Meet the design-driven collaborators reimagining housing development in NYC
A conversation with Sam Alison-Mayne and Jing Liu
What makes a creative partnership work? Is it a question of sensibility or something deeper? For Tankhouse co-founder Sam Alison-Mayne and SO-IL co-founder Jing Liu, mutual admiration isn’t enough. Successful collaborations grow from shared values and priorities. Together, Alison-Mayne and Liu are upending the city’s template for multifamily housing, creating inspired dwellings that embody their commitment to experience and connection over efficiency. Here are a few key takeaways:
On deciding to work together:
Their first meeting felt more like an interview. Liu’s hesitation was fair, Alison-Mayne admits, since most developers aren’t interested in design-driven work. But shared ambition quickly turned into collaboration, and they’ve since completed four projects together.
“There are a ton of architects that I admire, but if you’re going to embark on doing something together, it’s critical that the fit is really right.”
—Sam Alison-Mayne
On the state of housing in NYC:
Liu and Alison-Mayne share a blunt assessment of New York City’s housing: it’s awful, overpriced, and ripe for change.
“We knew there were amazing housing models throughout the world and throughout time, and yet somehow, in 2025 in New York City, we’ve landed on the worst housing you could imagine.”
—Sam Alison-Mayne
They’re also both committed to raising the standard for affordable housing in their community.
“If we keep doing the most optimized, easiest thing, in the long run, it actually makes things harder for all of us. We end up with the lowest common denominator—that becomes the bar. So I think it’s the responsibility of creative, artistic, daring people to say: ‘no, there are more possibilities out there.’”
—Jing Liu
On a shared vision of success:
Unlike most New York City real estate developers, Liu and Alison-Mayne aren’t chasing a quick profit. They embrace the challenges that come with aiming higher.
“We’re definitely not making our lives easier by doing this… Good design does not happen easily, and it doesn’t happen super fast.” (Alison-Mayne)
On embracing uncertainty:
Often when Alison-Mayne and Liu begin a project, their ideas are still taking shape. For them, effective collaboration means embracing uncertainty and trusting that a solution will appear, even when the way forward is unclear.
“You take a leap of faith, without all the evidence laid out on the table—you have a [sense] that it’s going to be fine.” (Liu)
