about.

Y.A. studio was founded on a simple conviction: good design belongs to everyone. For twenty years, we’ve worked across the full range of the built environment: affordable housing, high-end residential, and commercial, guided by the belief that every project, regardless of budget or scale, is an opportunity to make something that genuinely serves the people who experience it. That belief shapes how we work, who we work with, and what we design.

who we are.

We are a small, focused practice with deep roots in San Francisco. Our housing and commercial work is approached with the same rigor, curiosity, and commitment to excellence. We navigate complex sites, strict budgets, and layered regulatory environments not just because we have to, but because it’s when we excel.

Collaboration is central to how we practice. We listen carefully to our clients, the community, and to project constraints, and we bring what we learn into our work. The result is architecture that feels considered rather than imposed: spaces that hold light and shadow, that move between drama and intimacy, and earn their place in a neighborhood.

We invest in the next generation of designers and architects, mentoring emerging talent and championing diversity across our studio and the broader profession.

Y.A. studio as a minority- and woman-owned firm

Yakuh Askew founded the practice twenty years ago and leads it today alongside Martine Paquin. Together, they are committed to building a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful built environment.