MSTMA is a New York City based design practice established in 2019 by Talene Montgomery and Michael Schissel. Our expertise ranges from buildings to interiors to objects, and we have special knowledge and interest in working with existing buildings, both through preservation and adaptive reuse.
Since establishing MSTMA, our central priority has been to extend the life of the built environment by creating adaptable, dynamic spaces. In our design process, we negotiate specific project requirements with sensitivity while also making decisions to ensure that a space will endure through time.
We work across the United States and offer architectural design, preservation design, adaptive reuse, industrial design, and interior design services.
MSTMA understands design holistically and embraces its human dimensions in concert with its ecological implications. Both Talene and Michael are certified in Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building by the Parsons Healthy Materials Lab, and MSTMA places particular emphasis on building in a way that support the health of a building’s inhabitants as well as that of its immediate context and extended environment.
MSTMA is a signatory of US Architects Declare, an organization dedicated to achieving climate justice, social equity, ecosystem health, and the preservation and enhancement of biodiversity. From 2014 to 2022, Michael and Talene, along with Maya Porath, hosted Parlor Talks, a space for informal, multidisciplinary dialogue about public space.
Talene Montgomery is a licensed architect in New York. Before starting the office, Talene worked at architecture offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Istanbul, including SAS/ Solomonoff Architecture Studio, where she led projects ranging from Russ & Daughters at the Jewish Museum to exhibitions and apartment renovations, and nARCHITECTS, where she led concept design for the adaptive reuse of a historic grain elevator in Buffalo and the renovation of a residence hall at Fordham University. Talene has taught interior design studios at Pratt Institute and has taught architecture studios with
Galia Solomonoff at Columbia GSAPP.
Education
Master of Architecture &
Master of Science in Historic Preservation,
Columbia University GSAPP
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture,
University of California, Berkeley
Education
Master of Architecture &
Master of Science in Historic Preservation,
Columbia University GSAPP
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture,
University of California, Berkeley
Michael Schissel is a licensed architect in New York and New Mexico. Before starting the office, Michael was an Associate at LTL Architects, where he led a number of projects including Poster House museum and the Lecture Hall at Columbia University’s School of Journalism. He
previously trained at Antoine Predock’s office in Albuquerque, NM, contributing to multiple projects including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the College for Journalism in Education City, Doha, and the design competition for The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. Michael currently teaches architecture studios at Barnard and Columbia College.
Education
Master of Architecture,
Columbia University GSAPP
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture,
University of New Mexico
Education
Master of Architecture,
Columbia University GSAPP
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture,
University of New Mexico