Profile
Founded in 1985 by Pietro Cicognani and Ann Kalla (1956-2009), Cicognani Kalla Architect is a full service architectural firm based in New York City whose broad body of work includes private houses, apartments & townhouses, as well as commercial and institutional projects, both domestic and international.
Cicognani Kalla Architect works with many different scales and budgets in both traditional and modern design vocabularies. The firm encourages clients to be part of the process and embraces the unique set of circumstances offered by each project which are discovered through meticulous historical, contextual and technical research. This is achieved by exploring through sketching, model-making (both physical and digital) and testing ideas at full scale. These ideas are then developed in close collaboration with the very best artisans and craftsmen often leading to new techniques and occasionally resurrecting the lost ones. The result is a well built, highly detailed and highly customized design solution that withstands the test of time both physically and stylistically with the success measured by the satisfaction of our clients.
Albert J. Betesh
Born and raised on the New Jersey Shore, Albert received a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, but found the experience did not fulfill his artistic sensibility. Curious about Architecture, he pursued an internship in the profession and secured a position with famed architect Frederic Schwartz, whose plan to rebuild the World Trade Center site finished second among hundreds of entries. Albert knew he had found his calling. While waiting to enroll at the New Jersey Institute of Technology to complete a Masters in Architecture, Albert began working with Cicognani Kalla Architects in 2005. Recognizing his potential after only a few months, Pietro & Ann, convinced Albert to stay on full time and defer his studies. This apprenticeship lasted nearly three years before Albert decided it was time to complement training in the field with a more formal education. After completing a Masters in Architecture from NJIT, Albert returned to Cicognani Kalla Architects for a short period of time to support Pietro after Ann’s passing. It was not long after Albert decided it was time to move on to other pursuits that Pietro called and invited him back as a partner. Since returning as a partner Albert has led some of the firms most complex and prestigious projects, quickly earning the respect of clients, colleagues and collaborators alike.
Pietro Cicognani
Born in Bologna, Italy, Pietro Cicognani was interested in the built form from a very early age, particularly Etruscan Urbanism and its relationship with the environment. Mr. Cicognani studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts and Master of Architecture from Columbia University. After graduation, he worked for Mitchell/Giurgola Architects in New York on several large scale projects, including the new Parliament House in Australia and eventually relocating to Canberra, Australia to continue working on the project. Upon returning to New York to found Cicognani Kalla Architect, Mr. Cicognani also began teaching in the design studio at Columbia University.
People
Pietro Cicognani - Principal
Albert J. Betesh - Partner
Libe Camarena
Lucas McCarrell
Michael Kelly
Yoko Higuchi
Gregory Grove
Pietro Cicognani
Born in Bologna, Italy, Pietro Cicognani was interested in the built form from a very early age, particularly Etruscan Urbanism and its relationship with the environment. Mr. Cicognani studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts and Master of Architecture from Columbia University. After graduation, he worked for Mitchell/Giurgola Architects in New York on several large scale projects, including the new Parliament House in Australia and eventually relocating to Canberra, Australia to continue working on the project. Upon returning to New York to found Cicognani Kalla Architect, Mr. Cicognani also began teaching in the design studio at Columbia University.
Albert J. Betesh
Born and raised on the New Jersey Shore, Albert received a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, but found the experience did not fulfill his artistic sensibility. Curious about Architecture, he pursued an internship in the profession and secured a position with famed architect Frederic Schwartz, whose plan to rebuild the World Trade Center site finished second among hundreds of entries. Albert knew he had found his calling. While waiting to enroll at the New Jersey Institute of Technology to complete a Masters in Architecture, Albert began working with Cicognani Kalla Architects in 2005. Recognizing his potential after only a few months, Pietro & Ann, convinced Albert to stay on full time and defer his studies. This apprenticeship lasted nearly three years before Albert decided it was time to complement training in the field with a more formal education. After completing a Masters in Architecture from NJIT, Albert returned to Cicognani Kalla Architects for a short period of time to support Pietro after Ann’s passing. It was not long after Albert decided it was time to move on to other pursuits that Pietro called and invited him back as a partner. Since returning as a partner Albert has led some of the firms most complex and prestigious projects, quickly earning the respect of clients, colleagues and collaborators alike.