Di SONG AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Project Manager I / Project Architect
Feasibility Study / Test Fit /Code Research
Architectural Design & Coordination
TI / code upgrade / Interiors
Master Planning / Programming /Strategic Phasing
Di SONG AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Project Manager I / Project Architect
Duties on X millions projects:
Di specializes in feasibility study, schematic design, master planning, pushing SD approval, setting project tone collaborating with client, planning attorney, surveyors, landscape and civil engineers. During DD CD back check phase, she functions as a team member, working with job captains/ in house PM, helping the team by coordinating with consultant teams (lighting, furniture, hardware, MEP,etc), house keeping construction document drawings and specifications ( reflected ceiling plans, power plans, door window schedules, finish schedules, elevations, specs)
Duties on low risk/ small scale (1 million dollar TI) projects:
Di assists principal in charge on all spectrum of services from
•Defining project scope
•Conducting needs assessment, propose plans/phasing against budget
•Proposing SD options, develop DD,CD construction document and specs
•Reviewing bid, spotting risks
•Coordinating with clients, client hired team, consultant teams, city/ county departmental officials, GC team to streamline applications, help RTI millstone stay in line with schedule
•Submittals, RFIs review during CA
•Ensure the project adheres to budgets, schedule and quality of pre-planned design
•Knowledge about who to dispatch the work to, and next step in order to push project
Diis a positive, adaptive, energetic, target oriented problem solver who gets motivated under challenges and complications. She’s assisted on the success of many medium to large sized projects as an architect. Di priorities efficiencies, drives by resilient work ethics and specializes in laser focus. She worked on projects for Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiong’an, the City of Los Angeles, City of Santa Monica, and LA County. With 10 years of architectural design and project management experience, she ensures that her assigned tasks deliver efficiently on time, on target, and aligns her value to the visions of the project.
Di has provided design & management services in both the private and public industry. She worked on diverse projects including civic, multi-use, hospitality, school TIs, offices, commercials and R1,R2 ADU projects locally and internationally. She has experience delivering projects using both traditional waterfall Design-Bid-Build and Agile methods as a response to tight deadlines and complex project dynamics.
Key skills:
master plan phasing, feasibility study, architectural design, full scope services of TI projects from proposal to certificate of occupancy, project design and coordination, assist in fund raising, marketing or strategies that lead to the success of a project
Feasibility Study / Test Fit /Code Research
St. Matthew’s Parish Hall Building – Assembly/business/Mix - Interior, Landscape Design through SD
Master Planning / Programming /Strategic Phasing
Incarnation Church Master Plan/ Parish Building–Master Plan- Lead Designer through SD
The John Thomas Dye School – Master Planning/ Entitlement- Education - Private - Master Plan
St. Mary’s Academy – Education /TI - Master Plan- Lead Designer
Architectural Design & Coordination
City Planning of Xinhai District, Taizhou, China, Multi Use/Civic/ Commercial - Assistant Architect
Multiple Accent Buildings as part of the City Developments of Xiong’an New District, Lead Architect
Clairbourn School Middle School Building – Education - Architect, Entitlement, SD, DD
Curtis School New STEAM Building – Education - Designer
TI / code upgrade / Interiors
Multiple TI / code upgrades – Education/Business/ Assembly - Architect -SD,DD,CD,CA
Santa Monica Preparatory Basement and exterior grading shoring and retaining wall - E -Architect
St. Matthew’s Parish Hall Building – Assembly/business/Mix - Interior, Landscape Design through SD
sprint design / fesibility study
This design is elevated in 2 weeks and presented to client with deliverables as shown end of year 2023. Di leads on landscape, intertor, rendering and final presentation.
Di worked on Incarnation Church master plan project during early stage when clients and project teams are still testing feasibility of the project with city authorities, trying various mastering planning strategies, phasing projects carefully with narratives.
Di assists on the success of formation of this project by generating eye catching master plans and schematic design and renderings that excites the parish and helps the team to brand/story telling the project successfully during campaign.
Incarnation Church Master Plan/ Parish Building–Master Plan- Lead Designer through SD
SD deliverables:
work method:
Di designs with a focus on context, starting by referencing adjacent existing building details, vocabulary, elements, then start to play with forms and craft visual proportions, alignments and divisions in detail per building styles. She will model with details and present to client with finished renderings
The John Thomas Dye School – Master Planning/ Entitlement- Education - Private - Master Plan
another master plan project sample that Di worked on in 2023
Design competition and bid project, as assistant architect, Di works under direct supervision of studio director sprint designed the two lots in one month, generating comprehensive eye catching designs.
Di was the lead architect who managed design aspect of multiple accent buildings in a city park master planning. These buildings got built 2022.
