By Danine Alati

Architect Samantha Josephat-Medina left a strong impact on me from the moment I encountered her brilliant work. Only the 397th African American woman licensed as an architect in the United States, Samantha founded her New York-based architecture firm, Studio 397 Architecture, named it in honor of her accomplishment. A funny anecdote: Samantha hates odd numbers, but the meaning behind the number 397 was profound enough for her to put aside her preconceived ideas and press on—a concept that’s shaped her career.

As a professional Black woman in a field where colleagues often do not look like her, Samantha has carved out her own path while aiming to uplift women of color, along with other underrepresented professionals and budding design minds. As such, she has served as president of the New York Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and is an adjunct associate professor at the City College of New York and an assistant adjunct professor at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.

Participating in NOMA was critical, as she witnessed successful Black architects and designers who inspired her to keep forging ahead at a point when she considered leaving architecture after years of feeling undervalued in the A&D industry. “No matter how qualified and responsible I was, I was being perceived as less than,” she recalls. “The bureaucracy of the profession was making me lose my passion for architecture.”

However, at this inflection point, she took a leap and launched STUDIO 397—what she calls an “act of survival to stay in the profession.” Since founding the firm in 2017 with her now-husband, Luis Medina, Samantha has grown the practice from small residential projects to major NYC commissions, like Turner Construction's corporate interior at Hudson Yards and the 250,000-square-foot renovation of Penn Station.

Here, Samantha shares a few thoughts on design, resilience, and what she's learned along the way.

What has your journey as an architect taught you about life?

Clients may not understand every drawing, but they understand the feeling. Our fees should reflect the full value we bring, even if that value isn't recognized until the end of the project.

What design trend do you think secretly has an expiration date?

Busy upholstery patterns that don't have a sense of calm and balance.

If you could become an expert at something overnight, what would it be?

Biodegradable furniture.

Is there a material, color, or trend you once swore you’d never use that you’ve since embraced?

Mixed wood tones.

What do you wish clients understood better about design?

There are lots of great ideas, but a balanced harmony of ideas is what creates quality experiences. The mind and body need to move between exploration and rest to enjoy the totality of a space.