James and Darren share a deep appreciation for building and for the Hudson Valley. When they founded The Art of Building, they sought to establish a practice rooted in a strong sense of place and an engaged relationship with the people who inhabit it. Influenced by the region’s vernacular architecture —its houses and barns—as well as by the legacy of artists and craftspeople who have long called the Hudson Valley home, their work is informed by a desire to participate in this tradition and to contribute meaningfully to an ongoing regional dialogue around design and making. At its core, The Art of Building is a practice grounded in individuality: James and Darren work with clients who value homes as personal and considered expressions, developed in close collaboration with the region’s most accomplished artists and craftspeople.

Cooper holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Yale University. In her early career, she refined her design skills at Hart Howerton (New York, New York), working on custom homes throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. There, she developed a design ethos rooted in regional history and context. With projects ranging from coastal shingle-style homes in the Hamptons to modern concrete residences in Barbuda, she gained both technical depth and stylistic range. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute and Yale Women in Architecture. Drawn to the Art of Building by a desire for more locality in her work, Cooper is excited by the intersection of design’s theoretical and artistic sides with the practical realities of construction.

Karl’s work is grounded in building science, environmental performance, and a close relationship between design and construction. His experience spans custom residential design, large-scale institutional projects, and high-performance buildings, including Passive House–certified work. With a background that bridges design-build practice, fabrication, and technical leadership, he brings a thoughtful, rigorous approach to creating durable, efficient, and well-crafted buildings.

Karl holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona and began his career at Rob Paulus Architects in Tucson, Arizona, working on modern residential projects that emphasized efficient use of space and careful budget considerations. While at Design Build Collaborative, also in Tucson, he gained hands-on experience in metal detailing, fabrication, and installation for high-end modern homes.

At Svigals + Partners in New Haven, Connecticut, Karl worked on large-scale projects including hospitals, schools—most notably the rebuilt Sandy Hook Elementary School—and mixed-use residential buildings, while also integrating art and sculpture into design. During his many years at River Architects in Cold Spring, New York, he developed deep expertise in net-zero and energy-efficient design, including certified Passive House projects, and advanced his understanding of building science.

Among his many projects, Karl led the design and construction of Seminary Hill Cidery, the world’s first Passive House–certified cidery. The project received the Metropolis Planet Positive Regional Award and the PHIUS Passive Projects Design Competition Award.

Karl has presented at regional and national conferences and is actively involved in the Passive House community. He currently serves as Vice President of PHIUS Alliance New York. He was drawn to The Art of Building for its commitment to the design-build model and values the way close engagement with construction informs and strengthens architectural work.

A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Natalka began her professional career in New York City, working in advertising and editorial as a stylist and art director. As a freelancer, she collaborated on a wide range of projects, during which time she developed a growing interest in health, healing, and the underlying qualities that give spaces and objects meaning beyond aesthetics. This curiosity led her to explore what makes environments feel resonant, life-affirming, and enduring.

She later shifted her focus, leaving Manhattan for Northern California, where she immersed herself in the natural world. During this time, she studied botany, native plants, sustainable gardening, permaculture, herbal medicine, and wildcrafting, while deepening her understanding of site-based design and the relationship between landscape and place.

In 2005, she returned to the East Coast and settled in the Hudson Valley. After spending time training in a Zen monastery, she transitioned into landscape design and gardening as a professional practice.

Natalka has worked with Art of Building since its early years, initially contributing through project staging and landscape detailing. She now collaborates closely with the architects to integrate the natural surroundings of each project with the architecture itself, extending the design beyond the building envelope. Her work emphasizes a thoughtful dialogue between interior and exterior spaces, with a focus on ecological sensitivity and long-term stewardship of the land … always while planting as many trees as she can.

Born and raised in New York, William played in his father’s woodshop as a child. By age 15, he began turning his love of the craft into a profession. After attending the Maryland Institute of College of Art, William continued his building career in Los Angeles on film and television sets before going on to establish his own residential design-build company in the early 2000s. Throughout his 35 years of being a professional builder, he’s crafted custom homes and remodels in the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest, and the Northeast, partnering with award-winning architects and designers. Recently he was the lead builder of the first two prescriptive-path certified passive homes in the country. His commitment and respect to building and tradespeople has been lifelong. He lives along the Hudson River with his family and two dogs. For over twenty years in his spare time he’s also built a couple of vintage reggae radio shows.