Ed Kopel, Architect, P.C. is

ATTENTIVE.
EKA listens to clients and works with them to develop a collective vision.

RESPONSIVE.
EKA always returns calls quickly and is always prompt.

TRANSPARENT AND HONEST.
At EKA, all agreements with subs and consultants are "open book." There are never kickbacks or side deals with contractors.

TIMELY.
EKA gets work done on time and never holds jobs up. EKA is willing to do whatever is needed to complete the job. That may include pricing, product sourcing, assisting with loan documents and grant applications, and interfacing with attorneys.

EXCELLENT AT GETTING JOBS APPROVED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

BUDGET CONSCIOUS.
Using a bid database from prior jobs, EKA prepares detailed budgets, and sticks to them.

About Ed Kopel

My eyes have always been a tool that bring me pleasure. I like to look and dream and think. Perhaps that is what my mother noticed. Or perhaps she had her own vision of what I should become and was pushing me in that direction. Or maybe, because she was a single mother with no affinity for athletics, we just spent a bunch of time visiting museums. I enrolled in an art class. My fourth-grade teacher, who tracked me into an experimental gifted and talented program, guided me to an after-school art program. In 1979, at age 12, my mother took me to the Art of the Twenties exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. I was entranced by the theme of geometry at the service of humanity. I liked the artwork and photography – Clay, Brancusi, Steichen - but I fell in love with the chairs by Rietveld, Breuer, Mies, and LeCorbusier. Shortly after seeing the show I went to Buck’s Rock Camp and built my first chair. The following summer, I built another chair though, for several reasons, I always considered it less successful. During high school, I took a Saturday figure drawing class. I started looking at architecture books and periodicals, such as Architectural Record and the late, great Progressive Architecture at the Brutalist stone and concrete Great Neck library. 

I liked architecture but I was not sure about becoming an architect. There seemed to be so much out there to explore and I had heard that architecture was a tough profession. My mother guided me to a liberal arts school and I ended up at Columbia primarily because they had a humanities-based undergraduate major in architecture. Columbia, for me at that time, was not the right school – too big, too unfriendly, no fine arts. As a sophomore I was allowed to take architectural history and a class in fundamentals of design, and while it took effort, it was, in a sense, a reprieve because I enjoyed it - I seemed to know what to do. Soon I was back looking at periodicals in Avery Architectural Library. I majored in architecture and when senior year rolled around, I applied to graduate programs and chose Yale.

In my practice I like to help people solve problems. I strive to make beautiful, timeless spaces that flow, maximize light, and evoke a sense of ease. I am known for my responsiveness, reliability, and trustworthiness. I work on behalf of my clients to create value. I insulate my clients from aggressive contractors and change orders. I deliver projects promptly and never hold them up. 

Outside of work I like to spend time with my wife and daughter. I like to stroll the neighborhood. I like to see art. I like to look.

Blog

You can read more about Ed’s work on his blog, linked here.