XS refers to the Extra Small scale of architecture that reveals material and linguistic connections to culture and intimacy with the body.

XS  “excess” a term that has been used against the decorative or applied aspects of historic architecture. From Loos to Koolhaas, the extra small scale of architecture has been erased, omitted, and ignored. 

XS Architect cultivates the extra small through the use of tiling, surface patterning, and  ornament to engage communication and vibrance in architecture. 

Sarah Strauss is a Registered Architect in New York State and Puerto Rico, and a LEED Accredited Professional. Strauss founded XS Architect in 2015 as a practice dedicated to tropical architecture and new ornament. She collaborates with clients, artists, and institutions to bring projects to life.

Strauss received her Master of Architecture from the Yale school of Architecture in 2002 and her B.A. in Art History, Fine Arts, and Chemistry from Duke University in 1998. She co-founded Bigprototype LLC with John Nafziger in 2004 and works in New York and Puerto Rico.

Strauss currently teaches a graduate seminar at Pratt Institute in the Interior Design Department called Vibrant Blocks.