Lecture & Book Signing
One of the most sought-after traditional architecture firms practicing today, Ferguson & Shamamian Architects is known for designing and renovating homes that balance classical design with the needs of contemporary living. Renowned for projects that honor both modernity and history, they are — quite simply — masters of transformation. In their new book, Transformations, the firm opens the doors to 15 private residences, including some of the most iconic historic homes in the country, and shares their singular process of reinterpretation, restoration, and invention. Join firm partners Stephen T. Chrisman and Damian Samora as they share some of the firm’s latest projects — from a Sun Valley mountain compound blending European alpine and American West influences, to a family home in St. Louis, originally designed by the firm more than 20 years ago and reimagined for new owners, to a Lowcountry estate that the firm has sensitively preserved and expanded.
Stephen Chrisman, Partner, Ferguson & Shamamian Architects
Stephen Chrisman received his Bachelor of Architecture from the Oregon School of Design, and after graduation, received a scholarship to study traditional and civic buildings at the Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture Summer School. After working for the architect Allan Greenberg in Washington D.C., Stephen received his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame and joined Ferguson & Shamamian in 1995. Stephen has led the project teams for several of the firm’s prize-winning projects, including four of the firm’s Stanford White Awards, three Palladio Prizes, a Bulfinch Award and a Mizner Award. Stephen is a long-standing Fellow and Instructor of ICAA, where he regularly teaches and lectures about classical architecture, the study of design precedent, and measured and analytical field drawing. He also serves on the Institute’s National Education Committee and the Continuing Education Committee. Stephen and his wife live in Maplewood, NJ, where they raised their two sons, one studying classics and the other a third-generation architect.
M. Damian Samora, Partner, Ferguson & Shamamian Architect
Originally from Colorado, Damian Samora received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame and started his career in London at Demetri Porphyrios & Associates. He joined Ferguson & Shamamian Architects in 1999 and brings his experience with a diverse range of building traditions and lifestyles to each of his varied projects across the country including residences in Miami; Washington, D.C.; Telluride; Aspen; St. Louis; and throughout the Northeast. Damian is a Fellow Emeritus of ICAA, and his project leadership led to the firm’s 2022 McKim Mead & White Award for Architecture. Damian speaks around the country, and his work has been published by Architectural Digest, Veranda, Milieu, Galerie, House Beautiful, and in many other publications. Damian and his family live in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood and enjoy traveling to Colorado, Lake Michigan, and abroad.