Claire Weisz, one third of New York-based WXY Studio, is nothing short of a Character Approved trailblazer. From the Times Square Visitors Center to the NYC Info Center to a myriad of projects stitching together the pieces of lower Manhattan, Claire Weisz and her firm are shaping whole sections of New York City. Their work always puts the public's needs first, while at the same time employing elegant design. And this is no bland corporate-like architecture: WXY Studio's designs always have an element of play in them; visiting their work is like a walk in the park (sometime literally).

What is special about Claire Weisz is that she and her firm are adept at working with New York City's system of procuring and designing public architectural projects, while at the same time maintaining a medium-sized design firm's biggest strength: good design. By successfully figuring this out, she has been able to deliver good design after good design in the public realm, leading the way for many young New York City firms to follow suit.

[Image: NYC Info Center, WXY Studio]