We are thought partners, researchers, learners, collaborators, and designers.

Leading with curiosity, we believe the problem at hand is just the starting point. With deeper inquiry, we engage with stakeholders to articulate desired experiences and outcomes, to design spaces that activate authentic, inspired, and positive change.

  • We listen, synthesize, and progress the design in an iterative manner, ensuring equitable participation, verifying that we’ve heard you and your stakeholders correctly, testing ideas, and building consensus.

    The cadence of engagement and progressing the design will be carefully crafted to your project and stakeholder needs. We call this our “arc of engagement”, working together along a path of investigation, evaluation, creation, and refinement, making sure everyone has a voice, and building shared agreement along the way.

  • Throughout Vaysen Studio’s iterative process, we collect observations, commentary, direct feedback, and data related to the needs, concerns, and questions regarding your project. This immense content requires synthesis to become useful and actionable. Our synthesis is a process of structured organization and ordering of the qualitative information we’ve received, identification of patterns and themes, summarization of goals and considerations, layered together with the quantitative information such as demographics, curriculum, space program, and state requirements, that reveal the direction and desired outcomes for your project.

  • Your project is a unique opportunity to transform your space to achieve great impact for your community. How that opportunity is communicated out to your community is extremely important to project success. Storytelling weaves the project foundation and logistics, vision and goals, into a format that brings your community along in the process and defines the need from their perspective.

Working with us

A woman with long brown hair wearing a black top and gray cardigan looking at a color palette swatch book in an office or library environment.

Our Principles

  • We are more likely to succeed when we meet the needs of the communities we serve and the environments in which they live, work and play.

  • Every place, organization, or community has its own unique needs and qualities. Vaysen Studio listens deeply and responds with purposeful direction and design strategies.

  • Vaysen Studio’s work strives to increase vitality and viability through evidence-based design. We don’t just solve problems, we look for opportunities to fulfill potential.

  • Vaysen Studio takes a holistic approach to design in order to increase vitality, viability, and capacity to evolve. Sophisticated design is smart, forward-thinking and supportive to the people and environment it serves.

Meet Vaysen Studio’s Core Team Members

  • Susanne Angarano

    Susanne Angarano

    OWNER /
    ACCREDITED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT PLANNER (ALEP)

  • Kristen Hill

    Kristen Hill

    EDUCATIONAL PLANNER & ACCREDITED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT PLANNER (ALEP)

  • A woman with dark brown hair wearing gold earrings and a purple sweater smiling against a gray background.

    Arati Pandit

    EDUCATIONAL PLANNER

  • A young woman with long light brown hair, smiling, wearing a light-colored top, against a neutral background.

    Melissa Mountain

    DESIGN STRATEGIST, INTERIOR DESIGNER, & ACCREDITED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT PLANNER (ALEP)

  • A woman with curly light brown hair and blue eyes smiling in front of a black background, wearing a beige knitted sweater.

    Madeline Silva

    INTERIOR DESIGNER

  • Close-up of a woman with dark hair in a bun, wearing a black turtleneck sweater and gold earrings, against a gray background.

    Kaylee Holmes

    DESIGNER

  • A man with dark hair and light skin wearing a navy blue checkered suit, white shirt, and a blue plaid tie, smiling in front of a dark blue background.

    Brian Burns

    BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Let's Build Better Learning Environments Together.

Whether you're planning a new facility or transforming an existing one, we'd love to hear about your project.

Contact Us