An Interview with Brian Messana, SARA

by Rodger Lippmann, Aff. SARA

In this interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Brian Messana, SARA, a renowned architect and co-founder of Messana O'Rorke, a New York-based architecture and design studio. We discussed a wide range of topics, from his early inspirations and influences to the firm's unique design approach. Messana shared insights into some of the firm's most notable projects.

In addition to discussing his work at Messana O'Rorke, Messana also talked about his involvement with the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA). He explained why he became a member of the organization and highlighted its commitment to promoting the profession of architecture and advocating for the rights of architects. Messana praised SARA for its focus on continuing education and professional development, which he sees as essential to staying at the forefront of the industry. Overall, the interview provided a fascinating and insightful look into Messana's passion for architecture and his commitment to creating spaces that enhance the human experience.

How long have you been an Architect?

I can’t remember when I passed my licensing exams, but I‘ve been an “architect” for 30 some years. We formed Messana O’Rorke 27 years ago.

Where did you go to School?

My grades in high school weren’t great; academically, I didn’t fit in. I always wanted to be an architect and to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, so I applied to Cal Poly for architecture with UCLA as a backup. I didn’t make it into Cal Poly so I attended UCLA for two years, getting my grades up so I could reapply to architecture schools.

After UCLA, I was accepted to eights different schools of architecture, including Cal Poly which I attended for two years and then went to summer school at the Ecole de Beaux Arts at Fontaineblue. For my fourth year, I attended The Alexandria Center, a satellite program of Virginia Tech, and I spent my last year studying abroad in Florence, Italy.

After graduating, I moved to NY and worked for Richard Meier & Partners, where I had an amazing experience working on incredible projects and forging strong and deep friendships. After 18 months at Meier’s, I went to graduate school at Columbia University for a year. When I graduated, the country was in a slight recession and I didn’t know what to do, so I took a break from working as an architect and moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, to teach architecture at the University of Southwestern Louisiana for a year. After that, I taught for a semester at the University of Texas in Austin. Eventually, I returned to New York and interviewed with the fashion brand Donna Karan. I thought I’d be moonlighting, but I walked out of my interview with a store to design in Santiago, Chile. The next day, I started Messana O’Rorke with my partner Toby O’Rorke, whom I’d met at The Alexandria Center. Within 18 months, we designed about 24 projects for the designer.

How important was your success due to studying abroad as much as you did?

I believe that studying abroad should be mandatory for every student in the U.S. At a minimum, every student should study outside of their local community. The experience teaches you how to respect people and gives you a different perspective about the world, your place in it, and how you can help people in general. It helps you to live life better simply by being more sensitive and thoughtful about how you move through the world around you. The first time I left the U.S. to study abroad, it blew my mind as we traveled through most of France and stayed in Le Corbusier’s La Turette. As a young architecture student who was learning about architectural history, it was incredible to see the buildings I only knew from books in my history course. It was mind blowing to see the work, walk the streets, and to physically touch and feel the works I had read about. The experience had a major impact on me as a person and architect.

What interested you in seeking a career in Architecture?

I always wanted to be an architect. My father was an interior designer and had his own firm. I would constantly visit his office and his projects with him. Upon going to Cal Poly, I absolutely loved the school, the professors, and, of course, architecture. In fact, the professors at Cal Poly are the ones who pushed me to study abroad. I was so taken by the architectural profession that I just wanted to see and do as much as

possible and to learn along the way.

When was your “aha, I made it!” moment in life?

I think the first time I really felt I made it was the day after Toby and I presented our work at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which was in celebration of our first monograph, Messana O’Rorke Building Blocks, which is published by Rizzoli. That was in late October 2022. It was a magical evening and our presentation reflected who we are and how and why we create the work we do. We spoke about blind ambition, dedication and being diligent, which pretty much sums up our attitude: Never give up. Always pick yourself up and keep moving forward. It wasn’t until that next day that I felt after 27 years we had accomplished something special.

Tell me about your book which was published last October?

Producing our book took over 18 months and was a very cathartic endeavor, reliving the memories and emotionally going through the ups and downs of our practice. Eventually we limited the number of projects to 25 to represent our 25-year anniversary. It was a striking reminder of where we came from, what we went through, and where we are right now.

