The gals behind Rizzolo Brown + Novak Architects may have started their company in the current economy, but they see the situation as an opportunity to prove their mettle.

Celeste Allen Novak and Connie Rizzolo Brown fouded their downtown Ann Arbor-based firm last year by focusing on design that incorporates things as eclectic as art and as essential as sustainability. They now have one more employee/intern and two consultants as they continue to take on more work.

"I think things are challenging but exciting," Rizzolo Brown says. "It breeds a new way of looking at design and energy issues and containing costs."

Rizzolo Brown + Novak Architects are doing that kind of work for Ann Arbor-based Motawi Tile, the Ann Arbor Art Center and People's Food Co-op, among others. Their innovative design work includes materials not normally seen in traditional architectural projects (recycled car window glass) but that doesn't mean they don't take on the less glamorous sustainable work, such as renovating fire-damaged apartments or building green homes.

The firm tackles every project with three things in mind: design, energy and sustainability.

"What are the sustainable parameters for working with a client?" Rizzolo Brown says. "How can we push those?"

Both Rizzolo Brown and Novak are members of the American Institute of Architects and LEED certified. They also both teach architecture at Lawrence Technological University.

Source: Celeste Allen Novak and Connie Rizzolo Brown, principals of Rizzolo Brown + Novak Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke