1100 Architect is the New York-based firm of David Piscuskas and Juergen Riehm. Since their practice was founded in 1983, the partners have pioneered a fundamentally transparent architecture. Their work is in the forefront of a design movement known popularly for its apparent absence of style an aesthetic of no distinct period that advocates luxury with sensuous restraint. Yet, the principals point toward an evolution of their early vision. Transcending claims of having no signature style, Piscuskas’ and Riehm’s mature work is a poetry of well-honed, definitive elements—a spare elegance of proportion, clean but not minimal lines, forthright use of materials, lack of ornament and skillful use of light. Within this fluent language, the architects espouse a desire to forego pre-set conclusions in order to serve each individual project through a process of discovery. In every commission, whether freestanding construction, renovation or the development of raw environment, they pay careful attention to detail and to the flow of space, producing architecture that is at once serene, purposeful and playful. The firm’s design ethos–an essential expression of space, light and materials–has its roots in the modern legacies of Wright, Aalto, Mies and Le Corbusier. But, consistent with a philosophy of collective dialogue, their symbolic name is the first cue that a broader human condition is being addressed: an iconic address, the 1100 of their original studio; a statement of vocation, Architect. This directness and sublimation of persona in favor of an abstract suggestion of place and purpose is in keeping with the firm’s work to date: a state of infinite interpretation and revelation exercised through, and increasingly beyond, the customs of architecture.