Combined Leadership
Government and institutional work demands a different kind of architect — one who understands security operations, agency coordination, therapeutic environments, and the political realities of public-sector delivery. MAX AEC LLC brings two complementary leadership profiles to every engagement.
Max Isakov, RA, AIA, NCARB
Principal / Justice Design, SME — 13+ Years
Leads design execution, BIM coordination, and technical delivery for justice and institutional programs. Project experience spans high-rise detention, behavioral health, courthouses, emergency response, and tribal justice facilities. Known for integrating advanced documentation systems — including AI-assisted workflows and data-driven room programming — into complex multi-agency project environments.
Peter C. Krasnow, FAIA
Senior Designer / Justice Design, SME — 50+ Years
One of the most experienced justice architects in the United States. Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Five decades of continuous practice across federal, state, county, and tribal justice facilities — from maximum-security prisons to community courts. Author of Justice Facilities, the definitive reference for correctional and judicial design. Peter provides senior advisory leadership on select engagements where operational, security, and therapeutic complexity require deep institutional knowledge.
What We Provide
We advise on facilities where security, operations, and human outcomes must be resolved together. Engagements are structured around high-risk milestones where design decisions have lasting operational consequences.
- Security and compliance review of layouts, details, and key assemblies
- Design QA focused on operational flow, safety, and therapeutic intent
- BIM coordination and custom component development for specialized facilities
- Stakeholder communication packages for agency leadership and elected officials
- Documentation support from schematic design through construction administration
- Senior advisory integration for programs requiring justice-specific expertise
Featured Engagements
The following represent a sample of named projects where MAX AEC LLC leadership delivered architecture and advisory services in a principal or senior capacity:
NYC Borough-Based Jails
Multi-billion dollar, four-borough replacement of Rikers Island. High-rise detention design, security assemblies, recreation planning, and multi-agency coordination for the largest justice architecture program in U.S. history.
Baltimore Therapeutic Treatment Center
Secure behavioral health facility for the State of Maryland. Full BIM environment, AI-assisted room data programming, and custom detention component development.
Macomb County Central Intake & Assessment Center
County jail expansion with dedicated mental health treatment housing. Schematic through design development with stakeholder presentation delivery.
Morris County Courthouse
Design-Build courthouse balancing civic presence, public accessibility, and three-way security separation for court operations.
Justice Facilities for Native American Tribes
Multi-year tribal justice program integrating cultural practices, restorative justice spaces, and federal compliance within sovereign tribal governance frameworks.
COVID-19 Alternate Care Facility — SUNY Old Westbury
Emergency 1,024-bed facility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Design-Build conversion delivered in 28 days, 12 hours ahead of schedule.
Breadth of Experience
Beyond our featured engagements, MAX AEC LLC's combined leadership has contributed to hundreds of justice, civic, and institutional projects over the past five decades. Our experience spans the full range of government facility types:
Detention & Corrections
- Federal correctional facilities
- State prisons and reception centers
- County jails and intake centers
- Pre-trial detention facilities
- Juvenile detention and residential
- Reentry and transitional housing
Courts & Justice
- Federal and state courthouses
- County and municipal courts
- Tribal courts and governance centers
- Family and juvenile courts
- Court security and holding areas
- Alternative dispute resolution centers
Behavioral Health
- Secure treatment facilities
- Forensic psychiatric hospitals
- Substance abuse treatment centers
- Crisis stabilization units
- Therapeutic community residences
- Outpatient behavioral health clinics
Civic & Emergency
- Emergency operations and alternate care
- Public safety and law enforcement
- Municipal and community facilities
- Military and veterans facilities
- Port authority and transportation
- Government office and administration
Whether the program involves a single courtroom renovation or a multi-billion dollar detention replacement, we bring the same rigor: security operations understood, stakeholder requirements documented, and design decisions that hold up through construction and occupancy.
How We Engage
Government projects move differently than private work. We structure engagements around how public-sector teams actually operate:
- Prime Architect Support — We embed within your design team as justice/institutional specialists, not as a competing firm
- Senior Advisory — Peter Krasnow provides milestone-level review and strategic guidance on security, operations, and program alignment
- Technical Delivery — Max Isakov leads BIM, documentation, and cross-discipline coordination from SD through CA
- Agency Communication — Presentation-ready deliverables for elected officials, agency leadership, and public stakeholder groups
Planning a Government or Institutional Project?
Share program type, jurisdiction, and timeline. We'll outline how our team integrates with yours.
Email info@maxaec.com