Jeffrey Beers International

Jeffrey Beers is an architect, a designer, and an artist whose distinctive work brings emotion to modernism.  He studied architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design while learning glassblowing from the renowned artist Dale Chihuly.

He was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and traveled to Brazil to study with the legendary Oscar Niemeyer. When he returned to New York he went to work for I.M. Pei. These masters define his vision: the dynamic use of space, subtle materiality, and tailored elegance.

In 1986 he established Jeffrey Beers International bringing his signature sensibility to some of New York’s most vibrant restaurants. He quickly expanded into hotels, resorts, and residences.

When he’s not brainstorming design ideas with his studio, you can find Jeffrey sculpting with molten glass, sailing off the coast of the Atlantic, or cooking a meal for family and friends.

Vince Stroop AIA, is a Partner and our Executive Design Director. He has over 30 years of experience leading the design of prominent public and private spaces, including hotels, libraries, gallery exhibitions, luxury residences, wineries, and restaurants.

He believes design is a highly interactive and collaborative process. His work extends beyond the art and science of architecture and interior design, including diverse interests in urban planning, graphic identity, photography and design education, having served as studio instructor at the School of Architecture at Woodbury University. Previously, he was the founding partner of A2 Studios, a multidisciplinary architecture firm in California and served as a Partner at Stonehill Taylor Architects in New York. Vince is a practicing Architect and licensed in four states.

Jennifer Costello, Executive Vice-President, has played a key role in the management of Jeffrey Beers International since 1997. With extensive experience in the hospitality industry and a lifelong passion for design, Jennifer works directly with clients to create viable roadmaps for transforming their projects into reality. During her time at JBI, Jennifer has overseen the exponential growth of the firm and also helped steer it through turbulent periods of the global economy. Today, JBI has evolved into a truly international studio, with projects in Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. Jennifer built the firm’s current studio system, and she currently directs all business and outreach efforts, including marketing, communications, and business development.

As Executive Director, John joined Jeffrey Beers International with an impressive background of design leadership spanning more than 30 years. He is an award-winning architect and design director with expertise in high-profile hospitality, residential, corporate, institutional, and commercial fields. Most recently, John held the position of Managing Director at Morris Adjmi Architects, where he successfully expanded the firm’s interior design practice. He also served as the Director of Interiors at SHoP, Studio Director at Clodagh, and Associate Principal at Studios Architecture in New York. John holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University and is a registered architect in New York State.

Masako Fukuoka, Principal and Design Director, holds a Bachelor of Interior Design degree from Parsons School of Design. Prior to joining Jeffrey Beers International in 2002, Masako was a Senior Designer at Ian Schrager Hotels where she worked on the Clift Hotel in San Francisco and the Hudson Hotel in New York.

While at JBI, Masako has led the design of many hospitality, contract, and luxury residential projects, including 277 Fifth Avenue residences in New York, Fairmont El San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico, The Cove at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas, Fifty St. James private club in London, The 40/40 Club and The Plaza Food Hall in New York, multiple Daniel Boulud restaurants, and Atlantis Sanya in China. Masako’s current projects include a penthouse residence in Beijing, Four Seasons resort in Vail, 108 Leonard Street luxury residences in New York, and the renovation and expansion of the Hilton Columbus hotel.

Michael Pandolfi, Design Director and Principal, earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the New York Institute of Technology and brings over 25 years of professional experience to Jeffrey Beers International.

Since joining JBI in 2000, Michael has worked on a range of projects including the LEED-certified InterContinental Hotel in Times Square, Platos Lounge at Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas, Waterside District in Virginia, Marriott Renaissance Hotel in New York, Gotham Market at The Ashland in Brooklyn, Firepoint Grill in Pennsylvania, Texas Live! in Dallas, and Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen in Las Vegas. Current projects include several restaurant concepts for Princess Cruises and Omni hotels.

Principal & Design Director Nora Kanter’s work marries technical precision and creative inspiration. Nora Kanter holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Design degree from Tainan College in Taiwan. Nora’s experience ranges from large-scale retail environments to private residences and restaurants.

Prior to joining Jeffrey Beers International in 2002, she was a Project Designer at the Rockwell Group. Some of Nora’s notable projects include The Plaza Food Hall in New York, The Cove at Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas, Vida restaurant at the Fontainebleau in Miami, restaurants for Daniel Boulud, the high-end residential tower One57 in New York, One&Only resorts in Palmilla and The Bahamas, and Atlantis Sanya in China. Currently, she is working on the Boston Seaport commercial and residential development, a yacht club resort in Florida, and a One&Only resort in Costa Rica.

