Jeffrey Lee
Designer
Our interdependent workshop structure allows us to function as an ecology of disciplines, combining the expertise of architects, landscape designers, museum strategists, furniture makers, and creatives of all types.
Whether we’re working on a museum or a private residence, a masterplan or an experimental object, there’s no such thing as a singular WHY aesthetic. We work globally across different sectors and building types, and each project is the outcome of its own context, collaborations, and conversations.
Above all, we seek to foster an ethic of inclusivity and social responsibility, and we are committed to positively impacting the lives of the diverse communities we work with. We design with one goal in mind: to allow people, culture, and places to thrive.
Our international team brings together multiple different skills, experiences, and perspectives. We work primarily from our two main offices in New York and Los Angeles, with outposts in Paris and Tokyo.
Kulapat Yantrasast, Founder and Creative Director
Kulapat established WHY in 2004 with the intention of combining his experience in the art world with a deep commitment to cultural inclusivity and human flourishing. He received his MA and Ph.D. degrees in architecture from the University of Tokyo, and subsequently worked as a close associate of Tadao Ando, leading several important US and European museum and culture projects including the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and Fondation Francois Pinault pour l’Art Contemporain in Paris. He is a frequent public speaker at leading institutions and organizations, discussing architecture through the lens of ecology, cuisine, and human sociability, and is the first architect to receive the Silpathorn Award for Design from Thailand’s Ministry of Culture. Kulapat currently serves on the board of a number of cultural institutions, and is a trustee of the Noguchi Museum in New York City and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation.
Interview with Kulapat for The New York Times
NY TimesThe WHY Architecture Workshop binds together our ecology of disciplines, guiding design concepts through to construction.
Read moreWilding X WHY applies strategies of wilding and creative design to bring biodiversity to the built environment.
The WHY Museums Workshop is our platform for progressive thinking about museums and cultural institutions.
Read moreWHY Strategy is where stories begin and narratives take shape; through our Strategy Sprints, WHY and our global network of engaged cultural stakeholders work closely in collaboration with your team to focus your vision and underwrite its realization.
Read moreWHY have offices in New York, Los Angeles and other cities around the world. We’re a growing team and we’re always on the lookout for the right people. You can find out more about opportunities and how to get in touch on our careers page.
Careers