Civic Architecture Workshop PLLC is a full-service architecture and design firm based in Brooklyn, NY. We work with clients on all phases of building projects, from master planning and conceptual design through construction documentation, bidding and construction administration. In addition, we can provide a full range of consulting services, including zoning analysis and feasibility studies.

What We Believe

  • Our design choices must match the owner's needs.

  • We believe in designing buildings that are durable, resilient, maintainable and have a light footprint on our environment.

  • We like old buildings as much as new ones - when their construction and original intent are respected, they become not just a link to the past but a fantastic, irreplaceable resource.

What We Do

  • We stick with your project until the very end.

  • Even the simplest building project is complicated - our most important job is to help maintain a consistent vision and coordinate the the work of engineers, consultants and contractors.

  • We can help you make choices to keep projects on schedule and on budget.

  • We can guide early decisions in the design and planning stages to make construction faster and smoother.

How We Work

  • We make extensive use of the latest digital design tools and Building information Modelling (BIM) to keep our work lean and efficient - it also lets us spend more time designing.

  • Computer simulations like Radiance daylight modelling and whole-building energy modelling allow us to make more informed decisions during the design process.

  • We listen to our clients.

Who We Are

Severn Clay-Youman, AIA, NCARB, CPHC  

Principal

Severn is an architect living and practicing in Brooklyn. A former dancer and stage designer, he brings to his work both a sense of theatricality and improvisation but also the experience of a life spent working in the arts. After working for several firms in NYC, including Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and Gluckman Mayner Architects, he started CAW in 2015.

His wide-ranging interests include sailing, kayaking and boatbuilding, music, cooking and gardening. He currently teaches architecture at CUNY's Citytech campus, and has been an invited juror at Pratt Institute and Rutgers.

A graduate of Oberlin College and Pratt Institute, Severn is licensed to practice architecture in New York State and Kentucky. He is a certified Passive House Consultant (PHIUS CPHC).