Zames reconfigured the apartment to improve circulation and open some of the confined rooms. What was formerly a hallway is now integrated with the kitchen. A bank of floor-to-ceiling cabinets offers storage and an island covered in carrara marble offers space for working or dining. "We embraced dark colors in the kitchen to keep a contrast with the bright white of the surrounding living areas," Zames says of the constrasting finishes. The barstools are from CB2.

Fortification can be as obvious or well hidden as a client demands; indeed, some of the most protected homes are the ones that seem not to have a single security guard or camera in sight.

Here's a detail of the steps.

At the time of the opening of United Artists Theatre in New York, its owners proclaimed this building "the most beautiful, comfortable and up-to-date theatre in the world." As part of a United Artists Theatre series of buildings in Detroit, L.A., and New York, the idea was based a ‘movie palace’—a huge, all-encompassing destination where movies, recording studios, theater, and symphony performances, could all intermingle inside dazzling interiors.

For more on General Assembly's work, read our story on a Brooklyn loft renovation.

The storage cubbies a hold the residents' books. Zames used walnut veneered plywood to build the staircase. The exaggerated finger joints used in the millwork adds practical visual interest to the steps. "Because the stair is a kind of 'ship ladder' stair it can be a bit tricky to walk on," Zames says. "We wanted to have a detail at the top of each step to act as a visual cue to help people climb safely."

The "lost" subway stations of NYC.

"By creating a series of cubes that could be put together with a limited kit of parts, we minimized wasted material and labor costs for assembly," Zames says.

The apparel on display includes Hanky Panky's lingerie and Tabii Just's bullet-proof jacket. Photo by SITU Studio.

In New York City, Sarah Zames of General Assembly renovated a Greenwich Village loft originally constructed in 1868. "The client wanted to maximize the efficiency of the space," she says. Zames and her team completely overhauled the space to create a modern haven in bustling Manhattan.

The spaces are all under 400 square feet. "Each space has a lounge area and a work area so you can choose to chill or work," Rizzi says. "They all come fully loaded with free wifi, a selection of curated books and quarterlies, a yoga mat, and a jar of Tootsie Rolls." Above, a location in New York's Flatiron district features a sofa by A&G Merch, a lounge chair by Gus Modern, and a West Elm desk surrounded by Modernica chairs.

Confronted with limited space to build the staircase needed to access the living area and bedroom on the second level, General Assembly designed a custom solution. "These stairs are not an ideal design for everyone and shouldn't be used as primary stairs—we like to think of them more as millwork with a little bonus to it, than an actual staircase," Zames says. "The cube construction of the stairs actually came from a budget standpoint. We were very tight on budget and wanted to maximize the material as much as possible."

CitiBin owner Liz Picarazzi noticed that piles of trash were making nice homes in her local Brooklyn look, well, like a dump. She devised a smart solution that tastefully conceals its contents.

"Hospitality is about trying to support multiple functions in one space," McKelvey says. "In the old hotel model—the bar is separated from the lobby which is separated from the business center. We’re trying to make all of those spaces overlap and impact and affect each other."

In addition to consulting major companies on material use, Material ConneXion has a subscription-based library with over 7,500 innovative materials.

The green roof on Javits Center, designed by FXFOWLE, is the second largest green roof in the country.

In another New York City spot, the chaise lounge is Fresco, the pillows are Marimekko, the rug is from Urban Outfitters, and the coffee table is vintage. Lampe Gras lights illuminate an artwork by Sally Wanless.

Around 40 materials are introduced into the library each month, after undergoing a jury review process.

The containers are subtle enough to blend in with a front garden. They are also modular, so multifamily residences can combine multiple containers to form a larger unit.

The company has offices in nine cities around the world, including Korea, Sweden, and Italy.

Here's a before shot of the apartment. "The client wanted a kitchen that felt clean and modern, but also comfortable to sit and do work in," Zames says.

Frieze Art Fair; Friday May 4th 2012

Furnishings on view include works by Scott Jordan, Tri-Lox, and Spuni, all Brooklyn-based manufacturers. Photo by SITU Studio.

"Making It In NYC" brings New York manufacturers to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Photo by SITU Studio.

A series of meandering stairways is meant to facilitate leisurely travel through the building. When rushing to class, students can use a traditional stair or skip-stop elevators.

Here, new subway cars are being transported by barge to New York City.

Koop is the Senior Design Architect of the framework plan for Cornell NYC Tech, a new applied science university that will call a 12.4-acre campus on New York's Roosevelt Island home. The plan, which includes construction of the city's largest net-zero building, pairs more traditional academic buildings with a series of flexible outdoor spaces.

Q6: Location is a key factor. How important is it to consider your immediate surroundings and neighbors’ opinions? A6: It’s vital to understand your neighboring community and Piano’s design relates to its location in the Meatpacking District. Some examples: We achieved LEED gold status and also are working with the community on public art installations.

The University Center of the New School, which opened in early 2014, includes a variety of energy-saving features. Only 35% of the exterior is glass in order to decrease solar heat gain while still letting in natural light. The building is designed to achieve 31 percent energy savings over a code-compliant school.

New York (SITU Studio and Cohabitation Strategies) Glittering Manhattan high-rises and sensational headlines about real estate mega-deals obscures the other side of New York, a system of crowded housing rivaling that of the other cities in the exhibition. The New York team proposed new systems for cooperative living and adaptive housing to improve living conditions for workers. Cohabitation Strategies sought to alter perceptions of property and investment by introducing Housing Cooperative Trusts, which would build value while taking real estate away from developers. "We think housing can be a site of social production and reproduction," says Gabriela Rendon, whose team propose an affordable housing cooperative situated around a land trust, creating incentives that support tenants long-term instead of awarding developers for short-term affordable solutions. "There's been a massive loss of affordable housing, and architecture can't fix it alone." SITU looked at how to better utilize housing stock and steer development towards more sustainable construction. Community Growth Corporations (pictured above) offer an alternative that isn't just about accomodating density, but taking these less-valuable neighborhoods and realigning the housing stock with those living there. The system of utilizing air rights and splitting up and reorganizing one- or two-bedroom family homes into multi-unit residences would better reflect the community and allow for DIY improvements. "It's not 60 stories or nothing, it's ways that better reflect the neighborhood," says SITU's Bradley Samuels. "We want to take the capital created with these developments and turn it over to the neighborhoods."

Among the textiles on offer will be handwoven scarves and towels from Loomed, who recently represented Louisiana in our 50 Reasons to Love Design Made in America roundup. Loomed co-founders Paul and Molly Babineaux are part of a handful of New Orleans designers who will be present at the shop's Meet the Designers event on May 9.

Artist Kiernan Dunn's silkscreen prints celebrate the architecture of New Orleans, as well as camp icons like John Waters and his muse Divine.

The shop will also feature ceramics, fine-art prints, books, paper products, an aromatic apothecary, a men's department, jewelry, and homegoods, like Provenza Studios' cheeky "Ghosters" and wooden bud vases.

The illustrator Izak Zenou sketches in his NYC live/work loft.

From May 7 through June 7, the Michele Varian Storefront at 27 Howard Street in Soho will be transformed into a showcase of New Orleans design. Among the works available will be the Peter coffee table by sculptor and designer Samuel Provenza.