Need to Hire an Architect or Designer? Try Dumbo.

But this former industrial enclave from the 1800s has also become a destination for a growing number of architects and designers who work inside its restored loft buildings to reimagine modern city life. More than 160 architecture and design companies now have offices, stores and studios in and around Dumbo, according to the Dumbo Business Improvement District, a nonprofit.

The architecture firm Snohetta, which redesigned Times Square for pedestrians, moved to Dumbo in December from the financial district in Manhattan. Its bright, inviting studio, which includes skylights and a terrace, looks right into the office of its competitor, Bjarke Ingels Group.

The competitor’s namesake, Bjarke Ingels, and two of his partners brought over flowers to welcome Snohetta to the neighborhood.

Many newcomers said they were attracted by Dumbo’s history, lively street life and light-filled work spaces that rent at a significant discount compared with much of Manhattan. The thriving community of creative types has, in turn, attracted others by word of mouth and encouraged collaboration across projects and companies.

“It gives you the sense that you belong with like-minded people,” said Craig Dykers, the co-founder of Snohetta, who also lives in Dumbo.

There are more than 1,000 businesses in the Dumbo area, ranging from tech start-ups to artist studios, said Alexandria Sica, the president of the Dumbo Business Improvement District. The Dumbo advantage, she said, is a “small-town-in-a-big-city feel.”

The growing design community is heavily concentrated in three loft buildings — 45 Main Street, 55 Washington Street and 20 Jay Street — that house 79 design, architecture and real estate firms, up from 55 such firms in 2020. The buildings are owned by Two Trees Management, which has led the redevelopment of Dumbo.

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