Designing from the Inside Out: A Conversation with Elisa Orlanski Ours

Elisa Orlanski Ours is a highly regarded designer, educator, and industry leader who currently serves as the Chief Planning & Design Officer at Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group. A founder of the firm’s Planning & Design department, she has spent the past two decades working at the intersection of architecture, development, and real estate, shaping major New York City projects such as 56 Leonard, 220 Central Park South, Hudson Yards, and One High Line, as well as hotel-branded and master-planned developments internationally. Trained in architecture and computer science at Barnard College and Columbia University, she is also a frequent lecturer and a board member of Southworth Development.

Tomas Altobello: Could you tell me about your path into real estate and development, and what first drew you away from a more traditional architectural practice?

Elisa Orlanski Ours: There definitely wasn’t one specific moment when I woke up and decided I wanted to be in real estate. It was gradual. I’ve always been interested in shifting scales. I grew up between Buenos Aires and Princeton, New Jersey, moving constantly between urban and suburban environments. Even early on, I was curious about how things come together—stealing my brother’s Legos, trying to understand systems and relationships.

In high school I interned at an architecture firm, then worked for a construction company the following summer. After that I spent time at Peter Eisenman’s office, then went back into construction again. I was always moving between the conceptual and the practical. At the same time, I worked in hospitality to pay for school, which taught me a lot about how spaces actually function, from back-of-house logistics to client experience.

I also studied computer science alongside architecture. Being immersed in digital tools while remaining fascinated by the physical environment shaped how I think to this day.

TA: After architecture school, you chose to work in construction rather than a design office. Why?

EO: When I graduated, I felt very confident conceptually, but I realized I didn’t understand how buildings were actually built, how drawings translate into budgets, schedules, and coordination. So I went into construction management with a high-end residential builder in New York.

My first day on the job was September 11, 2001. I was downtown. That experience stayed with me. I made a commitment to treat construction like a second master’s degree. I gave myself three years to learn as much as I could. I didn’t talk about my education and learned directly from the people building the work. It wasn’t always comfortable, especially as a woman, but it completely changed how I understand architecture.

TA: How did that experience lead you to Corcoran Sunshine?

EO: After those three years, I realized I didn’t want to work on just one project at a time. I wanted to understand the larger ecosystem. I conducted dozens of informational interviews, mapping how developers, architects, brokers, consultants, and operators relate to one another.

After 9/11, rebuilding the city felt personal. Eventually, I called Corcoran Sunshine directly and became their first in-house designer. That was a turning point. I realized I didn’t need to be the designer of record to shape meaningful spaces. My role became about research, programming, and strategy—understanding the user, the buyer, and the market, and feeding that information into projects early so architects could do their best work.

TA: You’ve worked on projects that have become landmarks. How do you understand your role in shaping the city?

EO: I don’t think of myself as shaping the skyline. Developers carry the vision and the risk. We’re collaborators. Our role is to help align design ambition with market realities and long-term use.

One project that stands out is the New York City micro-unit competition under Bloomberg. It wasn’t a tower, but it shifted how people thought about small living. Our role was to help tell the story, how it feels to live in a compact space, and how amenities support daily life.

Projects like 56 Leonard are also special, not because of their visibility, but because of how cohesively they were designed. The same architects worked across massing, layouts, and interiors, allowing the building to function from the inside out and the outside in. That kind of alignment is rare.

I’m also very interested in hotel-branded residences and destination projects. They force you to think operationally. The most successful buildings aren’t just the ones that sell well; they’re the ones people genuinely love living in.

TA: You collaborate with many architects across different scales. What makes those relationships work?

EO: Trust. The best collaborations are the ones where architects see us as partners who support their work rather than interfere with it. I’ve learned the most from firms that think holistically, where exterior, interior, and layout are part of the same system. Our role is often quiet and behind the scenes, but it’s about elevating the work.

TA: Many of our readers are students navigating an uncertain professional landscape. What advice would you give them?

EO: Stay curious, and don’t be afraid of what scares you. Learn other professional languages, construction, zoning, development, policy, technology. That fluency will set you apart.

On paper, many candidates look identical. What distinguishes you is range and curiosity. Architects also need to learn how to position themselves thoughtfully and to communicate clearly. Practice speaking. Use juries as training. People want to know not only what you’ll learn, but what you can contribute right away.