UNIQUE MODERN ARCHITECTURE for WELL CONSCIOUS FAMILIES in NEW YORK

Sustainable kitchen renovation in Tuxedo Park featuring a waterfall edge island and smart layout for cross-ventilation.

Techbuilt house interior - Kitchen and waterfall edge kitchen island allowing cross ventilation

About

TDA

Tong Dong Architects is a Queens, New York architecture studio serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and most of Westchester focused on sustainable residential design and wellness-first home renovations. We help families with young children and wellness-minded homeowners transform tight urban spaces into light-filled, healthy homes that work for real life. Our approach is calm, clear, and practical, built for people who want thoughtful design without getting lost in jargon or drawn-out decision spirals.

Founded in 2021 by Queenie Tong, in the middle of the global pandemic, our studio began with a simple belief: your home should actively support your health. That means we pay attention to what you breathe, touch, and live with every day. We design for daylight and airflow, durable low-maintenance finishes, and layouts that reduce stress, improve routines, and make it easier to live well at home. For many clients, this is not about chasing trends. It’s about building a safer, more comfortable environment for the people they love most.

Our work is especially suited to NYC and other dense cities, where square footage is tight and constraints are real. We’re known for turning challenging sites and existing apartments into spaces that feel open and bright through smart planning, simplified circulation, and intentional choices that balance beauty, function, and budget. You get a clear process, honest guidance, and design decisions that hold up over time.

If you’re ready to renovate your apartment, townhouse, or family home with a wellness transformation in mind, start by contacting us through tongdong-arch.com with your location, timeline, and what you want to change. We’ll tell you the best next step and what to prepare for an initial consultation.

Portfolio

Projects

Sustainable residential design NYC featuring solar tubes for natural light.

Clients

How to Choose the Best Non-Toxic Materials for a Kid-Safe NYC Apartment Renovation

When you start dreaming about your NYC apartment renovation, your mind probably goes straight to the "visible" things. You might be scrolling through Pinterest looking at marble countertops, brass hardware, or that perfect shade of sage green for the nursery. But as an NYC residential architect who focuses on wellness, I’ve learned that the most important part of a home isn’t actually what you see: it’s what you breathe. If you’re a parent in this city, you already know that

The ROI of Wellness: Why "Units that Breathe" are the Future of NYC Development

For a long time in NYC development, "wellness" was treated like a luxury garnish. It was the yoga room in the basement that no one used, or the juice bar in the lobby that closed after six months. As an architect working in the trenches of this city, I’ve seen the shift happen in real-time. Wellness is no longer an amenity; it’s a fundamental structural requirement for high-performing assets. I often tell my developer clients that if you want to future-proof your building, yo

Maximizing Natural Light in Dark NYC Townhouses: 5 Design Hacks

There is a specific kind of magic in a New York City townhouse: the history in the floorboards, the stoop where stories are shared, and the classic silhouette that defines our streets. But let’s be honest: many of these historic gems can feel a little like a very expensive, very beautiful cave. Because townhouses are often narrow and sandwiched between neighbors, natural light usually only enters from the front and back. The middle of the home? It often stays in the shadows.

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Start your NYC renovation with calm clarity.

Get the free Calm Renovation Starter Kit for Families, a 10-minute planning kit that helps you avoid the most common early mistakes before you hire, budget, or start paperwork.

Built for NYC families renovating a co-op, condo, or townhouse.

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New York City Calm Renovation Starter kit pages by TONG DONG ARCHITECTS.