About Us

Tankhouse is a Brooklyn-based real estate development firm with over 30 years of collective experience in architecture, urban planning, development and construction. Formed in 2013 by partners Sam Alison-Mayne and Sebastian Mendez, Tankhouse was built on the belief that design and development are symbiotic disciplines, and that the best results emerge from an integrated and holistic approach. The studio is located on the historic DUMBO waterfront in Brooklyn.

People

Sam Alison-Mayne

Co-Founder

Sam is a real estate and construction specialist with 12+ years of experience. Prior to founding Tankhouse, Sam was a construction manager at Sciame where he specialized in large-scale building projects in downtown Manhattan.

Sam earned his master of science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAAP) (2013) and his bachelor of arts in Philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley (2005). Previously, Sam was an Adjunct Scholar and an Adjunct Professor at CURE, an urban think tank at Columbia University, and currently serves as a mentor for MsRED candidates.

Sebastian Mendez

Co-Founder

Sebastian is a licensed architect with 16+ years of experience. Prior to founding Tankhouse, Sebastian was an Associate Partner at Foster + Partners New York where he lead the design and project management for a range of North and South American projects spanning luxury residential, cultural and commercial design.

Sebastian earned his master of science in Architecture from the University of Buenos Aires (2002) and has completed coursework at New York University’s Schack Institute for Real Estate Development. Sebastian previously held teaching positions at the University of Buenos Aires and the Boston Architectural College.

Sam Zeif

Project Manager

Sam is a licensed architect with 6+ years of experience. Prior to joining Tankhouse, Sam was a Project Architect at Herzog and de Meuron in New York, where he led the construction of Powerhouse Arts, a 170,000 sq ft arts fabrication and events space on the Gowanus Canal.

Sam earned his Master of Architecture degree from the Yale School of Architecture (2018) and his Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Brown University (2014).

Josh Bransky

Project Manager

Josh is a licensed architect and real estate professional with 6+ years of experience. Prior to joining Tankhouse, Josh was an Architectural Strategy Lead at WeWork where he helped standardize the design, construction and operation of all WeWork’s globally.

Josh earned his Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAAP) (2022) and his Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University’s School of Architecture (2016).