Leah Alissa Bayer

"I find peace in a black sky and the unknown, I find inspiration in the belief that anything is possible, & I find comfort knowing everything is connected."

Early in her career, Leah noticed a systemic discord between dated architecture and construction practices and the quickly evolving demands of modern living. This observation, paired with her curiosity, forward-focus, and passion for improving quality of life, inspires her to to push the limits of the architecture profession by challenging conventions and transforming the businesses and environments that enable us to live, work, play, and connect with one another today and far into the future.

Leah's big-picture visioning and integrated, R&D-style approach to architecture stems from her multi-discipline background. In 2014 she graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch), a Minor in Fine Arts, and four years of Structural Engineering (B.S.) from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her thesis, MECHA:spore, was the culmination of intense interdisciplinary studies, weaving speculative design with aerospace engineering, materials science, anthropology, creative writing, and more, and set the stage for the type of multi-discipline professional work Leah delivers as a licensed architect. For over a decade, Leah managed and led businesses to great success in diverse industries including retail, healthcare, and design, giving her the foundation and rounded perspective to become a young entrepreneur in architecture.

In 2018, Leah founded EVIA Studio, a research-based architecture and consulting firm in Silicon Valley dedicated to designing beautiful, cutting-edge, resilient housing that tells rich stories about its people, place, and time. Before starting her own company, Leah worked for world-renown architectural firms such as Perkins+Will in San Francisco, where she practiced highly technical, industry-leading design and management of workplace, campus planning, multi-family housing, and high-end custom residential architecture. Leah also volunteers to improve the profession in other ways - most recently as the Communications Director for the Women In Architecture of AIA Silicon Valley, Founding Co-Chair of the Architectural Intelligence Conference, Equity In Practice charge leader for the NCARB Think Tank, and an NCARB Experience Committee Member.

Let's Connect!

Qualifications:

CA Licensed Architect [#C36590]
B.Arch, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
AIA, NCARB, LEED GA
Certified Building Performance Analyst
WIA Communications Director

Skills:

revit, sketchup, design, autocad, photoshop, indesign, illustrator, microsoft project, office, css, html, web design, 3d modeling, visualization, rendering, research, freehand, sketching, watercolor, oils, painting, detailing, photography, biomimetics, speculative design, systems design, estimating, scheduling, collaboration, synthesis, sustainability, leed, writing, entitlements, permitting, submittals, management, contracts, construction drawings

Traits:

collaborative, transparent, communicator, logical, discrete, honest, gentle listener, aggressive decision maker, executor, social introvert but professional extrovert, champion of forethought, decisive leader, organized, process-oriented, multi-disciplinary, flexible, curious, ambitious, motivated, persistent

Roles:

Interests:

space, light, cyclical processes, bionomics, environmental regeneration, wellness, community, inspiration, podcasts, interviews, puzzles, scale, patterns, physics, biology, philosophy, experimentation,
reading, volunteering, hiking, running, gardening, traveling, painting, listening, exploring, learning, wine, cheese, family, friends, piano, violin, rain, water, forests, flora, fauna, life, love