River Architects is a Hudson Valley, New York-based, full-service architecture and design studio with a bold commitment to achieving environmental sustainability through intelligent, beautiful design.
Founded by managing principal Juhee Lee-Hartford, River Architects is proud to be a New York State-certified Woman/Minority-Owned Business.
Our work is informed by a global perspective that enriches the local sensibility of each of our projects—which range in scale from large public ventures and multifamily buildings to intimate private dwellings.
We meet each design challenge with a fresh outlook, creating innovative solutions that respond to the individual needs of our clients and the unique opportunities of each project site.
Our experienced creative team aims to tell a story with each form and reveal the fun in every function.
River Architects creates intelligent & sustainable architecture that delights and inspires.
River Architects interview with Metropolis Magazine
MEET OUR TEAM
JUHEE LEE-HARTFORD
Managing Principal/Architect
FULL BIO
AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, CERTIFIED PASSIVE HOUSE CONSULTANT (CPHC)Juhee Lee-Hartford is the managing and founding partner of River Architects. She has over 20 years of experience leading the design of progressive and sustainable facilities for public, educational, and residential clients. She led the firm to win the NYSERDA BOE competition, City of Hudson DRI grant and Mill River Park Ice Rink, Fountain and Park Facility Building project. With Passive House, Net-Zero Ready experience, she is now spearheading the firm’s development towards Living Building Challenge Standard.
Prior to forming River Architects, Juhee was a Project Architect with Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, where she managed the $24 million Bridgemarket development project in New York City. Her previous experience also includes the Rebirth of Pennsylvania Station: the relocation of Pennsylvania Station to the McKim, Mead and White-designed James A. Farley Main Post Office ; the restoration of Radio City Music Hall; the Whitaker Center, and the McCarter Theater at Princeton University.
Juhee was the recipient of the Pratt Institute National Talent Search Scholarship. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture there with Highest Honors. Awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and Graham Foundation grant, Juhee studied the architecture of South Korea. She is currently writing a book on Korean Residential Architecture.
Listen to an interview with Juhee on the Professional Confessionals podcast.
JAMES HARTFORD
Principal/Architect
FULL BIO
AIA, LEED AP, CERTIFIED PASSIVE HOUSE CONSULTANT (CPHC)Partner James Hartford’s work is rooted in technical expertise and design sensibility. In addition to his excellent design skills, he contributes his building envelope expertise and leads the sustainable design process for each of the firm’s projects. He is currently working on several Passive House projects that range from single family retrofits, multi-unit urban row house retrofits, and an organic hard cider mill in the Catskills.
James is the founder and the past President of Passive House Alliance US- Hudson Valley Chapter. In that capacity James has brought Certified Passive House Builder instruction to Newburgh, NY, and Certified Passive House Consultant training to Schenectady, NY with significant funding from NYSERDA. These programs were the first of their kind in Upstate NY.
Prior to joining River Architects, James was a Project Architect with Rogers Marvel Architects and James Gainfort AIA Architect, where he contributed to award winning renovation and rehabilitation projects such as the Pratt Institute School of Architecture, Carnegie Hall, the Governor’s and Admiral’s Houses on Governors Island, and the Brooklyn Museum Entrance Reconstruction & Water Fountain Project. James earned his Master of Architecture from the University of Buffalo and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Fine Arts from the University of Albany. He has studied abroad in Germany and in England and has taught upper level design studios at Kyonggi University’s Graduate School of Architecture in Seoul, South Korea.
Listen to an interview with James' on the Professional Confessionals podcast.
KARL HANSEN
Project Manager/Architect
FULL BIO
AIA, NCARB, CERTIFIED PASSIVE HOUSE CONSULTANT (CPHC)Karl brings his 5 years of experience with large projects and background in metal fabrication to provide a balanced approach to managing projects through the construction phase with an attention to the careful execution of details. He enjoys working in a collaborative team environment where everyone is focused on the same end goal.
Prior to joining River Architects, Karl worked for Svigals + Partners in New Haven, CT where he contributed to a broad range of projects such as the ~$70 million dollar renovation of UConn Health Center, the new Sandy Hook Elementary School, College & Crown - a mixed use development in downtown New Haven and Alexion Tech Bar. During his education, he also interned with Design/Build Collaborative where he was able to split his time between the design of metal detail components and the fabrication and installation of them on-site.
Karl earned his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona where he first began to develop his interest in metal fabrication. His passion for this continued to grow when he participated in a design/build studio that created a custom playground for pre-school ages. The experience reinforced his enthusiasm for working in a collaborative effort and the realities of the construction process. The built project earned awards from both the Southern Arizona AIA and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.
DI W. GEORGE
Designer
FULL BIO
CERTIFIED PASSIVE HOUSE CONSULTANT (CPHC)
Di is a dynamic architectural designer who understands that architecture comes from a multidisplinary design process. She is well versed in the latest design technology and software, expertise in 3D printing and other digital fabrication technologies, which aids the translation and representation of design concepts. The combination of fine arts and architecture training gives her a unique perspective on design, it also makes her a curious and creative designer.
Prior to joining River Architects, Di has had a variety of professional experiences ranging from Architectural design, Landscape Architecture, construction management and digital fabrication. Her past project responsibilities include material research, design development, drawing and renderings. Di worked at DPBArchitects where she worked on the restoration and renovation of Newburgh’s historic Ritz Theater.
Di earned her Master of Architecture from University of Pennsylvania where she took leadership in various architecture and urban design competitions. During this time, she also developed a keen interest in algorithmic design, digital fabrication and sustainable design.
PIN-HAN SU
Intern Architect
ANNE JOHANN
Office Assistant
ALINA CHMUT
Project Manager/Certified Interior Designer
FULL BIO
CERTIFIED INTERIOR DESIGNER (CID)
Alina joined River Architects in 2023, bringing exceptional technical skills and deep experience in Interior Design. Alina blends her expertise in Interior Design and Art History as a Project Architect. She brings a holistic approach to design, seamlessly navigating every aspect of a project from intial design concept, through construction documentation, to final finish selection. She has more than 8 years of experience leading Interior Design, Accessibility, Signage, and furnishings projects, and coordinating MEP, AVIT, lighting, construction, and façade work.
Previously, Alina worked for SHoP Architects in New York City where she contributed to a broad range of projects from the design phase to construction documentation for various amenity, hotel, office, and public realm spaces.
Alina earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in Interior Design, with a Minor in Art History.
HEIDI STEPHENS
Interior Designer
BRIGITTE DeLEON
Intern Architect
DÉBORAH P. BARCOS
Executive Assistant
OUR COMMITMENT
SUSTAINABILITY is a core commitment and design inspiration in our practice—not a superficial concept or marketing afterthought.
We are next-generation architects dedicated to designing higher-value architecture with purpose. We believe we have a true responsibility—to our clients and to our environment—to provide artistic creations with significant, measurable performance toward carbon reduction.
Our expertise in building science provides us with the technical know-how to ensure that a building’s performance is optimized. We specialize in sustainability and resiliency through Passive House and Net Zero performance design.
River Architects is proud to have more Passive House-certified consultants (CPHC) than any other design company in New York State.
We truly believe in what we do and embrace opportunities to disseminate information on Net Zero Ready, Passive House building principles through the establishment of the Hudson Valley Chapter of Passive House Alliance. We have lectured on Passive House locally and in various locations in South Korea.
At River Architects, we practice what we preach: Our studio makes its home in a historic Hudson Valley, New York, building that we renovated to meet exacting PH standards, receiving the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) certification for Net Zero building, and the Green Business Partnership Certification.