Get to Know Kenneth Nadler of Kenneth R. Nadler Architects

November 27, 2018

Site Staff,

Tell us about your journey to becoming an architect.

There is something about being creative that you can't hold back. I grew up wanting to be a sculptor, but decided that architecture was a more practical approach to satisfying my creative side. I have never looked back. It's so much fun working with individuals and families, making their dreams and visions come to life. My office is full of architects with similar stories. They feel like they have always wanted to be architects and they can't imagine being anything else. They design and redesign until the end product is exactly what the homeowner wants and the design is timeless and beautiful. Architecture is our art form, we have fun creating it, and our clients get to experience every day.

At point in your career did you know you were ready to start your own firm?

From the first week I started interning, I knew I wanted to have my own firm. I was bursting with ideas and if there were going to be boundaries and limits to my ideas; I wanted to be the one who decided what they were.

Tell us about how you work with your clients?

Our clients are knowledgeable and have a refined sense of design and an understanding of quality. They come to us with ideas. We work closely and try a number of different approaches to find exactly what feels right to all of us. Then throughout the process we stay connected. We make decisions together to insure that our original vision and feeling stay intact. When they move in, it's a celebration for all of us. The best part is, we typically remain friends.

What are some of your favorite projects you have worked on?

It's hard to pick favorites when our projects are so varied. One home we designed was high on a hill overlooking the Tappan Zee Bridge. You approached the front door on a bridge and in some spaces you felt like you were up in a tree house. The view was so breathtaking and we captured it in all the spaces. Sometimes we design a compound. The land is expansive and varied. We do pool houses, tennis pavilions, collector garages, and guest houses. It is fun to work on each component separately, yet make the whole project work together. One home we designed was on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay. It was a completely flat piece of property, but the view was 180 degrees and gorgeous from every angle and we captured it throughout the home. We designed a home in the Hamptons that was shingle style and barn-like on the exterior and the interiors were as detailed as a McKim, Mead, and White home.

We just completed a seamless addition/renovation to a Bowman Tudor in Bronxville. The home and landscaping are new and fresh, yet there is a feeling of timelessness and a feeling of respect for what was originally designed. Our projects vary in size too. We have favorites that are small additions and interior renovations. We are truly lucky to have clients that understand that at any scale, good design and attention to detail truly matters.

How would you describe your home style?

Mediterranean, shingle, colonial, craftsman, transitional, contemporary, farmhouse, beach house, southwestern: our design style is varied. If you visit our website, you will see how different each home is. We listen to what our clients love and are drawn to; what they feel at home in. We draw on historical knowledge and combine that with innovative design. We are proud of the results and love a challenge.