Our Team.

Don Zivkovic is the founder of the firm and has been in private practice in New York City since 1985. An award-winning, internationally published architect (see Awards & Press), with a master of architectural history from Columbia University in New York and an undergraduate professional degree from the University of Western Australia, he has established a practice recognized for its pursuit of quality in design, which is ultimately based on a respect for the past that is fundamental to keeping the timeless tradition of architecture alive and meaningful today (see About the Firm). He is licensed to practice architecture in the US and Australia and his more than 30 years of experience encompass many building and interior design works, including master planning and project management, for a diverse institutional, commercial and residential clientele in the US, Europe, and Australasia. From major new building project to furniture and hardware design, the focus of his firm is on understanding clients’ overall strategies and long-term interests, to ensure a quality of product which is measured in terms of its functional performance and the added-value imparted to projects that are consistently completed at a high standard of finish and within given budget and time parameters. The owners and end-users of his work number, among others, prominent individuals from the entertainment industry, old-world aristocracy and Wall Street, as well as such major institutions as American Express, West Point Military Academy and the United Nations (see Client List). The range of built work comprises, on the one hand, the conversion of a 19th-century landmark bank building at Cornhill, in the City of London, England, to accommodate new corporate headquarters and state-of-the-art trading-floor operations, in a historic context; on the other, a modern embassy in Manhattan for the Government of Botswana and numerous renovation projects at such New York City landmarks as the Rockefeller Center, MetLife Building and World Financial Center. At the same time, his firm is known for the fine homes, including apartments, townhouses and country residences, designed for a select group of private patrons seeking contemporary comfort and convenience, together with the time-honored and well-proportioned refinement which is characteristic of the enduring architecture of the past, traditional and modern. The new classically-styled Carhart apartment house, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, has been called one of the city’s best buildings of the last half century and a new Palladian-inspired house and landscape in the Hudson Valley is praised as of its time and place, while the rehabilitation of 30 acres of a grand, stone-manor estate in Greenwich Connecticut, was featured in the New York Times as one of the most exclusive private properties in the world. He is affiliated with the American and Royal Australian Institutes of Architects and the Institute of Classical Architecture. He has also served as President of the New York Chapter of the Society of American Registered Architects and on its national board, in addition to being a Director of Architects’ Council of New York City. For many years, he chaired the jury of the long-running, national Student Design competition of the Society of American Registered Architects and, with his partner, sponsors a national Drawing Prize at the Institute of Classical Architecture, which recognizes and fosters the talent of young architects. He has also been a guest critic at schools of architecture in New York. Other proton service has included trusteeship on the Board of the Thomas Paine Museum and National Historical Association, as well as with the Lycee Francis de New York, where he has been a leader in the school’s successful design and construction of a new Kindergarten-12th Grade, state-of-the-art facility in Manhattan. He was awarded a historic Order of Chivalry by the French Government for his significant contributions in building for education. Honored by his peers and community for excellence in both his modern and traditional designs, together which a strong background in planning and project management, Don Zivkovic brings a unique blend of aesthetic and practical skills to every project. Architectural historians and critics have admired the firm’s work (see Testimonials) but, ultimately, the cornerstone of his practice is the making of beautiful places and, as such, buildings are regarded as a community affair which contribute to making the preferred environments in which to live and work.

Brian Connolly is a graduate of the Architectural Programs at the Institute of Technology and Trinity College, in Dublin, Ireland. Following graduation, he also qualified, with honors, as a Member of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. He has over 25 years of post-graduate professional experience in the United States and Europe and is a Registered Architect, licensed to practice in the State of New York since 1992. With an early background in the design of educational, religious and residential buildings, he joined the firm in 1989 as a project architect and led the design team for the US headquarters of a European bank which had recently acquired a local banking organization with 180 branch offices throughout the north-east. More recently, he has focused on the design of fine homes, townhouses, and individual apartments in the tri-state area. His experience with both building and interior projects comprises new construction as well as historic restoration and rehabilitation of existing structures and spaces. He is further involved in the design and production of custom furnishings, cabinetry and related industrial design products. Within the firm, he maintains involvement in the design of a wide variety of project types including numerous institutional, commercial and residential facilities for a diverse group of clients, ranging from the New York State Power and Port Authorities and the Philosophy Day School, to the Juilliard School and School of American Ballet at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, among others (see Select Client List). Corporate project experience has included law offices, a security-control center for a Fortune 500 company, as well as commercial and trading facilities for financial corporations in the New York metropolitan area. And his commercial work also includes a number of store and boutique designs for specialty retailers. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Irish Business Organization of New York and has served on the construction industry’s International Building Products Advisory Board for the Irish Government. In recognition of dedicated service, he was made a Fellow of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America and chairs its Publication Committee which, among other things, is focused on the preservation and reprinting of important architectural treatises as well as monographs on the work of historically important practitioners. Other pro-bono service includes most notably his role as co-founder of the not-for-profit St Brendan the Navigator Restoration & Education Foundation, which was responsible for the restoration of the important 12th-century Hiberno-Romanesque Clonfert Cathedral, in Ireland. He authored the historical report on the building which was instrumental in bringing the project to the attention of the World Monuments Fund, which featured it on its Millennium List of the World’s 100 Most Endangered Buildings. He is committed, with his partner, to the future of the profession and the encouragement of a respect for the important place of history, craftsmanship and appropriate technique in the practice of architecture today (see About the Firm). He has contributed, accordingly, to the support and publication of the new, facsimile edition of the classic Le Vatican et la Basilique de Saint Pierre by Paul Letarouilly, as well as the establishment, under the auspices of the Institute of Classical Architecture, of the Zivkovic Connolly Drawing Prize for young architects. He has been invited to serve as a guest juror at architectural schools in the United States and Europe. Recent architectural work executed by Brian Connolly has been accorded design awards by various architectural and other professional organizations. In recognition of their design excellence (see Testimonials), many of these projects have been widely published (see Awards & Press), in the United States, as well as in other professional and popular publications in Europe and Japan.

Laura Cassar is a highly regarded architect based in New York, renowned for her proficiency in sustainable design and her dedication to making a positive impact on both the architectural realm and the community. Graduating from Virginia Tech in 2001, she emerged with a solid educational foundation and a passion for innovative architectural solutions. Possessing a deep-seated commitment to sustainability, Laura earned the title of Certified Passive House Designer, solidifying her expertise in designing energy-efficient and environmentally conscious structures. This accolade showcases her dedication to crafting buildings that not only meet the needs of the present but also safeguard the planet's future. Since 2004, Laura has been an integral member of Zivkovic Connolly Architects, contributing her creativity and knowledge to a variety of projects. Her tenure at the firm has been characterized by an unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of design and implementing sustainable practices at the forefront of her architectural endeavors. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Laura is deeply passionate about animal rescue and welfare. She devotes her personal time to volunteering as the architect for an upstate New York animal shelter, aligning her professional skills with her love for animals, thereby making a meaningful difference in their lives. This commitment exemplifies her compassionate and holistic approach to both architecture and community involvement. Laura's multifaceted dedication showcases her as not only a talented architect but also a responsible and caring individual contributing to a better world.