Benita Cooper, Member Spotlight

November 2024

Benita Cooper, Founder of Benita Cooper Design & Coop Forge

 

Firms: Benita Cooper Design & Coop Forge

Current City/Town: Licensed Architect in PA, NJ, DE. Based out of Haddonfield, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA

Current Job/Position & Services Provided: 

- Owner, Principal Architect and Principal Designer at BCD. We provide the entire range of architecture, interior design, exterior design and construction management services for: Residential & Commercial Additions • Renovations • New Builds

- Co-Owner and Furnituremaker at CF. We make Custom Furniture•Signage•Architectural Fixtures

How and when did you know you wanted to become an architect, interior designer, furnituremaker? 

For me, it wasn't a concrete thought that suddenly formed in one day; it's ideas that have been layering and gaining complexity and clarity over the years.

Throughout elementary school in Hong Kong, I loved art and I loved math. My dream was to open a hotel called Care Bears Hotel where everyone is welcome. and once they are there, they feel so happy that they won't want to leave. I didn't realize being an architect was a way to combine my two favorite school subjects, but I knew physical buildings can shape space, which in turn can shape experience and memory. I didn't think of it as a career or job title. I thought of space-making as a wonderful way to contribute to the world, give happiness, and build community.

In middle school, I moved to Seattle with my family, and learned that architecture and design isn't just about singular buildings but entire collections of buildings that shape cities and culture, and cultural memory. 

I started college early, at age 15, at University of Washington - where I double majored in Architecture and also Art. I learned to design by learning to build with my hands. I was always coming up with creations in the wood shop and metal shop, and I studied abroad and helped to construct a women's center in Mexico - I have vivid memories of breaking down boulders into rectangular stones to build masonry walls. I also studied in Rome and traveled throughout Europe - I learned that the difference between making buildings and making architecture, is that architecture is created with loving attention and built to last. 

After working in small and medium offices, I went to Harvard to earn my Master of Architecture. There, I learned that breaking down preconceived boundaries between design disciplines (architecture, interior design, outdoor design, furniture design), and stretching my ideas of construction to encompass construction management is the only way Design (a big, comprehensive, interdisciplinary, visionary umbrella) can make a difference in the real world, and Design at that level is unlimitless and powerful. Not only can it bring people together, it can connect us to the past and carry us into the future. I knew I wanted to be an architect who not only makes buildings but builds community too, somehow.

I graduated in 2005 with my Master degree, and started Benita Cooper Design in 2008 in Philadelphia: a full-service architecture, interior design, construction management firm. In 2009, I founded a nonprofit organization called The Best Day of My Life So Far: to connect generations and create community through storytelling. In 2016, our family of four moved to Haddonfield, NJ, and expanded the firm there. In 2018, I co-founded Coop Forge, a custom furniture and signage fabrication company to give BCD's residential and commercial clients an unforgettable touch. In 2018, I expanded BCD to offer youth and girl focused STEM education programs, partnering with schools and libraries. In 2020, I began leading women in STEM events and brand collaborations as a spokesperson and model/ambassador. Throughout this journey of organic growth, I have been fortunate to receive honorary legislative certificates from both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Senates, and awards from important organizations such as Philadelphia Business Journal and ASID. Step by step, I am exploring what it means to be an architect, designer, furnituremaker - and builder of relationships through my community work. I feel like I am doing what I am supposed to do.

 

What does the future of interior design look like to you?

We live in a time when authenticity matters in life and design. Design today is so much more than the colors and patterns that meet the eye. 

The future is bright, if enough of us in the industry can believe in the power of design to solve big societal problems and meet seemingly ordinary daily needs.

Design is a lens through which we can see all that is problematic in the world.

Design is also a tool, with which we can tackle anything, little by little, one room at a time, one building at a time, one street at a time, one community at a time - and leveling the playing field for the next generation along the way.

 

What inspires you creatively? Where do you go to find inspiration?

Artistically:

Genuine human emotions and relationships inspire me. I want to create spaces that allow people to really feel something and feel alive.

I think of space as sequential experience, a continuous "movie" where one feeling grows into the next, and surprises come at you when you least expect it - not just as a floor plan. 

 

Technically:

Bridges, barns, and utilitarian structures inspire me. Their geometry transcends trends and their durability transends time.

And within their seeming purity and simplicity, if you look closely, every part is essential. Not one thing, not one bolt is wasteful.

 

How has being an ASID member helped you throughout your career?

I don't think I can ever find the right words to thank ASID for the support this community has given me, especially through the annual awards. I started becoming involved in 2023 - it was the first time I entered the the renowned ASID competition - I know how much talent and amazing architects, designers, contractors in the PA, NJ, DE region and did not expect to win; I was just happy to participate and meet other members. I took home Best in Retail Design. Then, in 2024, I was completely shocked when in a single night, I received: Best in Retail Design, Best in Historic Preservation/ Adaptive Reuse, Best in Hospitality Design, and Best in Residential/ Living Space. This immediately caught the attention of Philadelphia Style Magazine, Haddonfield Living Magazine and even Porsche. Their support has opened the doors to ongoing features and brand collabs for me, in addition to boosting the trust that staff and clients have in me, and attracting new clients, suppliers and contractors to reach out, asking to work with us.

 

What advice would you share with other designers starting out in our industry? 

In a field that's about physical beauty, there's nothing more important than to be genuine and ethical. 

 

What is a current/nearly complete project you are working on and what do you love about it?

 

For more about Benita, visit her website or follow her on social media at: