"Sylvia was a pleasure to work with. She had great attention to detail and was clearly quite knowledgeable about the various construction codes we needed to comply with. Best of all, she completed our project ahead of schedule. "
- Midland Park Single Family Renovation
About
Sylvia Wu Architecture and Design is an architectural design practice based in and serving Glen Rock and its neighboring townships. At SWA&D, we believe that exceptional design goes beyond aesthetics—it creates spaces that support health, well-being, and everyday living. We work closely with each client to develop thoughtful, tailored solutions that reflect their unique lifestyle, values, and aspirations. With expertise in healthy and sustainable design, we carefully consider material selection, energy efficiency, and environmental impact to create spaces that are both beautiful and functional. Our approach combines innovation with practicality, delivering enduring design solutions for every project.
Hello.
Sylvia Wu is a licensed architect in New York and New Jersey with 16 years of experience at award-winning architecture firms including Dattner Architects, Pelli Clarke and Partners (Formerly Pelli Clarke Pelli and Associates), and Perkins Eastman. Her portfolio spans luxury hospitality, museums, schools, senior living, and multifamily residential projects, bringing a diverse perspective to every project she designs. She holds a Masters in Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelors of Science in Architecture from SUNY at Buffalo.
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Founded by Sylvia, SWA&D brings that depth of experience to residential design through a thoughtful, collaborative approach. We believe great design is both beautiful and practical, creating spaces that are functional, comfortable, and thoughtfully tailored to the people who live in them.
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As a WELL Accredited Professional, LEED Accredited Professional, and PHIUS Certified Passive House Consultant, Sylvia brings expertise in healthy materials, sustainable design, and building science to every project. We thoughtfully integrate these principles where they provide meaningful value, developing solutions that reflect your priorities, lifestyle, and budget.
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As your architect, SWA&D will listen, guide, and partner with you to create a home that feels welcoming, functional, and uniquely yours. We look forward to meeting you and bringing your vision to life.
What to Expect:
The Design Process
1
Pre-Design
During this phase, we focus on gathering information—about both you and your project. We take the time to understand your lifestyle, goals, priorities, and long-term vision, ensuring the design reflects how you live and what you hope to achieve. You'll meet with the architect and gain an understanding of our collaborative design process. We will also collect available surveys and document the existing conditions of the site to identify opportunities and constraints that will inform the project moving forward.
2
Design
Building on the information gathered during pre-design, we explore design concepts, evaluate zoning and code requirements, and refine the most promising direction into a detailed design. Once the design is finalized, we prepare comprehensive construction documents for permitting and construction.
3
Construction
Once the construction documents are complete and a contractor has been selected, construction begins. Throughout the building process, the architect remains involved to answer questions, clarify the construction documents, address site conditions, and help ensure the project is executed in accordance with the design intent.
Tell Us About Your Project
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Ready to get started? Tell us about your project using the following form and we'll follow up with next steps.