Rick Cook

Terrapin Founder

Rick Cook has spent the last twenty years practicing architecture in New York City, during which time he and his firm have built a reputation for award-winning architectural design. His work is noted for integrating contemporary design into architecturally sensitive contexts and for exploring the related ethics of historic preservation and environmental conservation.
Rick Cook For fourteen years, he led the firm Richard Cook & Associates, cultivating a broad portfolio ranging from master planning to various commercial and residential projects, with special expertise in working in historic Landmarks districts. Under Rick’s guidance, Richard Cook & Associates garnered a number of awards for its projects, including a Merit Award from New York Construction News for 360 Madison Avenue and a Charter Award from the Congress for New Urbanism for the Chelsea Grande. In 2003, Rick joined forces with Robert Fox to form Cook+Fox Architects, a firm devoted to creating beautiful, environmentally responsible high performance buildings.

Rick speaks frequently on sustainable design, and has appeared on PBS’ Modern Marvels: Building a Skyscraper and design|e2: The Economies of Being Environmentally Conscious. He has spoken at the UN, been interviewed on National Public Radio and served on the World Trade Center Special Advisors Council. He is a member of the Sustainability Working Group for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. He also serves on the Tri-State Area Board of Directors for HOPE Worldwide, an international charity that provides sustainable, high-impact, community-based services for the poor and needy.

Rick received a Bachelor of Architecture degree cum laude from Syracuse University. Prior to establishing his own firm, Rick worked for Fox & Fowle with his current partner. He resides in Rockland County, New York with his wife Ellen and their two children.