T
he New York headquarters of residential development company Ray is a testament to good taste, located on the 25th floor of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's iconic Seagram Building at 375 Park Avenue. Designed by creative director Suzanne Demisch, the office exudes corporate modernism with bookmatched rosewood walls, Florence Knoll sofas, and pale gold carpeting. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a breathtaking panorama of Manhattan, while artwork by Taryn Simon and Jonas Wood adds to the space's inspiring atmosphere.

    Ray is redefining residential high-rises across the US with projects that reflect its HQ's sensibility: rich materials, vintage furniture, and contemporary art. But beyond building skyscrapers, Ray aims to nurture artistically-minded communities within them, establishing creative hubs for residents and the city as a whole. "We believe that an intimate shared experience of art, design, and architecture has the power to positively impact people's lives," says Demisch.

    Ray's projects include mixed-use rental buildings with apartments on upper floors and cultural programming at street level. This approach is a departure from the typical condominiums in the residential real estate landscape, where aesthetics are often sacrificed for cost savings. Ray's focus on design makes its projects more civic-minded, attracting collaborators like Johnston Marklee, who see multi-family rental housing as crucial to making cities more livable.

    Ray Philly, the first completed project, demonstrates this approach by engaging with its Philadelphia neighborhood through a façade of hand-split brick and a co-working lounge, artist studios, and retail space. The building feels at home in the area, even though it only opened in 2023. Demisch hopes that Ray's approach will inspire other developers to prioritize visual culture as a cornerstone of development practices.

    Ray's upcoming projects, including Ray Harlem, Ray Phoenix, and Ray Nashville, will continue this neighborhood-specific approach, incorporating local materials and programming to create unique and architecturally significant buildings. With its focus on design and community engagement, Ray is redefining the way we think about residential development and its impact on urban spaces.