Architecture Lobby, where she collaborates with designers and architects across the world in advocating for the value of their collective work. In addition, she has taught history and design at the New York Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design.
Maya has worked alongside contractors, consultants and clients on interior renovations including:
- Coney Island Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
- Low Library Donor Recognition Program, Columbia University
- Martha’s Vineyard Residence
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts: BFA, Dance, 2016
Maddie joined BFA in 2019 as administrative assistant and office manager. Well versed in performing arts as an artist, choreographer, and costume designer, she/they conveys creative problem-solving skills and a passion for peer collaboration from the stage to the design studio. Her/their resourcefulness, cultivated in her/their professional experience to date, is an asset to the practice. Leveraging diverse work skills and experience, she executes a host of tasks that best support and develop the vision of her colleagues for the benefit of BFA’s clients.
Before joining the firm, Maddie worked as a performer and provided administrative support to independent choreographer Netta Yerushalmy, managing her website content, footage archive, and mailing lists. She was also a production and operational assistant at Smart Design, an industrial design studio in Chelsea.
CLIENTS
