letter from principal
I founded Studio Sofield in 1996 with the express purpose of integrating architecture, interior design, and landscape. Over the ten years prior, I discovered that treating these disciplines in isolation often resulted in soulless environments not suited to use or enjoyment. You see, design is gloriously interactional, as each project reflects the contributions of a multitude of talents.
The Studio is modest in size and we try never to exceed forty-five people. This is so Emma and I - we have worked together for nearly forty years - may look at every detail before it leaves the drawing board, thus ensuring a level of quality unsurpassed in our industry. Our team includes a broad range of urban planners, licensed architects, interior, furniture, industrial, garden, and event designers. Although trained as architects, given the international nature of our practice, we find it more effective to collaborate with consulting Architects of Record on all of our projects.
Our capabilities defy any singular style and span a breadth of programming that could not be more diverse. Here we offer a selection of our work to provide a window into the philosophy and processes that define our approach. Whatever the project, whatever its purpose, I approach each one with a fresh eye, questioning everything that has come before. We bring a deep understanding of the cultural, physical, and functional context to every commission, imbuing each design with wit and life.
While we have developed expertise across many areas, I believe that to remain truly engaged — and to continue producing meaningful work — we must be challenged. Each project offers an opportunity to explore new typologies, new landscapes, and new ways of thinking.
“Sofield knows as much about buildings as fabrics, that the same eye, that same sensibility, that drives his work at the scale of a room, works at the scale of a building, and even at the scale of the city.”
— Paul Goldberger
The commissions that shape our next chapter hold the promise of being better than or different from what has come before. It is this pursuit of evolution that sustains our work. I could not be more excited by what the future holds.
Yours with optimism and enthusiasm,
William Sofield
WILLIAM SOFIELD
Considered one of the most thoughtful talents of his generation, Sofield—a Modernist by temperament and a Historicist by training—believes that design must live as well as it looks. His holistic approach renders beguiling and seamlessly practical solutions from an artistic concept balanced by an unfailing sensitivity to the individual’s needs and tastes. His desire is to imbue spaces with respect for materiality and fidelity to craft: a sophisticated luxury that improves with use and age, becoming places of memory and legacy.
Sofield received his degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University, followed by an academic focus on Art History and European Cultural Studies as recipient of the Helena Rubinstein Fellowship from the Whitney Museum for curatorial work in the Independent Study Program. Among numerous honors, he has been recognized with the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Interior Design (2010), the Museum of Art and Design Award (2021), and the Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award (2026).
A thirty-year friendship and consequently a collaboration on more than five hundred stores as well as a dozen of my own homes. Whether they are creating retail spaces or private homes they are innovative thinkers, and the result of their work is always fresh. When I started my own brand there was no one that I would have turned to other than Studio Sofield.
— tom ford
emma o’neill
As a founding partner, O’Neill brings a rare and quietly powerful presence to every commission. It is her instinct for listening and careful observation that allows the Studio to move beyond the stated brief and into the unspoken desires of a client. Her thoughtful process, based in her Humanism and European sensibilities, informs the individuality of every commission.
O’Neill received her Bachelor of Architecture from University College Dublin. She apprenticed with Sofield in consulting for Ralph Lauren in the 1980s; she continued that collaboration through Aero Studios in the 1990s. Upon completing her Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia, she joined Sofield in opening Studio Sofield.
The New York-based firm is a member of the AD 100 Hall of Fame, Elle Décor’s A-List, Interior Design Hall of Fame; and has received the Excellence in New Design by the Upper East Side Historic District in New York; and twice the Architectural Commission of Beverly Hills’ Design Award.
In addition to the international residential projects, Studio has received commissions from Tom Ford, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Santa Eulalia, Coach, Violet Grey, The SoHo Grand Hotel, David Barton Gyms, Kohler Interiors, Baker, Kallista, The Brodsky Organization, Icon Realty Management, Property Management Group, JDS Development Group, Alchemy Properties, OKO Group, Spitzer Enterprises, Legion Investment Group, Nahla Capital, and Zero Bond.