"I have lived in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles and plan to capture the spirit of these cities to create a modern, urban aesthetic at the Venture," MacDonald says.

MacDonald founded MacDonald Design in 1992 after he had worked for several firms and as the interior designer for movie studios' executive offices. He was named among the Top 25 Young Designers Under 40 in House Beautiful magazine's September issue.

The Related Group is developing the Venture at Northeast 187 Street and 29 Avenue. The project will contain 500 residences in two mid-rise buildings joined by courtyards as well as 18,000 sf of ground-floor retail space. The Venture, for which construction is set to begin in the spring, is the first phase of an approved conceptual site plan for the redevelopment of a town center.