Profile
David Leven is a partner at LEVENBETTS, an award winning New York City based architecture practice, and a tenured Associate Professor at Parsons School of Constructed Environments. David holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University, a Master of Architecture degree from Yale University and attended the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies.
David’s professional practice, LEVENBETTS, was founded with Stella Betts in 1997 and focuses on projects at all scales of urban design, public buildings, houses and housing, workspaces, exhibitions and furniture. The office employs investigation based in art practices and visual culture, interrogation of spatial, programmatic and site givens and a deep knowledge of building systems to make architecture. LEVENBETTS has won several NYC AIA awards (2020, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2008, 2005, 2004, 2003), New York State AIA Awards (2023, 2015) including the NY State 2020 Firm of the Year Award, a Chicago Athenaeum Award (2015), the Architectural League’s Young Architects Forum and Emerging Voices Awards (2009), Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard (2007) award, I.D. Annual Design Review Award (2004). The work of the office has been exhibited at Parsons, University of Texas at Austin, the Aedes Foundation in Berlin, the Center for Architecture in New York among other locales. The work of LEVENBETTS has been published in design magazines and and other design based publications. Princeton Architectural Press published a monograph on the firm’s work in 2008, called Pattern Recognition and ORO Editions published a monograph on the house designs of the firm in 2021 called Thirteen Ways of Looking at a House.
David has lectured widely and has an been an invited juror and lecturer at such schools as Columbia, Yale, Princeton, Harvard and University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, University of Illinois Urbana – Champagne, University of Nebraska, Southern California Institute of Architecture, Hong Kong University and School of Architecture at the University of Limerick; and at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, AK, the Center for Architecture in New York, the Chengdu Arts and Design Biennial – Get it Louder - in Chengdu China.
David has served on advisory panels at the Architectural League of New York, the New School, the Forum for Urban Design, the Van Alen Institute, the New York City Housing Authority Design Excellence program and Civic Consulting USA and holds architectural registration in New York and New Jersey.
Degrees Held
Yale University School of Architecture, New Haven, CT, Master of Architecture, 1991Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, New York, NY, 1984-1985
Colgate University, Hamilton NY, Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art, 1986
Professional Affiliation
Professional Registration: New York, New Jersey
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
Executive Board Member: New York Chapter AIA 2019 - 2021
Recent Publications
Betts, Stella and Leven, David. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a House. LEVENBETTS with Thomas de Monchaux, San Francisco: Oro Editions, 2023.
Performances and Appearances
Virginia Tech University, School of Architecture, "Adaptation", Blacksburg, VA, 2023
Architectural Record Innovation Conference, "Adapting Free Libraries, New York, NY 2023
University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning Lecture, “Adaptation”, Albuquerque, NM, 2023
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute I Architecture Lecture: “Adaptation”, Troy, NY, 2023
Colgate University Department of Art Lecture, “Best Practices”, Hamilton, NY 2022
Fay Jones School of Architecture Lecture, “Genius Loci”, Fayetteville, AR 2022
Parsons School of Design Book Launch Lecture “13 Ways of Looking at a House”, New York, NY, 2022
Penn State College of Arts and Architecture Lecture, “Live and Learn”, State College, PA, 2021
University of Virginia Lecture “13 Ways of Looking at a House”, Charlottesville, VA, 2021
Knowlton School of Architecture at Ohio State Lecture: Baumer Conversations, “Thirteen Ways”, Columbus, OH, 2021
Yale University School of Architecture Lecture, “Thirteen Ways”, New Haven, CT, 2020
T- Space, “Thirteen Ways”, Rhinebeck, New York, 2020
Cooper Union Lecture, “Recent Work”, New York, NY, 2019
Washington University Lecture “Open to Interpretation”, St Louis, MO, 2019
University of Virginia Lecture “Open to Interpretation”, Charlottesville, VA, 2019
Colorado AIA Convention Keynote Lecture, Keystone, CO, 2018
University of Colorado Denver School of Architecture Lecture, Denver CO, 2018
Oberfield Lecture, Center for Architecture, New York, NY 2018
Crystal Bridges Museum “Art + Architecture”, Bentonville, AR, 2016
AIA Interiors Speed Presentation “Brooklyn Heighs Interim Library”, Center for Architecture, New York, NY, 2016
AIA Interiors Speed Presentation “Cornell University Sibley Hall”, Center for Architecture, New York, NY, 2015
Edythe and Eli Broad Museum “HELIOcity: A Solar Code for a Northern City”, East Lansing, MI, 2015
Edythe and Eli Broad Museum “Urban Building, Building Urban”, East Lansing, MI, 2014
Asociation of Children’s Museum Interactivity Conference “CM2.0 Energy + Experience” Presentation, Pittsburgh, PA, 2013
Noguchi Museum, sponsored by the Architecture League of New York “Civic Action” Charrette to envision holistic futures for Long
Island City, Queens, NY, 2012
Association of Children’s Museums Co-leadership of Workshop on Reimagining the Children’s Museum with Board of Directors of ACM,
Washington, DC, 2012
Architectural League, Alberto Kalach Panel Discussion, 2012
Association of Children’s Museums “Interactivity”, participation in preconference workshops, Portland, OR, 2012
