Steve Blatz is a New York-based architect specializing in residential and retail architecture, interior design, product design, and visual branding. Founded in 1994 by Mr. Blatz, a Boston native with over 30 years experience in the design and construction industries, the practice is known for clean, innovative work that reflects the distinctive characteristics unique to each client. Mr. Blatz and his team use texture, natural materials, and sunlight as their tools, imbuing spaces with a warm, contemporary feel. The firm is equally adept at updating a traditional Pre-War apartment, simplifying the layout and adding period details, as it is at transforming an art collector’s loft into a modern, minimal showplace. In the retail sphere, Mr. Blatz has coordinated over 400 projects worldwide. His credits include creating flagship boutiques for Oscar de la Renta and upstart fashion label Tibi, as well as crafting the visual identity for such cosmetic and skincare companies as Lab Series for Men. He also designs custom furniture and lighting. Mr. Blatz formed his firm after a year living in Poland, where he oversaw the construction of the Estee Lauder Companies’ new retail and spa concepts in Eastern Europe. Since 2004, Mr. Blatz has also collaborated with Italian architect and artist, Antonio Pio Saracino on competitions, interior design and conceptual projects such as the Seed House in upstate New York. The pod-shaped residence received an American Architecture Award in 2007 from the Chicago Athenaeum and Museum of Architecture. Work by Steve Blatz Architects has appeared in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, In Style, Wallpaper*, Frame, Interior Design, L’Arca, Ideat, Architectural Digest (France), and Elle Decoration (U.K.), among other publications. The firm’s projects have also been featured in the books 150 Best Lofts and Top Shops 2. Mr. Blatz attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Building Science in 1982 and a Bachelor of Architecture in 1983. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects.