Charlene Chai, AIA

Since joining COOKFOX in 2020, Charlene has played a key role in several projects that are case studies in sustainable design, including 555 Greenwich Street—an all-electric commercial building in Manhattan—and the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music in West Long Branch, New Jersey. For the past two and a half years, Charlene has served as Project Architect for the interiors of the Springsteen Center, overseeing the design and documentation of the building’s interior spaces, including its 250-seat auditorium housed inside the mass timber structure. 

Prior to COOKFOX, Charlene worked at Davis Brody Bond, where she worked on the Richard Gilder Center for the American Museum of Natural History, and Sage and Coombe Architects, where she worked on dozens of parks projects throughout New York City. Before earning her Masters in Architecture at Harvard University, Charlene worked at Toshiko Mori Architect. 

Charlene brings a deep commitment to sustainable and healthy materials, which led her to help launch COOKFOX’s Material Action Plan, a holistic approach to specifying better materials for people and the planet. She is motivated by material research, aesthetically beautiful detailing, and mission-driven public work. Outside of the studio, Charlene is deeply involved with the Brooklyn Public Library, where for the past five years she has taught English as a Second Language to adult students from around the world.