Studio Lyew is an architecture firm based in Brookland, Washington DC, working on small neighborhood projects. We transform spaces to suit the needs of your growing family or business. Since 2019 we have worked on many successful modernization projects by reconfiguring / expanding existing properties.
What motivates us is the power of architecture to meet the demands of our modern lives. We have worked with many property owners to reconfigure their home for their first child, a growing family and even the addition of grandparents.
Buildings can have a positive environmental effect not only the planet but also individuals. We’re excited about working to create healthy indoor environments and buildings that use renewable energy sources.
We value elegant, simple solutions. Our talented team is based locally in the DMV area and ready to tackle your most challenging projects.
Richard has been practicing as an architect in Washington DC since 2009. He received a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of the West Indies in 2000, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006. His background in engineering has been instrumental in his approach to seamlessly integrate design with functionality.
For almost 2 decades, he has worked as a successful project architect gaining experience with a myriad of building types including residential, healthcare, hospitality, education and commercial work. Richard is a member of AIA, NOMA, and licensed to practice in DC, MD & VA. Outside of architecture, he enjoys cooking and endurance sports like triathlons.
We’re experienced with over 20 years of experience in the industry and offer several strengths to our clients:
"We are completely renovating and building a substantial addition to a 100+ year family home. After a horrible experience with a well-known DC design build firm yielded a Frankenstein house they couldn’t build, we found Studio Lyew.
Richard came in very empathetic to our situation, using as much of the information we already had and not trying to charge us to start from scratch like other firms we interviewed. He was thoughtful in his approach—listening to my ideas and then taking it to the next level. He was conscious of our budget and remains so as we move through the construction phase.
We now have a completely new set of plans that are functional and above and beyond what we imagined for our forever home."
"We had a great experience working with Richard and his team.
We recently bought a 110-year-old house and had to do renovations before moving in with our family. This was our first renovation so I didn’t know what to expect but I couldn’t have been happier.
From providing various design options, to explaining the process and helping us navigate the bumps that come when you open up the walls of a 110-year-old house, Studio Lyew was thorough, patient and helped us as homeowners smoothly navigate the process. I’ve already recommended them for a project my sister is doing on her house. I highly recommend!"
"Richard designed and managed the construction of a 2 story addition to our 100+ year old home. We had an excellent experience working with him and love our new space! He was extremely thoughtful with his design and his support throughout construction made a stressful situation a lot more manageable."
"Studio Lyew was wonderful to work with and helped us design the perfect addition for our home. Click to see Justin’s project."
"Studio Lyew is a small firm whose principal, Richard is proficient and detail oriented. He was familiar with the permitting process, specification and construction documentation to meet approval from our Capitol Hill addition. His service was delivered in a timely manner."
"I am working with Richard now in doing a significant remodel to my Brookland home. This is the first large scale remodel I have ever done. I have really appreciated Richard’s guidance through every step of the project, his working with us to come up with the best plan to fit our budget and directing us to all the contractors etc that we need. He has always been responsible, available and done great work. I can’t recommend him enough."
