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There’s a saying, something like “go to New York, but leave before you become
too hard; go to California, but leave before you become too soft.” After trying both coasts, architect James Harkrider has found his happy medium almost back where he started, in Texas. Now based in Austin, Harkrider’s firm, D+FORM Architecture, has completed both harder-edged projects in New York, such as the Spike Gallery and the headquarters of Chandler Chicco Agency, a public relations/ad agency with offices worldwide, and projects with a more West-Coast feel, including the agency’s Los Angeles office, as well as several
residences. “It’s fun to be in the middle, with projects on both coasts,” says Harkrider. “It’s never the same experience. Personalities of people I work with, such as contractors or zoning people, are totally different in New York than they are in California. Local materials are different, and attitudes are different. I’d like to think my work can adapt.”

www.studiodform.com previous image | next image Spike Gallery New York City, 2002 Located on the ground floor of a former industrial building in Chelsea, the gallery uses salvaged brick, steel, and glass to give it a warm atmosphere, with large storefront windows. The open plan allows for the installation of a variety of exhibitions and programs. Chandler Chicco Agency New York and Los Angeles Offices, 2004 The West Coast office of this public relations/advertising agency required a more laid-back work environment than its New York counterpart. Tomales Residence Tomales, Calif. 2005 Located in the coastal hills of Northern California, this house will derive a portion of its energy from wind power. Private Residence New York City, 2003 Some of this former industrial building’s original features were used in conjunction with contemporary elements in the adaptive reuse. Two floors were converted to create a single open home. All images courtesy D+FORM unless otherwise noted.

Designing place-appropriate architecture, according to client needs and availability of vernacular materials, is what D+FORM was created to do. Like many young architects, Harkrider began his own business with a single project. In this case, it was a New York City gallery owner who trusted Harkrider to merge and transform an infamous S&M club and a shipping warehouse into an upscale art showplace, one whose first exhibition would feature paintings by such artists as Jean-Michel Basquiat. Using materials including salvaged brick, steel, and glass, Harkrider created a warm, open space unlike the usual stark galleries in the area. The owner was pleased, the gallery was a success, word spread, and D+FORM began to expand its client base. A loft apartment renovation followed, then a clothing store in the Meatpacking District, then the owners of the Chandler Chicco Agency approached Harkrider to revamp their New York office, followed by their office in Los Angeles. Suddenly, D+Form was actively designing on both coasts.

With the desire to move away from renovation work and build new construction in his native Texas, Harkrider moved his practice to Austin. Picking up collaborators along the way has allowed him to stay solo in his firm, yet merge with skilled and talented independent contractors for various projects. Creative partners also help to oversee his coastal projects when he can’t be at the site, although he says technology lets him stay very much involved day to day. Architect Robert Skolnik, who Harkrider met while taking art classes at Parson’s School of Design in New York, is one frequent collaborator. From his home in Northern California, Skolnik is working with Harkrider on several projects, including a sustainable house in Tomales, California, to be built off the local power grid and run on its own wind-powered energy, using materials from the region.
As a self-proclaimed “flexible Modernist,” Harkrider says he’s open to more types of collaboration, including the possibility of working with developers, or teaming up with other small firms to create a group office. Still, word-of-mouth marketing is keeping him very much involved in the work, with less time for him to expand his firm. For now, it’s safe to say he’s coasting.

By Ingrid Spencer