Queenie Tong, RA, NCARB
Residential architect and founder, Tong Dong Architects
I design homes around the people who live in them: their routines, priorities, and ideas about what home should feel like. My approach brings together residential design, healthy-home considerations, and clear guidance through the decisions a renovation requires.
Based in Queens, I work with New York City homeowners on apartment, co-op and condo renovations and townhouse renovations.
Credentials:
Registered Architect, New York State. NCARB certified.
Master of Architecture, Columbia University.
Founder of Tong Dong Architects, 2021.
Queenie Tong, RA, NCARB
Experience that connects design with construction
I earned my Master of Architecture at Columbia University and bring more than 21 years of architectural experience across residential, educational, hospitality, and workplace projects, with 18 years specialize in residential. My background includes work at SOM, OMA, Gensler, and Ogawa Depardon Architects. It shaped how I design: with attention to the overall vision, the technical details, and the coordination that brings them together.
For the Techbuilt House and the Upper West Side Townhouse, completed while at Ogawa Depardon Architects, I was project architect and project manager. I was the primary client and contractor contact and attended site meetings throughout construction, with support from the firm's leadership during construction administration.
Since founding TDA, my projects have included co-op apartments and a house addition in Queens. That experience informs how I guide homeowners today, connecting design intentions with the questions and decisions that arise as a project develops.
Why I founded Tong Dong Architects
I founded Tong Dong Architects in Queens in 2021 to bring my experience into a more personal residential practice. I wanted to work closely with homeowners and understand the details that make a home meaningful: where morning light is welcome, why a room goes unused, how a kitchen supports family meals, and where someone can find quiet at the end of the day. Those conversations give decisions about layout, materials, and building systems a clear purpose.
A mother's perspective on home
Being a mother has sharpened my attention to the everyday demands we place on our homes: children playing on the floor, busy mornings, family meals, and the need for quiet at bedtime. I bring that perspective into conversations about layout, materials, storage, and comfort. I ask what is difficult now, what would make daily life easier, and how the home might need to adapt as your family grows.
Healthy-home priorities, considered together
I consider air, moisture, light, temperature, acoustics, and materials as connected parts of a home's design. That means asking how a room will feel throughout the day, how ventilation can work within the building, and whether materials suit their location, installation, and maintenance. The right choices depend on your home, your scope, your budget, and your priorities. My role is to bring these questions into the design conversation early and help coordinate the decisions that follow.
Links: Explore the Healthy Home Guide and wellness-focused renovations
Movement, rhythm, and design
My background in dance influences how I understand space. I pay attention to the sequence of moving through a home: arriving, gathering, preparing meals, and finding a place to retreat. That awareness informs circulation, proportion, and the relationship between rooms.
Clear guidance through the process
A renovation brings unfamiliar decisions about design, cost, timing, and building requirements. I help you understand the options, tradeoffs, and questions that need attention as your project develops. We discuss priorities and constraints early, then work through decisions in a structured sequence. Your proposal defines my services and involvement, so you know what support to expect.
Links: See how the process works and what's included in our services