Pierre Josselin, Studio Leader, has 20 years of experience in luxury hospitality and residential design. Pierre graduated with a degree in Interior Design from L’Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués in Paris and lived in London for 8 years before moving to the USA.

During his decade-long tenure with HBA as Associate, and as Senior Designer with Wimberly Interiors, he collaborated on many high-profile projects including Fairmont Washington D.C., The Ritz‐Carlton Panama, and the Fairmont Flame Towers in Baku, Azerbaijan. Pierre is currently working on the extensive renovation of multiple Fairmont properties, Four Seasons properties in Vail Colorado and Dallas Texas, and a private residence in the Middle East.

Tim Rooney is a Senior Project Manager and Studio Leader with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Detroit. Since joining Jeffrey Beers International in 2004, Tim has worked on many notable projects including The Plaza Food Hall, the Fontainebleau in Miami, Japonais by Morimoto in Chicago, Daniel Boulud restaurants, the One&Only Ocean Club in The Bahamas, the luxury residential tower One West End in New York, and Atlantis Sanya in Hainan China.

Currently, Tim leads several large-scale projects including a One&Only resort in Costa Rica, a residential conversion of a historic clocktower at 108 Leonard in Tribeca, and a hotel property in Times Square.

Hee Seung Lee AIA NCARB, is a Senior Project Manager and Architectural Designer, who holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute School of Architecture. With over 20 years of professional experience, Hee Seung has worked with notable design firms including Champalimaud Design and Tihany Design. Prior to joining Jeffrey Beers International, Hee Seung oversaw the interior design development and construction of Four Seasons Jakarta hotel project in Indonesia which opened in 2016. Other notable hospitality projects in his experience include Hotel Bel-Air, Waldorf Astoria New York, and Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas.

At JBI, Hee Seung led award winning projects such as 277 Fifth Avenue, a high-end residential tower in Manhattan designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, and Sequoia Washington DC, an American cuisine restaurant w/ site-specific collaborative art installations. His latest project under construction is a large-scale integrated entertainment resort complex in Incheon, South Korea.

Ayesha Khan brings a dual background in interior design and architecture and over 16 years of industry experience to JBI, where she serves as Lead on a number of large-scale projects. Ayesha has lived and worked in New York, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the UAE.  She is also an accomplished writer who has published articles on design and hospitality in Conde Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest and the Wall Street Journal.

Robert DelPazzo is a Senior Project Manager with a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and a Master of Architecture and Urban Design from Tokyo University, where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar. After working in Tokyo as a designer, Robert returned to New York and gained experience as Studio Leader at ICRAVE Design and Design Project Manager at Rockwell Group, where he worked on a number of nightclubs, bars, lounges, restaurants and  cruiseships. While at Jeffrey Beers International, Robert has been involved with the design of Atlantis Sanya in Hainan China and Hard Rock Atlantic City and is currently leading the design for a large-scale entertainment project.

Jenny Kim, Senior Project Manager, received her BFA and Bachelor of Architecture degree from Rhode Island School of Design. Prior to joining JBI, Jenny worked as Senior Interior Designer at BBG-BBGM and Stonehill Taylor, where she worked on notable projects including the Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh, InterContinental Barclay in New York, JW Marriott in Nashville, and NoMad Hotel in Las Vegas. While at JBI, she has been involved on projects for Hilton and Omni brands.

Nikoletta Stagias AIA, Interior Design Associate, received her Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and her Master of Architecture from University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining JBI, Nikoletta worked as Project Manager and Interiors Associate for Stonehill Taylor in New York. Notable projects include Raffles Boston, InterContinental Barclay Hotel New York, Park Terrace Bryant Park and Nomad Hotel (NYC). While at JBI, she led the design of projects for Hilton and Omni Hotels.

Victoria Hood is the Communications Director for Jeffrey Beers International. She oversees all outward-facing communications on behalf of the studio, including public relations, social media, award submissions, collaborations, and events.

With over a decade of international experience in Europe, Asia and North America, Victoria has undertaken assignments for a variety of hospitality, food & wine, and home decor companies such as iconic hotel properties, American-farmed caviar, and organic wines and sustainable vineyards.

Born in London and raised between Europe, New York City, Connecticut, and Sao Paulo, Victoria graduated from American University in Paris with a BA in Comparative Literature, subsequently earning a MA in Global Communications. She currently resides between Brooklyn, NY and Sharon, CT with her mixed-breed dog, Otis.