Melanie O'Brien
Architect | Designer | Artist
Bio
Melanie O’Brien grew up in rural Ireland where expansive landscape nurtured her creative expression. Following a childhood and adolescence of exploring as many artistic mediums as possible, Melanie left for Dublin to study architecture at University College Dublin. During her studies, Melanie’s work received awards and honors from the university and other organizations such as the National Heritage Council for her achievements in design and academics.
Upon graduating with her Bachelor’s degree, Melanie headed straight to Australia and into the professional realm where she worked on hospitality and high end residential projects with an emphasis on sustainability and daylight design. Later, as part of her graduate studies she returned to Australia under an exchange scholarship to the University of Melbourne where she pursued studies in property development alongside furthering her knowledge of sustainable technology. Following completion of her Master of Architecture, Melanie moved to the US in 2015 to work as a project architect at Koko Architecture + Design where her understanding of aesthetics and materials lead her to create spaces that are not only comfortable, but beautiful.
Melanie is a registered architect in New York and a LEED accredited professional in building design and construction. When she isn’t working, she can often be found in her home studio painting vibrant abstract compositions.
Architecture & interior design
Residential
Hudson House
Architectural concrete residence for a contemporary art collector in the Hudson Valley, New York
Hospitality
The Little One
Japanese dessert restaurant in a perfect bamboo box on an imperfect street in New York City's Chinatown
UWS Residence
Remodel of an Upper West Side co-op for a large family with close Scandinavian ties
Space 194
A new concept art gallery and tea house in New York City's East Village
Norwood Residence
Extensive remodel of a large 1970's suburban home in Norwood, New Jersey
Matilda Bay Brewery
The introduction of a tasting room, bar and restaurant into an existing commercial brewery
Commercial
& mixed-use
Miami Tower Skylobby
Rebranding and remodelling of the iconic I.M.Pei's Miami Tower skylobby amenities for commercial tenants
Oasis Tower
17 story mixed-use condominium in Taiwan, Taipei with curved glass facade
Chroma Tower
Located in Taiwan, this 13 story mixed-use tower enlivens the facade using deep chromatic window boxes
Civic & education
Rhythmic Occupancy
An agricultural college and training facility in the heart of a dormant Irish market town.
School as City
Mind mapping from the perspective of a child and bringing a sense of wild landscape to suburbia
Flor da Manhã
Educate, integrate and be sustainable were the brief for this preschool in Xai-Xai, Mozambique
Surface-scape
A community sports center and playing fields in suburban Dublin
Rarefied Land
Picturesque landscape-inspired coastal walk with shelters
Room to Manoeuvre
A civil ceremony venue in a constrained city center location
An Tearmann
Meaning 'retreat' in Gaelic, a series of wood pavilions form accommodation in an abandoned walled garden
Product & exhibition design
Hachi House
Design for a new kind of kids' playhouse. Hachi placed second in the national competition run by the AIA and Houzz
Shed Light
Outdoor pavilion experimenting with passive city light at the Light in Winter festival in Melbourne, Australia
A Sense of Place
Exhibition of the work of Irish architect Robin Walker, exhibited at the Irish Architectural Archive
Mixed media & graphic design
Event Invitation
L.E.S. is More
A corporate client required a poster and invitation graphic to a spring party in the Lower East Side of Manhattan
