Architecture Research Office
Architecture and PlanningNew York, United States11-50 Employees
ARO is a New York City architecture and planning firm led by Stephen Cassell, Kim Yao, and Adam Yarinsky. The practice functions as a diverse collective that emphasizes collaboration and accountability to social and environmental responsibility, and it has earned honors including the 2020 AIA Architecture Firm Award, the AIA New York State Firm of the Year, and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. Its work fuses beauty with strategic intelligence to design spaces that inspire users, advance institutional missions, and promote equity and resilience. Based in Brooklyn, New York, the firm has engaged in collaborative initiatives such as participating in the 2021 Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop with Heintges Consulting and TriPyramid Structures to explore terra cotta exterior envelope applications for large-scale facades. A 2024 publication, Architecture. Research. Office., documents ARO's diverse body of work, ethos, and the people behind its projects.