Nancy Hou & Josh de Sousa, Founders of Design Studio Hou de Sousa

Meet Nancy Hou and Josh de Sousa, founders of the award-winning architecture and design studio Hou de Sousa. The firm recently installed festive lighting on the Flatiron Public Plazas including the vibrant installation Tulips on the Flatiron South Plaza as well as overhead string lighting on the Flatiron North Plaza.

1. Your firm, Hou de Sousa, recently installed festive lighting to enliven the Flatiron Plazas after sunset. The Flatiron South Plaza, located next to the Flatiron Building, now features what we lovingly refer to as Tulips near the Flatiron Plate kiosk. Tell us more about the concept and inspiration behind the design of Tulips.

When the folks at the Flatiron NoMad Partnership asked us to look into ways of adding lighting to some of the public spaces in the area there were a few practical concerns that guided the design process and ultimately informed the more exuberant details as well. The lighting would have to be located high above the ground, be structurally stable, and somewhat easy to relocate if necessary. The existing planters immediately drew our attention because of their heavy weight and the fact that they’re often repositioned to accommodate the needs of different events and vendors. From there, we wanted the lighting to feel like a surreal extension of these planters, growing out of them, with a pop of color and light shining down on the plaza. Like the Flatiron Building itself, the Tulips also feature a triangular form with soft round corners.

2. The North Plaza, near the Eataly kiosk, also features overhead string lighting designed and installed by your firm. What do you hope the public’s takeaway will be when seeing the new plaza lighting?

The hope is to extend the time folks are able to enjoy at the plaza. The surrounding neighborhood has so much to offer and is one the most beautiful urban settings in the United States, both day and night. In a way, we hope the public doesn’t really notice or focus on the lighting itself, and that it becomes an invisible part of the staging and atmosphere.

3. You’re no stranger to the Flatiron NoMad Partnership as your concept, titled Ziggy, won our 2019 Flatiron Public Plaza Design Competition. Since then, you’ve installed many public art installations here in NYC and elsewhere. Can you share which pieces you’re most proud of along with advice for aspiring architects and designers?

Prismatic and Ziggy were so well received by the public and press that they transformed the nature of our practice. Prior to these projects, we had worked almost exclusively on private architectural and interior design commissions, and since then, our focus has shifted almost entirely to creating public spaces and art. Some favorite recent projects include a pavilion in Arkansas called Bubble, a trio of pieces in Washington DC for the WMATA’s HQ Building, and a collection of canopies, benches, and façade mounted pieces for Adobe’s HQ in San Jose.

Not sure if it’s really advice, but in our case, accepting a new challenge changed everything. Our line of work isn’t something that we planned on pursing or even knew existed. We approached the design of our breakout public art projects in the same way we would have an architectural commission, but there was so much more freedom that we went wild coming up with possibilities and there was certainly a rebellious note as well, given that sought to use materials that were architecturally taboo.

4. Flatiron and NoMad are known for their landmark buildings and welcoming public spaces. Which stands out most to you?

Although Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue South are amazing in their own right, making your way on Broadway between Union Square to Herald Square is hard to beat. The mix of architectural styles, building scales, and small plazas is so charming that you can nearly hear ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ humming from the sidewalk. Besides the iconic Flatiron Building, we love the Arnold Constable Department Store Building (115 Fifth Avenue), the Church of Transfiguration on 29th Street, the 69th Regiment Armory (68 Lexington Avenue), 901 Broadway, The MetLife Tower, OMA’s residential building at 121 East 22nd Street, and of course, Madison Square Park.

5. The HdS office recently relocated to Downtown Brooklyn from Union Square. When you return to Flatiron and NoMad, which favorites or ‘musts’ come to mind?

Luckily we’ve had some of projects that bring us back to the neighborhood, and have enjoyed re-visiting some favorite food spots, including Her Name is Han, Upland, Pippali, and the pizza and seafood restaurants inside Eataly. We could keep going.

6. Finally, choose three words to describe Flatiron and NoMad.

Charming, Energetic, Sophisticated.

Header & Thumbnail Photo Credit: Hou de Sousa
Tulips & String Lighting Photo Credit: Noah Fecks