DIAA team
Suzanne Stefan
Principal
Suzanne Stefan brings two decades of experience to her architecture and interior design work. Suzanne works across a broad range of project types, from private residences to luxury hospitality and boutique commercial. Her projects and collaborations extend from her home in Seattle to locations around the world, with work in Mexico, UAE, Spain, Switzerland and cities across the United States.
Suzanne was raised in the United States, India and Belgium. Her multicultural background informs her pursuit of timelessness in design, which she finds in architecture that communicates stories of time and human investment. Suzanne has a deep reverence for the natural landscape, always striving to create place-based architecture that learns from its surroundings to create a full atmosphere of experience.
Suzanne received her Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech before attending the Accademia d’Architettura di Mendrisio in Switzerland for extended architectural studies. There, her work focused on concrete design and the positioning of sculpture within the built environment, an interest she continues with her studio art practice in plaster sculpture. Prior to founding Studio Diaa, Suzanne worked with award-winning design firms around the world including Studio Rick Joy, MW Works and Marwan Al-Sayed Architects.
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BECKY ARMBRUSTER
Studio Manager
Becky Armbruster has been working alongside designers since 2016, bringing a balance of lightheartedness and organizational rigor to her studio management and internal project coordination. A natural connector, Becky’s background in social work informs her ability to effortlessly adapt to a range of communication styles and find common ground with clients, vendors, and project collaborators from all walks of life. Prior to joining Studio Diaa, Becky spent eleven months traveling the world, immersing herself in the cultures and traditions of twelve different countries and building her Spanish language skills.
Hailing from a small mountain town in Idaho, Becky appreciates the sense of camaraderie that comes from being part of a tight-knit community. She brings this collaborative spirit to her work at Studio Diaa, where she helps all team members stay connected and focused on the big picture. Her deep understanding and appreciation of the creative design process—along with her exceptional ping pong skills—makes Becky an integral part of the Studio Diaa team.
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LEVI GORDY
Senior Project Manager
With a background in engineering, furniture design, and architecture, Levi Gordy is a creator at heart. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, Levi’s multi-disciplinary work is informed by his belief in design as a catalyst for change. Understanding that architecture can have a powerful impact on a user’s sense of self, both internally and relationally, Levi strives to create spaces and objects that embody substance, warmth, and meaning.
Levi has lived and worked across the country including stints in New York City, Southern California, and Philadelphia after graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware. Since earning his MFA in Furniture Design from Savannah College of Art and Design and his Master of Architecture degree from Boston Architectural College, Levi has been exploring the complex relationship between the built environment and human behavior. Focusing primarily on residential design, Levi draws alternately on ethnographic research, neuroscience, and literature to inform his approach. Outside of his project work, Levi is an active member of NOMA and is passionate about uncovering ways to engage under-resourced communities through design.
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max mahaffey
Project Manager
Originally from Chicago, Max Mahaffey completed his architectural studies at Iowa State University and UT Austin where his interdisciplinary graduate work focused on object fabrication and art history. Having held positions with both architecture and art practices in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Minneapolis, Max locates his practice in the liminal space where art ends and architecture begins. For him, this translates to an interest in the spatial and atmospheric consequences of design interventions, both big and small in scale. For Max, a successful project is one that elicits both an emotional and an intellectual response, creating a rich tension between thought and feeling.
Across his project work, which has ranged from private residences to exhibition design, domestic object design, and public art projects, Max grounds his theoretical approach with a reverence for disciplinary history and a close eye for craft and well-executed details. His affinity for camping and hiking along with his abiding interest in the large-scale works of Walter De Maria, Donald Judd, and Ellsworth Kelly informs Max’s deep appreciation for integrated, immersive environments that change with the passage of time.
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GIA ESCOBAR
Designer
Hailing from New Orleans, Gia Escobar has lived and worked on the west coast since 2015, starting with her architectural studies at Cal Poly and continuing through internships and design positions across California and Seattle. Having lived and worked in such diverse cultural and environmental contexts informs Gia’s research-based yet deeply empathetic approach, driving her abiding interest in designing for the greater good. Her work is informed by studies in regenerative design, incorporating resilient and eco-conscious principles that are good for both people and the environment. Always looking for opportunities to add value to a site, a community, or a larger cultural context, Gia centers her practice on creating built environments that leave a positive mark.
Gia brings experience in both interior and landscape design, allowing her to approach projects through a holistic lens where each element benefits the others. Committed to giving back to her community, Gia volunteers with local organizations such as The Block Project which use design to address pressing social issues such as homelessness and displacement. For Gia, design is a tool for positive transformation and connection.
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