No two spaces alike for NY interior designer: Nancy Ruddy, managing principal and director of interior design, Cetra/Ruddy.

Like snowflakes, Cetra/Ruddy's projects are never the same--even when a client requests that the architecture and interior design firm reuse a specific element or two from a past project.

"We never want to repeat ourselves," said Nancy Ruddy, managing principal and director of interior design at Cetra/ Ruddy. "For us, there's a spirit of adventure and discovery. Project solutions are the result of a shared vision between client and Cetra/Ruddy as designer."

In other words, the firm always wants to be able to say: "This is new for you."

But this type of work is nothing new for Cetra/Ruddy, which was formed in 1987 by Ruddy and husband John Cetra.

The pair had cut their teeth at a number of big-name architectural firms in New York, including working together at Eli Attia Architects, before setting off on their own.

"John and I were both strong designers and committed to the exploration of quality solutions," she said. "We knew that coupling high-quality design with the highest quality service was an unbeatable combination."

Early on, the pair scored a large scale housing project for Hartz Mountain in Long Island city. The late-1980s market fallout hit early on, too. Yet Cetra/Ruddy diversified by taking on a range of projects, including conversions and adaptive reuses for historic buildings. The results were positive: Where other firms were downsizing, she said, Cetra/Ruddy was growing.

The resume of Cetra/Ruddy--they now have 93 employees, by the way--over the years has seemingly incorporated just about every market sector: residential, commercial, institutional, the non-profit arena, interiors and even wildlife habitats.

The firm's Tiger Mountain project for the Wildlife Conservations Society at the Bronx Zoo featured an "animal-management" building, viewing areas, exhibit spaces, an outdoor theater and a glass-walled diving pool so visitors can watch Siberian tigers dive and catch fish--a behavior Ruddy had no idea about before speaking with advising experts.

"Our firm is committed to the craft of inspired design," she said. "There is a strategy to every solution and the beauty is in the embracing of the project parameters."

Cetra/Ruddy's other projects include the Orion, a 60-story condominium building at 350 West 42nd Street with a glass curtain wall. The firm also worked on the conversion of the Barbizon Hotel into luxury residences, as well as the conversion of the O'Neil building into condominiums.

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One of its latest projects is the Lincoln Square Synagogue, a 52,000 s/f worship facility and community center. Ruddy said it is the first ground-up synagogue in Manhattan in more than 50 years.

Cetra/Ruddy's design features a facade with "glass ribbons" reflecting religious symbolism, along with a 450-seat sanctuary, 75-person prayer space, classrooms and a 500-seat banquet area with commercial kitchen. Ruddy said truly understanding your clients and their needs is paramount.

"We didn't put pen to paper until we'd been to every type of service and activity to be housed in the building," she said. "The building reflects the spiritual and community-based mission of the congregation. It is innovative while embracing the historic spiritual past."

Despite having designed so many buildings, Ruddy herself doesn't live in a place that was envisioned by Cetra/ Ruddy. That will come one day, she said, but for now Ruddy lives with her husband and their 14-year-old daughter in a Park Slope brownstone.

Ruddy, who graduated from New York University in 1974 with an architectural history degree and from the City College of New York in 1978 with an architecture degree, said has always enjoyed her discipline for what she called its intersection with art, science, psychology and community.

"It is the architect's role to create a symphony of these elements in an inspiring form," Ruddy said.

Naturally, Ruddy has seen a lot of changes in the real estate and architecture industries during her tenure. While the economy is currently sagging, she sees no worries for her firm.

"It is at times like this that the work of Cetra/Ruddy shines. It is the differentiated projects that are designed and branded for a specific market sector that will continue to sell well," she said. "The gracious floor plans and hand-crafted details of Cetra/Ruddy projects maintain their value even in a challenging market. We currently have a two-year backlog of work."

Cetra/Ruddy's success is at least partly attributable to its insistence on taking approaches that break from the pack, Ruddy said. In the early days, the team was involved in 211 West 18th Street, a glass-and-steel condo building that was built in an area dominated by brick structures.

"The building's unique design and use of materials differentiated it from the competition," she said. "The units sold out without a sale center or advertising."

This insistence can also be seen in more recent projects such as the Georgica, a residential tower on East 85th Street, whose name was taken from Georgica Pond in the Hamptons.

"The unique 'Z' shape of the form allowed us to create all apartments with floor-to-ceiling glass corner living rooms," Ruddy said. "This feature, along with the fact that every home has a minimum of 2-3 exposures, creates an apartment that is flooded with light. All materials were selected to reflect this key element of the site: pale woods, a selection of white and cream stones from throughout the world and limestone fireplace walls reinforce this aspect of the design."

Ruddy said the firm works hard in assisting with establishing a clear brand for its clients' projects, even providing input for brochures. About 75% of Cetra/Ruddy's business is repeat clients.

So what's in store for the firm's future? Well, lots, Ruddy said.

"Our high quality residential design has led us to luxury hotel design. We are in the processing of designing four hotels, one for Starwood and three independent flags," she said. "Our cultural institutional practice is increasing, with the design of the Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan, a new Audobon Center in Oyster Bay Cove and the recently completed Griffis Faculty Club at the Weill Cornell Medical Center."