Tai joined Feldman Architecture in 2005, becoming an owner and partner in 2015. He brings over two decades of experience spanning a wide range of building types. Skilled in the craft of architecture, Tai approaches design with an artisanal mindset. “I grew up in Japan, where I learned to approach the discipline of architecture similarly to how one would approach a trade, much like woodworking or metalworking. Only through deep exploration of your craft do you become a master of your medium. My medium is shaping the experience of space.”
Clear communication and close collaboration with clients and craftspeople are the hallmarks of Tai’s work. Across all scales, whether a custom home or a corporate interior, his interest in the experience of space rewards close inspection. From the smallest detail to the largest gesture, both craft and the articulation of space are thoughtfully considered. Signature projects, including The Sanctuary, which weaves delicate and thoughtfully landscaped gardens and architecture into an urban context and a headquarters office space for an international venture capital firm in the Salesforce Tower in downtown San Francisco, balance functional needs with delight.
Embracing the importance of the design process, garnered through influential mentors during architecture school and in his years in the profession, Tai’s approach embraces the spirit of exploration. For Tai, “Design is a deliberate process that liberates ideas. Ideas without structure is chaos.” Intangibles including aspirations and dreams are combined with very real and specific programmatic needs and site conditions to yield a solution that encompasses both. Deliberately iterative in process, the built result is an expression of all that the design team, contractor, and client have invested.
His work can be found in numerous publications, both domestically and internationally, including The Wall Street Journal, Dwell, and Dezeen, among others. Projects that range from residences to commercial projects have received numerous awards representing consumer organizations and industry organizations, such the American Institute of Architects. He holds Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from Tulane University. Tai is a registered architect in the states of California and Washington.