Fourth Floor Design Collective is an emerging design firm that brings together artists, designers, and organizers to create exhibition and experience designs, public art and participatory learning initiatives. We foster open dialogue between design and curatorial perspectives.

Projects

About

We believe that there is strength in numbers; our team ebbs and flows with each project, bringing in members with versatile backgrounds and expertise. By joining together, we form a multi-disciplinary co-operative working unit that balance project coordination with dynamic creative design.

The Smithsonian National Zoo

Academy Art Museum

George Washington University

International Center of Photography

Clients

New York City, NY

Washington, DC

Trieste, Italy

Worldwide, Baby!

Location

Natalie Adam

Natalie is a Co-Founder of Fourth Floor Design Collective. With over 10 years working in museums and fine art galleries, she brings a practical understanding of how exhibitions are designed, built, and experienced.

Drawing on her background in psychology, art, and dance, she considers how environments can encourage meaningful engagement with exhibit content and intuitive movement through space. Her design approach is grounded in creative problem-solving and a sensitivity to the realities of construction, helping clients realize ambitious ideas without losing sight of budget, schedule, or visitor experience.



Alex Morpurgo

Alex is a Co-Founder of Fourth Floor Design Collective. He merges an inventive, forward-thinking design approach with fabrication expertise to create integrated spatial experiences. 

With an MA in Exhibition Design from the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design and a foundation in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, Alex has a proven record of bridging the gap between ambitious conceptual iteration and built realities. His process is amplified by his sculptural practice, rooted in spatial abstraction and mold making, which brings a deep understanding of explorative form to his work. His background enables Fourth Floor to develop dynamic strategies and assemble specialized teams on a per-project basis, ensuring robust, full-service design solutions.


Chelsea Chhem

Chelsea Chhem is a Studio Associate at Fourth Floor Design Collective. She is a collaborator on projects where she transforms curatorial ideas into engaging, concept-driven, and experiential visitor encounters. 

With more than five years of experience, Chelsea is a museum professional whose work entangles contemporary art, refugee advocacy, and intergenerational history contextualizing restorative justice. Through exhibition development, she sees it as a process of translating research into people-centered design strategies. Her work in exhibitions encompasses diasporic studies, performance art, repatriation, restitution, and time-based media, with a particular focus in generative collaboration, cultural practitioners, and accessible interpretive content. These areas inform her design principles to embark on new medias and develop interpretive content that advocates for belonging and inclusion in the museum.


Services

  • From small pop-ups to large-scale exhibitions, we partner with clients at any stage of a project, helping transform ideas into engaging visitor experiences through thoughtful design, production, and hands-on project support.

    • Concept design | developing ideas and exploring how design can support the curatorial vision and visitor experience

    • Design development | refining concepts into thoughtful, buildable designs

    • Graphic design | creating exhibition graphics, interpretive materials, and visual systems

    • Artwork layout | developing thoughtful compositions and object placement within the exhibition space

    • Installation plans | creating clear drawings and documentation to hand over to install teams in order to facilitate the installation process

    • Model making | building physical models to explore scale, layout, and spatial relationships

    • Exhibition Coordination | keeping the project on track, creating project timelines, identifying deadlines, and facilitating communication with involved teams and stakeholders

  • Already have the design? We can help bring it to life. With hands-on experience in fabrication, printing, art handling, and installation management, we know how to navigate the details that turn design files into built realities. We work closely with vendors, fabricators, printers, and on-site teams to keep projects organized, moving, and true to the proposed design. 

    Services include:

    • Installation management | developing install drawings, coordinating with on-site teams and contractors, and providing design oversight during installation

    • Fabrication coordination | working with fabricators and printers to ensure designs are built and produced as intended

    • Art handling coordination | communicating with mount makers, conservators, art handlers, and collections teams to make sure the practical details are accounted for

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