Planner is focused on the shape of things to come

Elisa Orlanski Ours, vice president planning & design, Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group

By Jason Turcotte

Architect, designer, construction manager ... there isn't any aspect of the home-building process that R. Elisa Orlanski Ours, vice president of planning & design for Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, doesn't have her pulse on.

Founding Corcoran's planning and design division three years ago, she's lent her expertise to some of the most unique residential projects in the city.

The daughter a professor whose passion for architecture was contagious, it came as little surprise to Orlanski Ours that she was on the fast tack to a career in real estate.

Born in Princeton, NJ her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Argentina. She attended elementary school in Argentina and her parents raised her in a stimulating, bilingual environment (English and Spanish).

"For me, the fact that my parents raised me speaking Spanish was an amazing experience," Orlanski Ours said. "It's something I'm trying to do now with my son."

She returned to the States for secondary school. After high school, the young and cosmopolitan Orlanski Ours attended Barnard College, where she earned a degree in architecture and computer science. Upon graduating she pursued a Masters in Architecture from Columbia University; meanwhile she spent her summers working for Wendy Evans Joseph Architecture in an internship capacity.

Working at Wendy Evans, Orlanski Ours learned the ropes of architecture and worked on diverse range of projects. She assisted in several residential conversions in the city, she worked on the pedestrian bridge at Rockefeller University, and her expertise helped guide Salt Lake City's Holocaust Museum.

But Orlanski Ours refused to rest on her laurels - she wanted her hands on all facets of the business. Beyond having the desire to learn as much about residential real estate as possible, there was one other motivating force in her career.

Orlanski Ours often recalls her commencement speaker at Barnard uttering the words "women can't have it all." Balancing a marriage, being a mother and taking on the male-dominated construction world, she's made a point to prove that mantra wrong.

So after graduating from Columbia she took a construction management position with R.D. Rice. Her first project involved overseeing a 60,000 s/f townhome conversion (which sold last year for $33 million). Being the lone woman on the job, the task was both eye-opening and humbling.

"I was the only woman on the job site, and I was definitely the most educated one there," Orlanski Ours said. "It was a humbling experience."

Working nearly four years in construction, she gained greater insight into the development process and polished her management skills. During that time she completed four other luxury residential conversions. "I even did a $500,000 bathroom," she said. "Everything I did was uber high-end."

Wanting to broaden her expertise even further, she embarked on an ambitious networking process that involved somewhere around 70 information sessions with professionals in the industry. Combing the city for the perfect role, she found that opportunity as an in-house architect for Corcoran Sunshine, where she has spent the last four years of her career.

One year into her tenure at Corcoran, she founded the firm's Planning & Design department where she collaborates within a four-person team to guide residents projects through the process of anything and everything-from site feasibility, amenity planning, construction punch lists, the creation of a sales center and more. She describes the group as a boutique that operates within the structure and support of a large corporation.

"We're all trained with urban design and construction experience, so we can jump right into anything," Orlanski Ours said.

That same summer, Corcoran launched seven new properties, meaning Orlanski Ours has had her hands full. The unique One Jackson Square was one of her first projects and the 35-loft development remains one of her favorites. Citing the synergy between its interior and exterior design, its glass curtain wall makes the site particularly inspiring.

"It's essentially like a woven dynamic facade that wraps around 14th Street" she said. "Yet it's playful and adds a unique sensibility to the concept and the neighborhood."

Other notable assignments include Riverhouse, 56 Leonard, 40 Mercer, 30 Park Place, 40 Bond, 101 Warren and 75 Wall Street a 350-unit project that towers above a 250-bed Hyatt Hotel. The space includes a fluid, open layout; a multimedia lounge; and a rooftop solarium. She's also worked on Chelsea Enclave, a charming 50-unit project abutting a tranquil seminary. Orlanski Ours describes that development as "a mature interpretation of the glass-box formula."

In her role, Orlanski Ours stresses that making the life of Corcoran's brokers easier is a priority. Her goal is to make brokers feel confident that they're showing the absolute best residential projects the city has to offer.

"We're super broker-friendly, and I think that's important," Orlanski Ours said. "They have their ear to the market."

In addition to launching the new department, her position at Corcoran has evolved in other ways as well. Right now she's seeing a high demand for services as more development teams turn to Corcoran for help in crafting the right type of homes for their target market (much of what she does involves research and development to determine the features that will best resonate with the buyer).

Even in this challenging market, a lull in activity is hard to come by. Orlanski Ours is seeing increased demand for post development work as Corcoran's been tapped to take over other residential projects. And she's now consulting on both national and international projects: she recently worked on development projects in Argentina and Mexico City.

While the team, which she says meshes and collaborates so well together, remains selective about which projects they devote their time to, they're always willing to entertain new opportunities.

"'We're always open to conversations, especially today. Everybody needs to take this time to re-tool and to network," Orlanski Ours said.

Outside of real estate, Orlanski Ours enjoys spending her free time cooking, sailing and being with her family - her husband Mark and their son Mateo.