Clairbourn School Middle School Building – Education
Clairbourn school project is a traditional waterfall design-bid-build project. It is a new 9000sf single slab on grade building that has six classrooms served by a double loaded corridor, each accessible by outdoor teaching space, replacing an existing classroom building and a single family residence on street dedications. The entire campus sits on a R-1 land with an existing 1977 CUP and variance with specific parking, setbacks, building height requirements. The proposed new design is approved under an entitlement respecting this CUP.
THE SUCESS OF ALL PROJECTS INVOLVES
TEAM COLLABORATION AND EFFORTS OF ALL PARTICIPANTS
As the lead design architect of the project, Di closely works with client, land use attorney, surveyor, consultants and cost estimator, pushing this project from initial feasibility study to DD approval with clear targets in mind.
Her major milestones/achievements include:
-test fit design -provide schematic design options (client requested colonial style architecture) -client hired team coordination (survey, soils)- initial building dress up -material research and early decision on building materials -review cost estimate -sign off schematic design -coordinate with land use attorney for county entitlement approval -conduct building material research – include MEP system selection in DD phase -further building material selection during DD -DD sign off year 2024
She makes sure that client requirements are reflected in design deliverables and makes sure that the product is up to local code, and within client’s budget with consideration of current escalation rate in today’s construction industry climate.
While the project was affected by the potential of losing donors due to Eaton fire, she participated in the negotiations on revisiting the scope and phasing of the project.
This project went through CD, and will be constructed 2026.
Floor plans are driven by programs that generated by needs assessment meetings with teachers and questionnaires sent out. Then Di works as project architect, developing schematic design with consideration of form, context, building materials, details to reference
Di develops comprehensive DD set while closely collaborate with MEP team, selecting building system, building materials. Di controls quality of DD drawings and specifications for further coordination throughout the team.
Di works on all aspects of the project during her 6.5 years duty at Pica+Sullivan. She wears many hats at the same time in this boutique firm. She did not lead holy family 2022, but worked on updating drawings, picking up redlines, , coordinating with vendors about finishes, supporting the internal team. This is how she learnt from mistakes, got exposed to external teams, equipped with knowledge needed for later roles in leading projects from programming to CA.
Simple interior space can be the result driven by many code issues for commercial space : clearance, trip hazard, exiting( path, doors, distances) , opening size for fire concerns, overheads, etc. All these factors drive the spatial quality of a room. When an architect look at interior space. It is not that simple. But, just enjoy the space with a ease of mind.
Di is the interior designer of Curtis school CLICC building under construction. She fully assists on SD with her specialties working as a project architect.
During DD CD back check phase, she works with job captains/ in house PM, helping the team by coordinating with consultant teams (lighting, furniture, hardware, MEP,etc), house keeping construction document drawings and specifications ( reflected ceiling plans, power plans, door window schedules, finish schedules, elevations, specs) Due to NDAs, drawings and specs will not be presented here.
A successful master planning in private E sector often involves fund raising and shuffling budgets along with time. Thus a bigger picture master plan project often results in one big project (or architectural projects) and multiple TIs (interior architectural) over time. St. Mary’s academy sets a good example of Di’s involvement.
Under direct supervision of firm principal Maureen Sullivan, Di assists in needs assessment, meeting with clients collecting questionnaires, identifying problems, proposing programs with relative code analysis and cost estimates comparison ,forming drawings/images/pricing sets to align communications between client, GC, and related stakeholders, pushing project from formation through finish.
• alter exterior entrance, upgrade lunch area
Di works on full spectrum services of TI projects, from SD, DD, CD, through reviewing bidding, to CA. She designs and coordinate projects to consultants, clients, city authorities, GCs, assisting the success of the project.
Photos of finished TI projects: program: reception, lobby, school classrooms, offices, corridor, teacher’s lounge, science classroom, maker space, bathroom bring up to building / ADA code.
Di’s responsibilites:
-Participate in needs assessment , Charette, Programming with clients / stakeholders
-Schematic Design sign off with cost estimate review ( design base on client requests, site contexts, and aesthetic), involves early coordination with civil and landscape
-DD with building system concepts, building material research, coordinating with MEP, material vendors
-CD, Plan Check submission, coordination with plan checkers
-bid/ budget review with GC/clients, negotiate scope/ phasing when needed
-CA, submittal reviews, construction meetings, punch walk
-BD, marketing, client relationship, generate materials requested by clients in assisting the success of the project
-All above jobs require active coordination with consultant teams ( Structural, Landscape, Soils, Civil, Shoring, Lighting, MEP, Hardware consultant, Furniture), internal team, client and local authorities (fire, county, city)
-Building department coordination
-Knowledge about who to dispatch the work to, and next step in order to push project
Individual TI project behind the scene : drawings, designs, communications, coordinations, meetings, addedums, corrections, back checks, approvals.
