Meet the Team

We’ve been creating beautiful environments for almost thirty years. Our clients are demanding in terms of the visual quality of our work, craftsmanship of execution, practicality, and value.

We work exclusively for individual owners and for private social organizations. We’ve built fantastic homes throughout New York City, its tri-state suburbs, New England, Florida, and as far away as Brazil. Our work for private city and country clubs is likewise found across the country, in both cities and suburbs. We have a special sensitivity and love for historic buildings.

The firm is headed by its founder Kevin Lichten who in turn relies on the talents of his two partners Marita Alfonso and Andrew Friedman. A staff of talented architects, designers and administrators rounds out our hands-on office.

  • My passion is to create beauty in everyday life. For clients that means anything and everything from the perfect front door knob to an extraordinary site plan. Beauty can transform everyday life and has transcending value. This keeps me going to the office every morning. I’ve been doing this for years and I constantly see new things that I love and want to bring to my work.

    Working with others, my amazing partners, staff, and clients brings personal and professional satisfaction. We work in people’s homes and clubs. We have to be driven to listen to them and understand them. We thrive on the interaction with our clients.

    I came to this profession through the visual world. I was an art history major at Brown and then studied architecture at Yale. After working in London and New York in some fabulous firms I started this office in 1991. Along the years, I have taught at Columbia and Yale, am in senior governance at the Yale Club of New York City and serve as vice chairman of the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation. These activities feed me and guide my work.

    With what spare time I have I bike the roads of New York State, ski where I can find snow, and sail the waters off Cape Cod, all with family and friends.

  • Margaretta Alfonso joined Lichten Architects in 1997 and leads the firm's residential architectural work in New York. Versatile in the language of style, Marita develops an identity and character for each project that is appropriate, inventive and unique. Her work ranges from the award-winning restoration of a modern townhouse to a palazzo-style duplex to a rustic beachfront cottage. Marita's hallmark is discovering new materials and details as she develops her projects.

    Prior to joining the firm, Marita was a project architect at Abelow Connors Sherman Architects, where she worked on residential and commercial projects such as the Balysmeyer & Everett film editing studios and the British Airways Offices at Dulles Airport. Subsequent to this, Marita developed commercial and retail designs for the Isaac Mizrahi Showroom and the New York Magazine offices at Anderson Schwartz Architects. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University and her Master of Architecture degree from Parsons School of Design.

  • Lucas Evans is an architectural designer at Lichten Architects, where he has been working on high-end residential projects since joining the firm in 2020. His work includes Manhattan condominium remodels and custom house renovations, all approached with careful attention to detail, functionality, and aesthetics. 

    Growing up with two artists as parents, Lucas was immersed in the art world from an early age, which shaped his creative perspective. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Digital Media from Marist University, where he discovered a passion for architecture. This led him to pursue a Master of Architecture degree at Pratt Institute, where he graduated in 2020. Now, he combines his artistic perspectives with his passion for architecture to create thoughtful homes that meet the unique goals of his clients. 

  • Having completed custom homes throughout the country and abroad, Andrew came to Lichten Architects in 2010 with over 30 years of experience in well-crafted, high quality residential design and project management. 

    He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Prior to co-founding the Studio for Civil Architecture in 2002, Andrew worked for two decades on many architecturally significant buildings while at The Office of Thierry Despont, Eric Smith Architects in collaboration with David Easton, and Ferguson Shamamian & Rattner. 

    He is a recipient of Progressive Architecture's Young Architects Award and his work has been featured in The Education of an Architect, Progressive Architecture, L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui, Town & Country, W, Robb Report Luxury Home, M, and the New York Times.

  • Shane Reidy has been a member of the Lichten Architects staff for over 10 years. He has headed projects of complex program and technical sophistication including large private residences, several private club renovations and new construction, and institutional buildings. One of his strengths is the client – architect relationship and building strong communication with his clients. He has had repeat clients who request that he head up their projects. Reidy is a graduate of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo of the State University of New York.

  • Nairi joined Lichten Architects in 2021 as an architectural designer with a strong foundation in design, innovation, and technology. She received her Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture degrees from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, equipping her with both artistic and technical skills.

    Nairi’s expertise in digital visualization allows her to bring projects to life through 3D modeling and rendering. These are her tools for creating compelling representations of architectural concepts. Additionally, her involvement in marketing helps the firm communicate its vision, showcase its portfolio, and engage with clients effectively.