Founded in 1997 by David Leven and Stella Betts, LEVENBETTS is a New York City and Hudson, New York-based architecture firm. The studio is committed to creating public spaces that are, in their own words, “welcoming, free, carbon-positive,” a mission reflected in a portfolio that spans civic, cultural, and residential projects with a focus on libraries, museums, and housing. In 2020, the office was awarded the AIA New York State Firm of the Year, and Architectural Record recognized Stella Betts as the New Generation Leader, part of its Women in Architecture Awards. In 2024, the American Academy of Arts and Letters recognized the firm for work characterized by a strong personal direction. Since 2001, LEVENBETTS’ studio has been located within the West Chelsea Building, a longtime home for numerous galleries, artists, and designers in the neighborhood. 

Completed projects include:

Taystee Life Sciences Building Built on the site of the former Taystee Cake Bakery in Harlem, this 300,000 square-foot LEED Silver laboratory and research building will feature a public pass-through garden from 125th Street to 126th Street.

House of Trees Pavilion Part of the Architecture at Home exhibition at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, this pavilion, constructed with locally sourced Southern Yellow Pine, surrounds a tree of the same species and is designed as a kit of parts that can be dismantled and relocated.

East Flatbush Library LEVENBETTS’ award-winning renovations to this Brooklyn library include the addition of central skylights and differentiated programming spaces for adults and children, informed by a series of listening sessions with the librarians and the local community early in the design process.

Current projects include: 

Red Hook Library Once renovated, this project will become the Brooklyn Public Library’s first net-zero emission building, featuring a relocated entry, a new perforated brick facade, and a landscape designed for flood mitigation.

Aperture Foundation Renovations to the photography foundation’s new, permanent home—two floors within a New York City historic building—will improve building accessibility, add new office areas, and create public spaces, such as a bookstore and a venue for artist talks.

Kingston Housing Located in Kingston, New York, this housing complex of three separate apartment buildings will total 30,000 square feet of both affordable and market-rate housing, with a market cafe and gardens for residents.