As part of Grisafe Architecture’s 20th anniversary celebration, we wanted to take the time to highlight our team members, who are a huge part of what makes Grisafe Architecture great!
Joanna Lai is our newest team member at Grisafe Architecture. Although she has only been with us for a short amount of time, she has already made a big impact!
Joanna was born and raised in South China, but she has been living and studying interior design in the Los Angeles area for about seven years. In 2019, she began working in the architecture industry, and earlier this year, she joined our team. As an architectural designer with a strong interior design background, Joanna brings a well-balanced approach to her work and is adept at considering both function and aesthetics in the design solutions she presents. Her day-to-day duties at Grisafe Architecture include layout design, drafting, 3D modeling, code research, and project management.
Joanna will tell you that her favorite part about working at Grisafe Architecture is the people. She says, the people on the Grisafe Architecture team are “…genuinely knowledgeable and skilled, but more importantly, they are truly friendly and accommodating people.” About Owner Mark Grisafe, Joanna says, “He’s the most respectful and open-minded leader I’ve ever worked with. He not only provides me with opportunities to present my strengths, but also supports me in the areas in which I can improve and grow.”
Mark had great things to say about Joanna as well. He says,
“Joanna is smart, talented, and dedicated. She has the confidence to take on complicated architectural projects and to speak up when there is a design or construction decision that she feels should be rethought. Though not a native English speaker, Joanna is clear and diplomatic in her dealings with other staff and with clients.”
Joanna loves a good challenge when it comes to her work. She particularly enjoys working on the redesign of historic homes, with all of their complicated details and potential issues. She says, “Although these types of projects are more challenging, they allow me to increase my knowledge in a short amount of time and help me grow my skills as a designer. The hard work I put into historic homes also gives me great satisfaction.”
On the weekends, Joanna can often be found hanging out at one of the many unique cafés in the area. Or, you might find her taking a walk in her neighborhood and observing the architectural features of interesting homes and imagining the types of people who live in them.
