Samaneh Payandeh graduated as one of the distinguished students from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with a bachelor’s degree in architecture and design.

Her leadership as Studio Director at SDK Atelier, Irvine, has marked a significant stride in architectural and design excellence at the firm. Sam has received multiple A.I.A awards and scholarships. She has been featured in publications such as The New York Times and Los Angles Business Magazine as a rising female leader in the industry.

For Samaneh, the true reward lies in the satisfaction of SDK clients and the impact her work has on their lives. Her vision for the future of SDK is not just about a brand, but about setting a new standard in design that prioritizes human experience and functionality. It’s about creating a legacy for the SDK team that unites both passion and optimization.

Her forward-thinking approach has been elevated by years of training under legendary figures in multi-disciplinary design. This diverse exposure has not only helped her to refine her skills, but it has also augmented her views, enabling her to effectively integrate elements of design-to-production, fast feedback, and integration.

Samaneh believes that the SDK team and its clients must both be harmonious elements within the development of a project. Working to make each purposeful and integrated, she approaches her goal with the certainty that the designer’s imagination is just as important as the smallest detail reflected by the client.