Principal | AIA
Matthew Bremer, AIA leads Architecture in Formation in New York City. Matthew is a native Texan, with deep Texas Hill Country roots tempering his otherwise fast-paced New York lifestyle. Matthew studied architecture and art history as an undergraduate at Rice and received his Masters of Architecture from Yale, where in addition to architectural design, he continued immersive studies in art & art history, cultural theory and criticism, and got to study under acclaimed set designer Ming Cho Lee in Yale’s Drama School, all which contribute to the unique approach Matthew takes to designing buildings, interiors, and objects. He has taught architecture and been guest juror at architecture schools around the country, and in 2009 was recognized by the American Institute of Architects with the national Young Architects Award. The firm’s work has won multiple local and national awards and been published widely.
As founder and principal, Matthew is engaged as creative director in each project from start to finish, working closely with clients early on to refine their needs and aspirations, and to find hidden opportunities and latent strategies to approach particular problems. Matthew founded Architecture in Formation as a way to celebrate the rich, rigorous, laborious, and messy collaborative process of making architecture.
When not at the office or a jobsite, Matthew is likely to be found walking Geoffrey (AiF’s CNO – see bio), biking around the city, visiting galleries, museums, or art fairs, or traveling. Matthew is currently converting an 1823 parochial church in the Catskills to a weekend home for Geoffrey, his partner Shaun, and himself.
Studio Director | AIA, CPHC
Originally from Kansas City, MO, Paulo Flores is AiF’s Studio Director. He oversees project management for all projects in the office and works closely with studio staff, clients, and contractors to develop designs and resolve technical issues.
Flores holds a degree in Industrial Design/Graphic Design from the Kansas City Art Institute and continued his studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Pratt Institute, and Fashion Institute of Technology. His undergraduate research focused on cultural factors influencing behavior in and perception of interior spaces. Flores has received many awards for his accomplishments, including Interior Design Magazine Best of Year 2010 and 2007 and American Institute of Steel Construction Ideas Recognition 2008. Additionally, his projects have been published on The Wall Street Journal, Elle Decor, The New York Times and Interior Design.
With 17 years of experience in architecture, Flores has designed and managed multiple projects at AIF, working at a range of scales from multi-family residences, to interior renovations, to branding schemes, to designing custom furniture.
Prior to joining AIF, Flores worked for Incorporated Architecture and Design as a designer/project manager for high end residential and luxury multifamily development projects. Flores also specialized in publication design before entering the field of architecture.
Flores believes that good design has to be smart - can it solve more than one problem in a single move and still be beautiful?