T-burg architects modernize the Finger Lakes

Over the past decade and a half, the Finger Lakes region has started boasting structures that quietly appear and immediately catch the eye. Chances are if you’ve been in the region for any amount of time, you’ve come across one of them. They are mysterious in their arrival and with little fanfare or acknowledgment as to the creators, and you have likely been transfixed by their sudden, stunning existence.

Entering its 15th year, Studio Ferrari Architecture in Trumansburg continues to design and build modern structures like these in a modest manner.

Owners Mark and Jonathan Ferrari shared a bedroom growing up. Being only two years apart in age and being in close quarters fostered not only unique and creative communication patterns between the siblings but also a love of drawing, design and architecture.

“Sharing a bedroom meant that we ended up spending a lot of time together,” Jonathan said. “We developed a way of communication between us that just flowed back and forth. Mark has always been the dreamer, and I’ve always been more practical. When he starts getting way out there, I would rein him in, and he would listen to my ideas and expand on them.”

Unlike your stereotypical architects, Jonathan and Mark also own Ferrari and Ferrari Construction, which is also entering its 15th year.

“We are a little different,” Jonathan said. “Most architects primarily do design only. We are licensed in construction as well and actually strap on tool belts and are hands on, physically working on projects. We have a staff, of course, but we build along with them as well.”

Both brothers knew at an early age that they were fascinated by architecture.

“I remember knowing at the age of 14 that I wanted to be an architect,” Mark said. “I knew for the rest of my life [I] was going to be an architect.”

The brothers’ paternal grandfather was a mason who helped build the library at Wells College in Aurora.

“I think that library is one of the most beautiful buildings ever,” Mark said. “I was fascinated from the beginning with masonry and the work my grandfather did.”

The brothers’ maternal grandfather was a shoe designer who created high-end and intricate shoes and designs to sell.

“When I was a kid, I remember seeing my grandfather’s designs and being mesmerized with the detail and intricacies involved in them,” Johnathan said. “It sparked my interest in design and patterns.”

With Mark officially deciding at the age of 14 that he was going to become a licensed architect and Jonathan making the same decision at the age of 22, the brothers coincidentally ended up attending and getting their masters at the University of Oregon at the same time.

“It was really just a serendipitous merging of paths that led to us studying at the same time,” Mark recalled.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, Jonathan was an adjunct assistant professor at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University as well as a visiting professor at the Cornell University College of Architecture, Art and Planning.

While in the Peace Corps in his early twenties, Jonathan ended up in Chile.

“I started noticing the structures in Chile more and more as my time went on there,” Jonathan said. “The architecture of buildings that were hundreds of years old started to become very interesting to me. It showed that a great deal of architecture in the United States could be considered in its infancy in design. It was in Chile that I made the decision to become an architect for the rest of my life.”

Jonathan explained that Chilean houses and buildings are adjusted to suit the natural conditions. In the dry north, materials such as stones, earth and straw are usually used, and the central areas are mainly clay and straw. In the rainy south, tiles and wood are used.

“Our projects are designed to fit and work within the location they are being built,” Mark said.

The Cayuga Lake House, which was completed in 2020 by Studio Ferrari, is a prime example of this practice. Having extreme and erratic weather conditions and breathtaking views at the building site shaped their vision. The project was designed with veneration to its specific location.

Poised on a cliff on the west shore of Cayuga Lake, the 1,000-square-foot structure protects itself from falling rocks on one side and opens up completely to the lake’s horizon on the other. The design captures light and balances brightness with uninterrupted views of the lake throughout.

“We use environmentally responsible and primarily local stone, tile and wood as much as possible,” Jonathan said. “We have an integrated building process that’s context specific and environmentally ethical. The design factors in sustainability and durability.”

Very much like the minimalism represented in their stunning collection of work, the business and promotion of it mirrors the same theme.

“We are very modest, very low-key,” Jonathan explained. “We’ve never advertised. All of our projects have been pretty much word of mouth.”

Entering their 15th year, Studio Ferrari Architecture shows no sign of slowing down. Despite already boasting many completed awe-inspiring structures, the architecture firm has more eclectic, intriguing and breathtaking projects started in the new year.

“For us, it’s all about jumping into the next creative endeavor,” Mark concluded. “Sure, we’re proud of our work and enjoy our completed projects. We’ve taken things from each project that we love and worked well to adapt and apply to new ones. But for us, it’s really about the next experience. It’s not just about the money or the completion. Once we’re done with one project, we are excited to move on in the creative process of starting the next one.”

Information on the studio can be found at studioferrariarchitecture.com.

Trumansburg Connection appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.