Shadan Mirzaei

Education

Master’s of Architecture, University of Southern California, 2022

• Tau Sigma Delta Honors Society in Architecture
• Thesis: Healing Aesthetics – A Cancer Care Clinic(View)
• NCARB AXP Completed; ARE Exams in Progress

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2019

• Minor in Art, Technology Management Program, UCDC Program
• Dean’s Honors: Fall 2017, Winter 2018, Spring 2019

Professional Experience

Lead Architectural Designer & Researcher
Atelier West, Los Angeles, CA, 2025 – Present

• Lead designer for custom residential projects, directing concept development, spatial strategies, and visual communication
• Integrate evidence-based and human-centered research into design workflows, informing form, materiality, and experiential quality
• Develop advanced digital models, drawings, and visualizations supporting client presentations and design iteration

Lead Architectural Designer & Project Manager
Allen Design and Build, Los Angeles, CA, 2022 – 2025

• Led design development for residential projects—producing drawings, digital models, and presentation materials—for 10+ built projects
• Coordinated construction-phase communication with contractors, consultants, and vendors
• Worked across all phases of project delivery, from pre-design through construction administration

Academic Experience

Teaching Assistant, World History of Architecture
USC School of Architecture, Los Angeles, CA — Fall 2021

• ARCH 214B • Instructor: Marcos Petroli
• Led a section of ~20 students and provided independent feedback on presentations
• Independently graded group presentations and midterm exams
• Held office hours and supported students with course content and assignments
• Administered exams and maintained organized grade records

Lead Visual Designer
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, 2019

• Designed visual content, graphics, and digital layouts for museum exhibitions and outreach
• Created a social media campaign using advanced design software, increasing engagement by 41%
• Developed branding and visual communication materials for the museum’s annual fundraiser

Teaching Assistant, Graduate Architecture Design Studio
USC School of Architecture, Los Angeles, CA — Fall 2021

• ARCH 505L • Instructor: Eric Haas
• Supported graduate-level studio instruction and project development
• Assisted with desk critiques and reviews; provided guidance on design iteration

Teaching Assistant, Advanced Spatial Practices: Isla Vista
UC Santa Barbara Art Department, Santa Barbara, CA — Spring 2019

• ART 106IV • Instructor: Andrew Morris
• Reviewed mural design submissions and assisted in selecting final project proposals
• Led an advanced section of five students, providing instruction in design refinement and large-scale mural painting techniques
• Supervised on-site execution of mural work and guided technical implementation
• Graded weekly written assignments and contributed to overall course assessment

Lead Architectural Research Assistant
UCSB History of Art & Architecture Department, Santa Barbara, CA — 2018

• Supervisor: Prof. Swati Chattopadhyay
• Digitized, organized, and catalogued architectural drawings to create a fully searchable digital archive
• Conducted research on residential design in Southeast Asia to support faculty scholarship
• Prepared visual and written materials contributing to ongoing academic projects and course resources

Research

• Healing Aesthetics: A Framework for Stress Reduction in Healthcare Design (Presented at 2025 ANFA Conference)
• Navigating Care: Multi-Layered Wayfinding Strategies at Cedars-Sinai (In Peer-Review)
• Maggie’s Centres: Healing through Stress-Reducing Strategies (In Progress)
• Therapeutic Gardens for People with Dementia (In Progress)
• The Berlin Wall: The Psychological Effects Behind Political Architecture (In Progress)

Art Exhibitions & Publications

• Ceci n’est pas une Robe – Exhibited at the UCSB AD+A Museum, 2019
• In Perfection’s Shadow – Novum Artist Magazine: Issue 008, May 2025 (View)
• Seul – Novum Artist Magazine: Issue 008, May 2025 (View)
• La Lecteur – Côte Poets Magazine 2015

Media & Public Recognition 

• BOLD Journey – Meet Shadan Mirzaei (View)
• VoyageLA – Daily Inspiration: Meet Shadan Mirzaei (View)
• Novum Artist Magazine: Issue 008, May 2025 (p.50) – Artist Feature (View)
• USC Architecture News – Featuring 2022 Graduate Shadan ‘Shay’ Mirzaei (View)
• USC Today News – ‘Studio buddies’ help architecture students create digital camaraderie (View)
• USC Architecture Student Work- Complexity & Multivalence (View)
• USC Digital XPO 2020 – Intersecting Paths (View) 
• UCDC Interview Feature – Student Spotlight: Shadan Mirzaei (View)
• Documentary Feature – Isla Vista – Premiered at UCSB Multicultural Center (Watch)
• Nice Matin Newspaper Front Cover Feature 2015 – Un coup de main pour les Philippines