WHAT WE DO
We transform spaces through our integrated approach to Architecture & Lighting.
A synthesis of diverse backgrounds in architecture, lighting design, interior design, and art installations + exhibitions give us an integrated approach that benefits our clients and collaborators alike. With decades of shared experience on projects around the world, our partners stay directly involved and bring hands-on technical expertise in the following areas:
Consultant-based lighting design services
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NY licensed architectural services
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Artist collaborations & prototyping
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Manufacturer product customizations & design assistance
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Erin Dreyfous
Lighting Design Partner
Erin Dreyfous (CLD, MIES, prof-IALD) is a lighting designer that merges technical expertise with an artistic intuition to help shape spaces that feel both rigorous and deeply human. With 20+ years of industry experience, Erin led Tillotson Design Associates as Co-Owner and Creative Design Partner prior to founding Studio DXD in the fall of 2024 with partner, Jonathan Dreyfous. She earned an MFA in Architectural Lighting from Parsons: The New School for Design and a BFA in Interior Design from Kendall College of Art and Design. Erin was selected by lighting design colleagues in 2018 as one of the "Professional Leaders to Watch" in the industry. She has guest-lectured at Columbia University and Parsons and has served on numerous design competition juries. Erin's award-winning project experience includes the Broad Museum in LA, as well as the Perelman Performing Arts Center and the Landmark Tiffany & Co flagship store in NYC.
Erin has worked as an asphalt raker & flagger, apprentice electrician, golf course bartender, and factory powder paint specialist of rearview mirrors.
Jonathan Dreyfous
Architecture Design Partner
Jonathan Dreyfous (AIA, LEED AP) was a Licensed Architectural Partner of CDR Studio for 30 years prior to founding Studio DXD. He earned a Master's of Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design as well as dual undergraduate degrees from Brown University – in History and Architectural History. He practiced in architectural firms in Boston, San Francisco, Stuttgart and Tokyo. He oversaw design and construction of the Hudson River Park Trust Pier 62 Carousel Building as well as the FDNY Ghostbusters and Marine Company 01 firehouse projects, each recognized with New York City AIA awards. Jon also led the Audi of America network facility program involving more than 300 completed projects across the USA. He has taught at RISD and the Harvard GSD. Jon co-authored Provisional: Emerging Modes of Practice in the USA published by the Princeton Architectural Press.
Jon has worked as a ditch digger, risk management intern, sail boat racing crew member, bellhop, and semi-pro American football player...in New Zealand.
Dagmara Nowak
Lighting Design Partner
Dagmara Nowak (CLD, MIES, IALD) is a lighting designer driven by a deep passion for shaping space through light. With over 10 years of experience, Dagmara was a Principal team leader at Tillotson Design Associates prior to joining DXD. She holds an MFA in Architectural Lighting Design from Parsons: The New School for Design and a BFA in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois. Her work has been recognized with the Philips Innovation Award and the Golden Portfolio Award. In parallel with practice, Dagmara has taught as a studio professor within the School of Constructed Environment's Lighting Department at Parsons and Pratt Institute’s Interior Design Department, where she brings professional practice and critical inquiry into the academic setting. Named one of Lighting Magazine’s “40 Under 40 to Watch” in 2020, her notable project experience includes the MoMA Expansion and R/GA offices in NYC, as well as the Princeton University Art Museum in New Jersey.
Dagmara has worked as a lifeguard, roof shingler, steakhouse hostess, graphic designer, and amateur gardener.
Boutique in size.
Highly experienced.
Deeply involved.
OUR PROCESS
We craft spaces that enrich the human experience through architecture and lighting. From the beginning, we work collaboratively to understand the project vision and explore how design can enhance an environment while revealing form and materiality. Concepts evolve into precise, coordinated designs—tailored to aesthetics, necessary function, and environmental considerations. We guide the process to ensure the final outcome meets technical needs while creating a memorable sense of place.
OUR EXPERIENCE
From designing an infrastructural pier and FDNY facility to illuminating a complex performing arts center, our collective experience spans a wide range of project types and scales, reflecting our steadfast commitment to design excellence. Our portfolio includes both domestic and international projects— from compact urban dwellings to bespoke mixed-use developments and luxury hospitality interiors. Over the years, we have built strong collaborative relationships with world-renowned architects, landscape architects, interior designers, developers, and artists, creating distinguished projects and memorable environmental experiences around the globe.
See More
FDNY Marine Company 01
MIT Museum
Audi Network Program
Bloom
The Perelman PAC
Governor's Cup Pavilion
The Broad
R/GA
Williamsburg Loft
East River Waterfront
The Shed
