Meet Queenie Tong
Thoughtful Architecture for the Way You Live
I’m Queenie Tong, RA, NCARB, founder of 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 to create spaces that feel comfortable, function thoughtfully, and support everyday life.
Queenie Tong, RA, NCARB
Experience That Connects Design With Construction
I earned my Master of Architecture at Columbia University and bring more than 18 years of architectural experience across residential, educational, hospitality, and workplace projects.
My background includes work at SOM, OMA, Gensler, and Ogawa Depardon Architects. These experiences shaped how I approach design: with attention to the overall vision, the technical details, and the coordination needed to bring them together.
For the Techbuilt House and Upper West Side Townhouse projects, completed while at Ogawa Depardon Architects, I served as 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.
That experience informs the way 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 help establish the priorities behind the design. They 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.
Those details help shape a design that feels personal and works beyond the photographs.
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 needs. I also look for opportunities to connect daily life with daylight, views, and outdoor space.
The appropriate choices depend on your existing home, renovation scope, budget, and priorities. My role is to bring these questions into the design conversation early and help coordinate the decisions that follow.
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. I want the design to feel considered in the everyday movements you rarely stop to think about.
Clear Guidance Through the Process
A renovation brings unfamiliar decisions about design, cost, timing, and building requirements.
We
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 throughout the project.