Amanda Lee | Senior Designer
Education
Master of Architecture
Pratt Institute
Brooklyn, New York
Bachelor of Arts, Individualized Studies
New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Studies
New York, New York
Originally from New York City, Amanda Lee moved to Los Angeles to diversify her cultural knowledge of a different city and to increase her understanding of practicing architecture. She joined JKA in October 2019 as an architectural designer and has worked on numerous projects.
Now a senior designer, Amanda has extensive experience with both architecture and urban design projects. Most recently, Amanda has been completing construction administration work for West Hollywood Project Homekey and the Plaza Hotel. She conducts client coordination, responds to RFIs and plan check comments, and field observations to ensure that construction is moving along according to drawings.
Amanda’s experience in design and out in the field has made her a valuable resource for the JKA design team. Amanda helped lead the design for Project Homekey in Culver City which included two sites that were converted from motels to transitional to permanent housing.
She has also worked on hospitality projects including the Nirvana Hotel in Hollywood for which she has helped obtain the site’s certificate of occupancy. Her work for the hotel required extensive attention to detail and accessibility given the site’s historic building status.
On the urban design side, Amanda has been involved in multiple objective design standards projects and feasibility studies. She conducts large amounts of research pertaining to local zoning codes and relevant state legislature. In particular, Amanda has studied CA SB 9 to ascertain how urban lot splits affect future design standards. She has taken this research and visualized it by creating diagrams and zoning code interpretations for clients.
Her interest in architecture started with defining the idea of “home.” As an enthusiastic urbanist, she admires Jane Jacobs and seeks to humanize our engagement with the built environment.
Amanda serves as the Co-Chair of JKA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.