SAN is an architectural design firm on a holistic philosophy that strategically integrates the built environment with natural systems to create resilient and sustainable spaces. Building on the over 20 years of principal experience in the field of architecture and urban landscape, SAN offers comprehensive architectural design services, informed by a deep understanding of design across all scales – from intricate details to complex urban projects.
Recognizing the vital connection between buildings and their surrounding environment, SAN incorporates urban ecological principles and nature-based solutions to enhance project aesthetics, building performance, and environmental value. This integrated approach, further exemplified by our landscape design services under SANLAND, ensures a harmonious relationship between the built and natural realms, minimizing environmental impact and promoting biodiversity for long-term value.
Soohee Lee RA, LEED AP
Principal
Soohee Lee is a Licensed Architect and Urbanist dedicated to sustainable and ecological design solutions. Her career began in Korea, specializing in skyscrapers, a focus that continued as a Senior Architect at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) in New York, where she contributed to globally significant large-scale projects. This experience has shaped Soohee's understanding of design across all scales, from intricate details to towering skyscrapers, and from high-security architecture to biodiversity-rich gardens.
In 2010, Soohee founded SAN, an architecture design firm rooted in a holistic design approach that harmonizes the built environment with natural systems, integrating nature and ecological principles into urban environments at all scale. This commitment to sustainability and ecology led to the launch of SANLAND in 2020, an ecological landscape design service focused on the vital role of native plants in creating resilient and thriving urban ecosystems.
Soohee's dedication to advancing sustainable urbanism extends to her roles as a guest researcher at TU Delft in the Netherlands, where her current research explores innovative approaches like "Micro Green Corridors: Transforming Underutilized Micro Lots into Urban Green Infrastructure," and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the New York Institute of Technology. In 2021, she further solidified this commitment by founding the San Institute of Design and Technology, a non-profit dedicated to sustainability research and development.
Soohee holds master's degrees in Architectural Design from Columbia University and in Urban Design and Landscape Architecture from Seoul National University. She is a registered architect in New York State with professional certifications in Urban Agriculture, Landscape Ecology, and Sustainable Corporate Financing & ESG.
