READ began as a response to a simple observation: historic cities are full of extraordinary structures whose potential is often underused or misunderstood. After more than a decade studying and practicing architecture across Paris, Berlin, Shanghai, and New York, Côme Ménage founded the studio in 2017 with the conviction that architecture must honor context while giving it new life.

 

The seed was planted years earlier. Growing up between France and the US, Côme became fascinated by how buildings shape daily life. His education at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris-Val de Seine—embedded within the Beaux-Arts—nurtured a dialogue between architecture and art that still guides the practice. His time at Columbia University strengthened his focus on cities and their evolving ecologies.

 

By the time he launched READ in Brooklyn, the studio’s direction was already clear: revitalizing and reinterpreting existing buildings through thoughtful design, cultural sensitivity, and a precise understanding of materiality and urban dynamics.

 

Today, READ continues to build on that foundation—crafting contemporary interventions that reconnect architecture with its environment, its history, and the people who inhabit it.