How do you build your clientele?

Our work is about 95% residential, renovating apartments and ground- up residential projects, which I credit to working in NYC. A combination of years in business and meeting people gives you a certain pedigree and gives clients the trust to work with you and to expand upon your project types.

What tips do you have for an Architect just starting out?

When I used to teach design and architecture, I would stress that we are all different; I was, and I am, different. The set curriculum that was set for me in schools didn’t click. We may end up in the same place at the end, but everyone has their own individual path in getting there. My biggest advice is sometimes you just have to chill, relax, be yourself, and do your thing—have the confidence that if you’re enjoying what you do and if you are persistent, it will happen.

The one thing I somewhat regret is that I didn’t work in other offices long enough to really learn how to run an office, how to run a project, how to network, etc. So I made it all up along the way. I took whatever limited experience I had and just played office. There’s so much to glean from working with others. In addition, I strongly advise a young architect to keep expanding their network.

What is your “wish list” on how you see the future of the Architecture profession?

I think that design is important and has a huge impact on our lives and our development. Design isn’t just a pretty picture. How do you make inroads into developing good relationships with everyone in the process? To really help your potential client’s need to understand that beauty doesn’t have to be expensive. As the architect you are the ringleader. I have these plans and this design, and I need everyone’s help as a team and not as adversaries. The architect is a cheerleader as well as a therapist. The architect is not always right, but a good architect has a vision and it takes everyone’s strength to get along and go in the same direction to ultimately design a better project. You cannot successfully design in a bubble. A computer can generate a view, a house, a field, and an amazing rendering, but it lacks the human creation aspect. This new technology is kind of scary.

What are a few “strange moments” that you dealt with?

The two biggest things that I remember in my career so far are the dot- com boom in the late 90s. A company would gather information, build a website, and grow incredibly fast. They might generate four new companies before the architect finished designing their first project/solution/response. An architect needs time to discuss and learn about their client’s company, but by the time that came to fruition the company was gone or already four times bigger. That was a strange time. The other was when Dwell magazine first started and focused on these great designs for very low cost. It gave the clients the wrong information about the time and effort an architect needs.

Basically, the more architects understand the financial aspects of their work, the better they are able to articulate their costs, etc. Being able to speak the same language as your client enables you to accomplish more.

Why did you join SARA? To you, what makes SARA different?

I’ve been a SARA member for about 10 years. SARA is very different because it’s small in size and extremely intimate. It’s an organization that has recently reached a new level. SARA is very relaxed with less bureaucracy. During Covid, I experienced taking SARA’s education courses which are very informative. I participated in SARA’s award programs and, while doing this, SARA doesn’t make you feel like an outsider. I did not hear about SARA from anyone in particular, but what caught my attention mostly was their slogan, “Architects helping Architects.” I love that. SARA allows you to be yourself and to not worry about what people think of you. Every year as a SARA member, it just gets better. I was at the SARA Awards, which took place at the TWA Hotel in NY a couple of years ago, and it was a big and very well- attended event. I was happy to see their progress.

Most challenging projects that you worked on?

Challenges usually produce the most incredible results. One of the most complex projects that I’ve worked on was the Axis Theater in NYC as the entire project took place in a basement. To clean the basement out we had to identify and relocate every single gas line, every single electrical line, etc., while never interrupting tenants service above.

What’s you thoughts on SARA’s awards Dinner to take place on October 28 in Philadelphia?

I think it was two years ago that I entered four of my projects to SARA. None of them won but I went anyway just to see what the awards dinner was all about and to show my support. I had a great time and was so pleased with the people and the venue. I recommend architects attend SARA events. It’s not just about SARA or networking, it’s about seeing people in your field and proudly sitting amongst them. Joining any organization with expectations can be problematic, but if you join and participate with an open mind, it can be very enlightening and enjoyable.

Affiliates and this newsletter. What would you like to see each month to make it a value for the SARA member to read?

Each newsletter should have its own topic—a focus on either an architect or perhaps a project or type of project that we can all learn from. I’d be interested in information on supply chains as well. Maybe feature a new member each month or a clickable view of seeing all new members and their bios, etc. It would also be great for architects to see affiliate information and to simply click to find out more.