An Interview with Brian Messana, SARA, Co-founder of Messana O’Rorke
Brian Messana, SARA
Founding Principal
Messana O’Rorke Architects
Brian Messana, SARA is an accomplished architect with over 30 years of experience in the industry. He co-founded Messana O’Rorke 27 years ago and has since established himself as an influential figure in the field of architecture. In a recent interview with Rodger Lippmann, SARA Affiliates Board Chair and Architectural Representative at Benjamin Moore, Messana shared invaluable insights from his journey and offered valuable advice for aspiring architects.
Messana’s path to becoming an architect was unconventional. He struggled academically in high school but always knew he wanted to pursue a career in architecture. After attending UCLA for two years to improve his grades, he was accepted into eight different schools of architecture, including Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which he had initially applied to. He went on to attend the Ecole de Beaux Arts at Fontaineblue, The Alexandria Center, and studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Messana credits his experience studying abroad as having a major impact on him both as a person and as an architect.
Upon graduating, Messana moved to New York and worked for Richard Meier & Partners before attending graduate school at Columbia University. Following a year of teaching architecture in Louisiana, he returned to New York and interviewed with the fashion brand Donna Karan. The next day, he co-founded Messana O’Rorke with his partner Toby O’Rorke.
Messana emphasizes the importance of studying abroad and traveling outside of one’s local community. He believes it teaches respect for people and offers a different perspective about the world, one’s place in it, and how one can help people in general.
Messana’s “aha” moment came after presenting his work at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in celebration of their first monograph, Messana O’Rorke Building Blocks. The book, published by Rizzoli, showcases 25 projects to represent their 25-year anniversary. Messana describes the book as a striking reminder of where they came from, what they went through, and where they are right now.
Messana and his team primarily focus on residential projects, which he credits to working in New York City for many years. He advises architects just starting out to be persistent, confident, and to have the confidence that if they are enjoying what they do, success will come.
Overall, Brian Messana’s journey to becoming a successful architect is a testament to the value of hard work, determination, and the importance of having a unique perspective.
Messana O’Rorke Building Blocks