Kristin LaBuz serves as the Executive Director of Open House New York. She joined the organization in 2018 and was promoted to the leadership role in 2024. An urban planner by training, Kristin is a nonprofit leader with 15 years of experience working in that sector. She strives to enrich the shared public life of cities, improve the built environment, and promote the power of design.

This year's Open House New York Weekend includes 100 brand-new sites and more than 1,000 hours of free public programs at their Open Access locations. For 22 years, OHNY Weekend has showcased the diversity and dynamism of our built environment, offering tours and behind-the-scenes access to everything from iconic architecture to factories, historic houses to artist studios, subway stations to rooftop gardens. This October 18–20, here are a few of Kristin's must-see Open Access sites, one per borough—no tickets or reservations required!

Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice: Head to Midtown to visit this historically significant Landmarked building with an 11-story atrium garden, designed by the architectural firm of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates. Get a special look at the Ford Family Auditorium and 11th Floor Overlook in addition to its atrium garden, two spaces typically off-limits to the public.

‍
Bronx Topographical Maps: Calling all map nerds! Hosted by the Bronx Borough President, this display features over 500 square feet of maps that trace the historical evolution of the Borough, including the rarely-seen 1905 topographical survey of the East Bronx and hand-drawn public parks maps from the 1870s.

‍
Powerhouse Arts: A newly-opened adaptive reuse project, Powerhouse Arts has transformed the former Brooklyn Rapid Transit Power Station in Gowanus into a new facility that houses fabrication facilities for ceramics, large metals, print, public art, and textiles. The building re-imagines the historic power plant as a new art center that meets the multidisciplinary needs of the contemporary arts ecosystem, with multi-use facilities for education, events, and public engagement. Be sure to check out the graffiti-covered walls of the Grand Hall!

‍
Alice Austen House: Queer Ecologies Garden: On Staten Island, the Alice Austen House and its surrounding park and gardens are a nationally designated site of LGBTQ+ significance, having been cared for for nearly 30 years by Alice and her loving partner, Gertrude Tate. Stroll the house ground to explore the unique interplay of natural beauty and queer environmentalism while discovering the garden’s rich, inclusive biodiversity.

‍
STICKBULB: Tucked on the second floor of an unassuming industrial building, this Long Island City design and manufacturing space creates brilliant lighting fixtures made from wood, including some that re-purpose fallen pin-oaks from NYC Parks.