Business Details
29 Years
experience
Award-Winning Architecture & Interior Design Firm in New York
Founded in 1997 by Erik Maran and Ira Smith, our firm has established itself as a leader in architecture and interior design. With decades of combined experience from Yale and Harvard-trained professionals, we deliver innovative solutions for corporate, commercial, institutional, and residential clients. Our expertise spans new construction, adaptive reuse, and facility repositioning projects that balance functional excellence with aesthetic sophistication. We specialize in multi-scale turn-key design and project management for clients lacking internal design resources. Our team excels at integrating architecture, interior design, planning, and graphics to create spaces that reflect client missions while enhancing asset value. Through meticulous attention to material specification, spatial design, and natural lighting strategies, we transform projects into enduring destinations.Our portfolio demonstrates consistent success in translating financial investments into superior utility across diverse sectors including retail, cultural institutions, and mixed-use developments. We maintain a client-centric approach that prioritizes understanding business needs during facility relocations, renovations, and new builds. Our principals bring specialized knowledge in historic structure preservation and branded environment development, evidenced by award-winning projects like the Montclair Public Library renovation and Toyota dealership prototypes. This combination of technical expertise and creative vision has earned recognition as an award-winning firm serving clients from Fortune 500 companies to private homeowners.
Services
Architecture
Interior Design
Planning
Graphics
Adaptive Reuse
Project Management
Feasibility Studies
Concept Development
Code Analysis
Capital Budgeting
Details
- Year established: 1997
Highlights and features
- Founded in 1997 by Yale and Harvard-trained architects with decades of industry experience
- Integrated approach combining architecture, interior design, and project management services
- Specialized expertise in adaptive reuse and historic structure preservation projects
- Client-focused methodology prioritizing business needs during facility transformations
- Award-winning portfolio featuring Fortune 500 corporate headquarters and cultural institutions
Services
Architecture
Our architectural services create functional, aesthetically sophisticated spaces that reflect client missions. We specialize in new construction and facility repositioning projects that enhance asset value through innovative design solutions. Our team delivers comprehensive services from concept development to construction documentation, ensuring technical excellence and regulatory compliance while maintaining creative vision.
Interior Design
We develop interior environments that balance practical functionality with artistic expression. Our designers focus on material specification, color selection, and finish detailing to create spaces that meet specific business needs. From corporate headquarters to cultural institutions, our interiors combine modern aesthetics with enduring utility through careful programming and spatial analysis.
Adaptive Reuse
Our firm specializes in transforming existing structures into modern, functional spaces while preserving architectural heritage. We conduct thorough feasibility studies and code analyses to determine optimal reuse strategies. This expertise has been applied to projects ranging from historic synagogue preservation to retail component renovations in repurposed buildings.
Project Management
We provide comprehensive project management services for clients lacking internal design resources. Our team oversees all aspects from preliminary design through construction completion, ensuring seamless execution of multi-scale projects. This includes budget planning, vendor coordination, and quality control to deliver turn-key solutions that meet specified timelines and financial parameters.
Concept Development
Our concept development process begins with thorough site analysis and client needs assessment. We create preliminary designs that explore spatial relationships, material choices, and branding integration opportunities. This phase includes feasibility studies and capital budgeting to establish clear project parameters before advancing to detailed design documentation.
People
Erik Maran
Principal
Co-founder with a Yale Master's in Architecture, Erik specializes in material specification and spatial design. He brings patient, thorough project management from site analysis to finish detailing, with expertise in corporate headquarters and public space renovations.
Ira Smith
Principal
Co-founder holding a Harvard Graduate School of Design degree, Ira focuses on problem-solving across scales. His strengths include historic structure preservation and adaptive reuse, with notable experience in retail/restaurant fit-outs and synagogue heritage projects.
Questions
What types of clients does Smith Maran work with?
We serve corporate, commercial, institutional, and residential clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to private homeowners, including specialized experience with cultural institutions and property developers.
What geographic areas do you serve?
Our primary service areas include New York City, Montclair, and Connecticut, with completed projects demonstrating our ability to manage both local and regional design implementations.
What is your approach to adaptive reuse projects?
We conduct comprehensive feasibility studies and code analyses before developing solutions that preserve architectural heritage while meeting modern functional requirements through strategic material and spatial interventions.
Do you handle full-scale project management?
Yes, we provide turn-key project management services including budget planning, vendor coordination, and quality control for clients without internal design resources across all project phases.
What makes your firm different from other architecture practices?
Our unique combination of Yale and Harvard-trained principals brings both technical expertise and creative vision, with specialized strengths in material specification, natural lighting strategies, and branded environment development.
Can you work with existing design teams?
We can either lead projects independently or collaborate with existing design teams, providing our expertise in architecture, interior design, and planning as needed for specific project requirements.