New York Institute of Technology School of Architecture Lecture “Urban Building, Building Urban”, Manhattan Campus, New York, NY, 2012
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, School of Architecture, Hyde Lecture Series, “Urban Building, Building Urban”, Lincoln, NE, 2012
Panel Discussion, Jacques Tati’s “Playtime” Film Screening and discussion of LEVENBETTS’s Chelsea Penthouse, Film Streams, Ruth
Sokolof Theater, Omaha, NE, 2012
Department of Architecture University of Hong Kong Lecture, Knowles Building, “Urban Building, Building Urban”, Hong Kong, China, 2011
Chengdu Biennial of Arts and Design, Lecture/Artist’s Talk, “If You Dig A Hole Deep Enough...” Chendu, China, 2011
Center for Architecture AIA Award Recipient Panel Discussion, 2011
University of Champagne-Urbana, “Recent Work”, Champagne-Urbana, IL, 2010
New Jersey Institute of Technology “Six One Half Dozen the Other”, Jersey City, NJ, 2010
Pecha Kucha Benefit for Haiti “Half Full / Half Empty”, Cooper Union, New York, NY, 2010
Architectural League Governor’s Island Guest Artists, New York, NY, 2010
Savannah College of Art and Design “Six One Half Dozen the Other”, Savannah, GA, 2009
Architectural League of New York, Emerging Voices Award Lecture “Six One Half Dozen the Other”, New York, NY 2009
Center for Architecture “Stockholm”, AIA Award Winners Presentation, New York, NY, 2008
Lecture to San Juan Chapter of the American Institute of Architects “Recent Work”, 2008
Syracuse University School of Architecture “Pattern Recognition”, Syracuse, NY, 2007
University of Kansas School of Architecture “Recent Work”, Lawrence, KS Recent Work, 2006
University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture “Line Weights” Austin, TX, 2006
Parsons The New School For Design “SiteLines” New York, NY, 2006
City College of New York “Recent Work”, New York, NY, 2006
AIAS Emerging Lecture, Pratt School of Design, 2005
Architectural League of New York “Recent Work”, New York, NY, 2004
MacDowell Colony; Annual Board of Directors Meeting“Recent Work”, Peterborough, NH, 2004
Architectural League of New York“Recent Work”, 2003
Boston Architectural Center “Recent Work”, Boston, MA, 2003
Colgate University“Recent Work”, Hamilton, NY, 2003
Research Interests
Public Architecture, Library Architecture, Architecture of the House, Regenerative Technologies
Awards And Honors
Architects Newspaper, Best in Category Award, East Flatbush Library, 2023
AIA New York State Design Award: Brooklyn Public Library East Flatbush Branch, 2023
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) National Award: Brooklyn Public Library East Flatbush Branch, 2023
AIA New York State Firm of the Year, 2020
NYC Public Design Commission Annual Award for Excellence in Design: Red Hook Library, 2020
Architectural Record: Women in Architecture, New Generation Leader: Stella Betts, 2020
AIA New York Chapter Design Honor Award: Zoid, 2020
Architizer A+ Honor Award: Zoid, 2019
AIA New York Chapter Design Honor Award: Square House, 2018
AIA New York Chapter Design Merit Award: Cornell University Rhodes Hall, 2018
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Chapter Award Of Excellence: Open House, 2018
AIA New York Chapter Design Merit Award: Brooklyn Heights Interim Library, 2017
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Chapter Award Of Excellence: Brooklyn Heights Interim Library, 2017
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Chapter Award Of Excellence: Square House, 2017
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Chapter Award Of Excellence: Downtown Loft, 2017
Chicago Athenaeum Award: Square House, 2017
Architizer A+ Merit Award: Brooklyn Heights Interim Library, 2017
Architizer A+ Merit Award: 36SML House, 2016
Azure Merit Award: “Not To Scale”, 2016
AIA New York State Design Citation Award: 36SML House, 2015
AIA New York State Design Citation Award: Princeton House, 2015
AIA New York Chapter Design Merit Award: Cornell University Sibley Hall, 2015
Chicago Athenaeum Award: Cornell University Sibley Hall, 2015
Architecture Podium International Award: 36SML Beach House, 2015
Architecture Podium International Award: Cornell University Sibley Hall, 2015
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Chapter Award Of Excellence: Princeton House, 2015
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Chapter Award Of Honor: HELIOcity, 2015
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Chapter Award Of Honor: Cornell University Sibley Hall, 2015
Azure Merit Award: Cornell University Sibley Hall, 2015
AIA New York Chapter Design Merit Award: “Jack” Publication, 2012
AIA New York Chapter Design Honor Award: PhX caseXcase Housing, 2011
Emerging Voices Architectural League of New York, 2009
AIA New York Chapter Design Merit Award: Stockholm Public Library, 2008
Magok Waterfront International Competition, South Korea: Third Prize, 2008
Architype Notable Projects Award: Chicago Filter Parking, 2008
New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Grant, 2008
Architectural Record Design Vanguard, 2007
Architype Notable Projects Award: Mixed Greens Gallery, 2007
IES New York Lumen Merit Award: Mixed Greens Gallery, 2006
AIA New York Chapter Design Merit Award: Mixed Greens Gallery, 2005
AIA New York Chapter Design Honor Award: Greenwich Street Apartments, 2004
I.D. Annual Design Review Design Distinction: Chicago Filter Parking, 2004
MacDowell Colony Fellows Artists in Residence, 2004
Metropolis Next Generation Prize Runner-up: Chicago Filter Parking, 2004
AIA New York Chapter Design Honor Award: Chicago Filter Parking, 2003
Chicago Prize Competition First Prize: Chicago Filter Parking, 2003
Architectural League of New York: Young Architects Forum, 2003
AD House Competition: Third Prize, 2002
Architectural Record / Business Week Competition Finalist: EMR Systems Printing Plant, 2000
Portfolio
http://www.levenbetts.com/