LEA CLOUD + VICTORIA ROSPOND

www.crstudio.com

risd connection: BFA in Architecture, 1983; Bachelor of Architecture, 1984

talent: Since opening CR Studio in 1996, Cloud and Rospond have won rave reviews for their SoHo-based architecture firm by insisting on a continuous exchange of ideas - with each other and their clients - throughout the design process.

getting there: As freshmen the two RISD graduates lived on the same floor, but it wasn't until the fifth and final year of their program that their paths converged. The graduating class in Architecture that year was anomalous: a group of students on the brink of competitive careers who really wanted to help each other with the final, rigorous thesis project. "That was atypical," recalls Rospond. "The architecture profession is generally single-minded, ego-oriented. But we were helping each other complete final projects - working in shifts, making sure everyone got enough sleep at crunch time."

breaking in: Fifteen years later, it's that spirit of give-and-take that drives CR Studio. In a field dominated by men, the partnership emerged after both women had paid several years' worth of dues. Cloud worked for a firm that specialized in academic clients, while Rospond slogged through "generally uninteresting" work for a New Jersey developer. They'd toyed with working together and in 1995 finally landed the project - development of the Wagner Park Café in New York City - that allowed them to break loose.

making it: After a one-year trial by fire, CR Studio's first job was successfully completed and they decided to forge ahead with the partnership, joining the relatively few women who own their own architectural firms (only seven percent of the industry, according to the AIA). Major projects for clothing designer Eileen Fisher, NYC's American Museum of Natural History and the Millburn [NJ] Public Library followed. Cloud and Rospond attribute their success to constant discussion. And when it comes down to Rospond's design idea versus Cloud's, they've found that the trick to settling on the best solution isn't compromise, but conflict: each designer defends her approach until both are convinced that one is better. "We really try to understand each other's point of view," explains Cloud. "At RISD I learned that there is no single right answer. Exchange of ideas enriches the whole design process."

average day: ... fine-tuning plans for the new People's Center at the Museum of Natural History... tracking down other artists to discuss collaborative projects... convening a full-staff brainstorming session...

discoveries: (1) Though engaging clients in extended discussion "isn't the cheapest way to go about it, in the end it's worth the extra time." (2) Their strong partnership succeeds because of their differences: while Rospond "goes right for the micro-details," Cloud tends to step back and "frame the problem in a larger perspective."