ABOUT PAULSON pOEI projects
Founded by Principals, Kristi Paulson and Daniel Poei, PAULSON POEI PROJECTS is an architectural practice based in Los Angeles. We are interested in exterior, interior and ulterior space, discovering those that exist beyond the immediate and off the beaten path. We seek to strategize and design a diversity of environments that focus on connection, wellness and craft, that incorporate thoughtful ecological considerations and resilient technologies. We believe in an intrinsic union between the natural and cultivated world to improve the quality of people’s everyday lives and our planet.
-
Kristi Paulson is an impactful leader, partner, and former founder of the Los Angeles studio of Behnisch Architekten which has now transitioned into her new office, PAULSON POEI PROJECTS. She focuses on today’s most urgent challenges: addressing ecological design, fostering human connection, promoting wellness, and championing equity.
-
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kristi spent time in the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands in British Columbia and in the cities of Seattle and Vancouver, which instilled in her a love and deep appreciation for nature and the cultivated world. Growing up in a Scandinavian-American family with a mother who was an Interior Designer, impressed upon her the importance of architectural space as it shapes and captures daylight, frames the view and connects to the outdoors to define an inviting and comfortable environment. In 2007, Kristi moved to Los Angeles to begin working for Behnisch Architekten as a Project Partner. In 2012, she joined ZGF as a Principal and later returned to Behnisch as a Partner and the leader of the Los Angeles studio.
-
Her expertise is honed by over two decades of experience delivering exceptional architecture that maximizes impact by seamlessly integrating visionary design and advanced sustainability strategies. She balances building performance, ecological responsibility, and design excellence to create enduring spaces that are inviting and accessible for everyone.
-
Kristi’s leadership coupled with her imaginative and insightful ideas have led to a variety of award-winning projects at the forefront of design and innovation including SC Workplace, Google Spruce Goose in Playa Vista, Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center that will proudly exhibit a vertically stacked Space Shuttle Endeavour, UC Berkeley’s Maximino Martinez Commons and Santa Monica’s Parking Structure 6.
-
Kristi is a licensed architect in California and Washington. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies at the University of Washington and her Master of Architecture from the University of British Columbia.
- -
-
Daniel Poei is a Principal and Founder of PAULSON POEI PROJECTS. For Daniel, architecture exists at the cross section between craft, program, and a spatial idea. Together with the advocacy of the client and their project aspirations, Daniel focuses on designing spaces and buildings for forward-thinking companies and organizations, which have proven to positively impact their people and culture, but also the communities that surround them.
-
Daniel was born in Honolulu to a family with roots in Japan and Indonesia, who believe hard work and education are the means to better one’s life. His father worked for the military and their family often moved to a new location every few years. Daniel’s upbringing exposed him to the customs and social framework of these places and also the arts and architecture, all of which defines their collective cultural ethos. He draws upon the experiences of living in vibrant, coastal cities across the Pacific Rim, from Los Angeles to Seattle and Tokyo, to inform his approach to architecture. He considers the relationship between culture and the built environment and he advocates for integrating ecological (sustainable) strategies and building practices to design dynamic, resilient, and diverse spaces, that are both environmentally and socially sustainable.
-
Prior to forming PAULSON POEI PROJECTS, Daniel was the Director in the Los Angeles studio of Behnisch Architekten and led the design of the recently completed and award-winning SC Workplace in Southern California. He also led the Healthy Haus Campus, which prioritizes the health and well-being of the user, the vigor and stewardship of the site, and the use of health-positive materials and methods. Daniel brings two decades of professional experience and a portfolio of work that includes large-scale, mixed-use projects, workplace environments, multi-family and retail buildings in North America, Asia and Europe.
-
Daniel is a licensed architect. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies at the University of Washington and his Master of Architecture with Distinction at the University of California, Los Angeles. Before joining Behnisch in 2019, he was a Project Lead and Senior Project Designer at a number of notable Los Angeles-based architectural practices, including Brooks Scarpa, Rios Associates, and Neil M. Denari Architects.
- -