Randy Wood, AIA
Partner
Randy Wood is a Partner at ESKW/Architects, where he has been part of the practice since 1988.For close to four decades, his career has been defined by the consistent use of architecture as a tool for community service. Focused on addressing systemic challenges facing vulnerable populations, his work advances living standards by targeting interconnected needs, including housing, healthcare, education, and civic infrastructure.
His primary contribution lies in the development of affordable, supportive, senior, and transitional housing, as well as shelters for individuals and families experiencing economic hardship or displacement. Across the projects Randy has led, his approach emphasizes considered design, constructability, durability, and long-term performance, while integrating functional solutions that support not only a client program but residents’ quality of life. Projects such as True Colors West Harlem and True Colors Bronx set a standard and established a replicable model for supportive housing for LGBTQ unhoused youth in New York City. Archer Green demonstrates how large-scale affordable housing can introduce community-building strategies within its dense urban environment. Other key works, including Landy Court, combine affordable and supportive housing within a single integrated building, reinforcing a focus on inclusive residential models.
Recognizing that housing insecurity does not exist in isolation, Randy’s work extends into healthcare and education. Long-term collaborations with organizations such as the Chinatown Health Clinic Foundation, including its Charles B. Wang Community Health Center and Healthview campus, have expanded access to care for underserved communities. Similarly, the New Settlement Community Campus integrates educational and community services within a multi-use civic facility that functions both as a public school and a neighborhood resource.
His cultural and civic work reinforces this integrated approach. Over more than two decades of collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society, including the Bronx Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the New York Aquarium, Randy has helped expand public understanding of animal conservation and access to environmental education through a network of civic facilities. His preservation and adaptive reuse work at the Ernest Flagg Rectory at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, The Emerson and The Old School, as well as his involvement with the St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund and the Neighborhood Preservation Center, further reflect his commitment to community through thoughtful architecture.
Randy’s work, including Inwood Women’s Shelter and Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, has been regularly featured in The New York Times and specialized architectural press. His projects have received recognition from the New York City Public Design Commission, the Preservation League of New York State, the Supportive Housing Network of New York, the New York Housing Conference, Interior Design Magazine’s NYCxDESIGN Awards, AIA New York, AIA New York State, AIA Westchester Hudson Valley, the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Council, the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA), and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).
Randy attended Boston Latin School and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the New York Institute of Technology, where he graduated Cum Laude in 1988. He received the Schiff Community Impact Award from The Jewish Board in 2024, recognizing leadership, service, and community contribution. Randy served as a board member of the St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund from 1999 to 2020 and contributed to the development and design of the Neighborhood Preservation Center.
