Bahi Oreizy

“Sometimes the right path doesn’t seem very clear in the beginning, but if you give it a chance and remain open, new possibilities emerge.”

Tell Us About Yourself!

My name is Bahi Oreizy – I’m the principal architect of a female-driven design firm here in the Bay Area. I am originally from Iran but immigrated to the United States 38 years ago after the Iranian revolution broke out to obtain a higher education. After acquiring professional degrees in architecture and becoming a licensed architect, I began my architecture firm in Silicon Valley, where I live with my husband and two children. My passion is in serving the environment and my community by getting to know people and creating beautiful spaces for them to enjoy.

What Are Your Accomplishments / What are you proud about?

After spending a few years working for large to mid-size firms, I decided to start my own boutique architecture firm in Silicon Valley, focused on custom residential design. Thanks to my amazing network of mothers, friends, colleagues, and neighbors, 360 Design Studio is now a successful and steadily growing business serving clients throughout the SF/Bay area. To date, 360 Design Studio has successfully completed close to 100 projects around the Bay Area, some of which have been recognized and featured in reputable magazines and social media. I also actively participated in my community by serving as a planning commissioner in the city of Los Altos.

View of our Moody project in sunset!— Los Altos Hills.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person/s who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

When I first started my career, I never imagined I would be able to work independently. If it wasn’t for the help & encouragement of the informal mother’s group that I joined when I had my first child, I would never have taken the chance. I started with small remodel projects and tried different ideas within this group. Building on this experience, my network grew and people started trusting me more and more. I also owe my success to my husband’s support and my parents’ willingness to watch over my kids while I worked. The support and encouragement I have received from my network of colleagues, friends, and family have been truly instrumental to my success.

Are you part of a Lean in Circle group, or any other resource group? Can you tell us your experience with it?

When I was pregnant with my first child, I enrolled in a maternity Yoga class in my neighborhood. The women I met in this class formed a mother’s group where we convened regularly and supported each other in navigating motherhood and our professional goals. I knew early on that I wanted to prioritize quality time with my children while building my career. It was within this group that I experimented with taking on projects independently and exploring different strategies to find the right work/life balance. As my children grew older, I continued building new friendships and support networks in my community and I was able to grow my business.

What Is Your Call To Action?

I’d like to encourage and empower women to be open to new experiences and venture out of their comfort zone. Sometimes the right path doesn’t seem very clear in the beginning, but if you give it a chance and remain open, new possibilities emerge. For me, having a satisfying family life and a successful career all at the same time has been quite fulfilling. I want young women to know that they don’t have to choose one over the other.

Thanks, Bahi For Participating!

If you wanna learn more about Bahi’s studio and her work please visit their website at 360 Design Studio, or their social networks at Facebook – Instagram – Linkedin – Pinterest – Houzz – Yelp