Nakisa Dehpanah

Architectural & Experience Designer | Product Thinker | Creative Researcher

🔹 Profile

I’m an interdisciplinary designer rooted in architecture, driven by a deep belief that design—at every scale—has the power to transform lives, systems, and environments. With over eight years of experience spanning architecture, product design, and public art, I bring a systems-thinking mindset and a passion for sustainable, human-centered solutions to every challenge I take on.

Trained in architecture and sustainability, I’ve designed everything from master plans and public schools to digital wellness platforms and immersive installations. My work bridges the physical and digital, the poetic and the practical—always guided by the belief that good design should make people feel cared for, connected, and empowered.

Design is not just my profession—it’s my purpose. I thrive on collaboration, constantly seek out new tools and perspectives, and see every project as part of a larger social and ecological fabric. Whether I’m building software or shaping space, I approach design as a form of advocacy, storytelling, and deep care.

🔹 Professional Experience

Co-Founder & Designer
Majnoon Cocktail Bar – Seattle, WA
Jan 2025 – Present

• Designed and built a high-concept bar from scratch, including layout, permitting, and experience design.

• Led interior architecture, brand integration, and collaboration with muralists and artists.

• Navigated occupancy codes, ADA, and health/fire compliance in coordination with consultants.

Independent Researcher & Interdisciplinary Designer
Seattle, WA & Santa Fe, NM
Feb 2023 – Jan 2024

• Founded Zeevar, an AI-powered custom jewelry design platform integrating generative tools and personalization logic.

• Worked at Nuart Gallery as designer and advisor, co-creating spatial exhibitions and curating artist experiences.

• Developed sculptural installations and performance work exploring land, body, and diaspora.

Architectural Designer III
Perkins & Will – Seattle, WA
Feb 2022 – Oct 2023

• Served as Construction Administrator on three simultaneous projects, coordinating with general contractors, engineers, clients, and end-users to ensure design intent, user needs, and construction timelines were met.

• Facilitated RFIs, submittal reviews, site observations, and punch lists, while maintaining alignment between construction documentation and field execution.

• Collaborated closely with internal design teams to resolve issues during construction, ensuring quality control and adherence to project specifications.

• Led the design and fabrication of award-winning costumes for the IIDA Product Runway, creatively repurposing interior design materials; the Perkins&Will team received the top honor, the “Show Stopper” award.

Design Professional
NAC Architecture – Seattle, WA
Oct 2018 – Dec 2022

• Contributed to 17 architectural projects across K–12 education, higher education, healthcare, and civic sectors, supporting all phases from concept design through construction documentation.

• Led site and urban research efforts using tools like GIS, including spatial analysis for the Restorative Justice Master Plan in Los Angeles County.

• Participated in design charrettes and stakeholder meetings with school districts, city planners, and county officials to align architectural solutions with programmatic and regulatory requirements.

• Played a central role in schematic design and design development, including spatial planning and form studies for Orting Elementary’s Academic Village and comprehensive design contributions to Bethel High School.

• Served as Revit model manager for Bethel High School, coordinating with consultants and internal teams to produce fully integrated and timely construction document sets.

• Prepared permit and bid sets, reviewed zoning/code compliance, and coordinated submittals with jurisdictional authorities.

• Produced architectural graphics and visual storytelling for competitions and community engagement, including a site-specific mural design for Mount Si High School and presentation materials for the University of Hawaii SD proposal.

• Applied passive design strategies through daylighting analysis, wind simulation, and solar studies using Ladybug, Cove.Tool, and Autodesk Flow, informing façade articulation and shading systems.

• Developed detailed construction documents, including wall assemblies, roof detailing, and performing arts spaces such as the Bethel High School theater.

• Contributed to 17 civic and public-sector projects including K–12 schools, healthcare, and justice initiatives.

• Led schematic design for major projects like Bethel High School and Orting Elementary School, integrating biophilic and flexible design principles.

• Conducted user and GIS-based research for the Restorative Justice Village in LA with Gehry Partners.

• Produced design packages, diagrams, and 3D visualizations in Revit, Rhino, and Adobe Suite.

🔹 Education

Master of Architecture
Iowa State University · 2016 – 2018

Master of Design in Sustainable Environments
Iowa State University · 2016 – 2018

B.Sc. in Architectural Engineering
Shahid Beheshti University (Tehran, Iran) · 2010 – 2015

🔹 Certifications

• NCARB IDP Completed (2023)

• CareerFoundry Immersive Product Design Certificate (2024)

• LEED Green Associate (2021)

• Google UX Design Certificate (2021)

• Google ARCore: Introduction to Augmented Reality (2024)

🔹 Skills

Design & Modeling: Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, SketchUp, Enscape, AutoCAD, 3Ds Max, Adobe CC
UX & Prototyping: Figma, Framer, Principle, HTML/CSS (basic), AI-integrated workflows
Sustainability Tools: Ladybug, Sefaira, Cove Tools, Autodesk Flow
Fabrication & Media: 3D printing, laser cutting, sewing, motion design, spatial storytelling

🔹 Exhibitions & Performances

• IDENTITY Exhibition, Insa Art Center, Seoul, South Korea — 2025
  Next Generation Artist, curated by Natalia Gryniuk & Hyunbum Jo

• Seattle AIA Diversity Round Table Exhibition, Seattle, WA — 2025
  Group exhibition highlighting diverse voices in architecture and design

• CISAD USA Tour — 2025
  Collaborative theater production exploring diasporic identity through movement and sound

• Group Exhibition, An Evolving Aesthetics of Interruption, Vancouver, B.C., Canada — 2024

• Solo Exhibition, Rebel, Edmonds College Gallery, Edmonds, WA — 2023

• Group Exhibition, Art as Activist, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, Seattle, WA — 2023

• IIDA Product Runway, Seattle, WA — 2023

• Ojake Bridge Festival, Performance Art, Seattle, WA — 2022

• Artists of Color Expo & Symposium, Seattle, WA — 2022

• Making Waves Festival, Sound Theatre Company, Seattle, WA — 2021

• 20th Annual Model Exhibit, Seattle Architecture Foundation, Seattle, WA — 2017