Yui Hay L
ee
Former Founder and Managing Principal of
YHLA Architects
Yui Hay Lee is the former President and founder of YHLA Architects, an architectural and planning firm located in Oakland, California. After close to 40 years of architectural practice with YHLA Architects, the firm’s assets were sold to another Oakland architectural firm in 2019.
In 1967 Yui Hay was recruited by RTKL Associates, Inc., a multi-disciplined national architectural firm based in Baltimore, Maryland. He became an Associate of the firm in 1970 and an Associate Principal in 1979. During his 13-year tenure with RTKL, he worked on a number of significant architectural and urban design projects throughout the country. In 1980, he moved to San Francisco as an Associate with the firm of Bull Field Volkmann and Stockwell.
Yui Hay launched his own practice in Oakland, in 1981. He has built the firm on two strong principles: achieving top quality in architectural and urban design, and providing efficient and responsive services., YHLA has projects in California, Florida, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China. Because of its capabilities, experience, and willingness to aggressively pursue optimal design solutions, the firm has become recognized for its successful delivery of large-scale development projects - ranging from resort complexes, multi-phased high-rise condominiums, and affordable housings, to regional shopping centers and professional sports facilities. The firm produced the winning design in the Oakland City Hall Plaza Competition.
Construction was completed in October 1998 and the plaza was later named Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in memory of the late City Council At-Large of Oakland. Other well-known local projects in the City include the Swans Market, Golden State Warriors Arena, Coliseum Garden Hope VI Housing, and the Terminals One and Two Renovation at the Oakland International Airport.
Long active in public affairs in local community, Yui Hay was appointed by Mayor Shaaf to the Port of Oakland as a Port Commissioner in 2018. Prior to this appointment, he was a Commissioner of the Oakland/Alameda County Coliseum Authority from 2007-2018; was a member of the Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board; Commission member of the City Planning Commission for the City of Oakland from 1991 to 1994 (Chairman of the Commission 1993-1994). He is a member of the Coordinating Committee for the Strategic Plan for Oakland; has served as the President of the East Bay Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans; as Vice President of both the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the Oakland Consolidated Chinese Association; and as the trustee or on the Board of Directors of several non-profit organizations; Coalition of Chinatown Development, the Chinatown PAC, the College Preparatory School; the Metropolitan-Oakland Chamber of Commerce, and the Summit Hospitals Foundation of Oakland.
ARCHITECTURAL California, C-11824
REGISTRATION NCARB Certificate Holder
PROFESSIONAL YHLA Architects, Founder 1981-2019
BACKGROUND Bull Field Volkmann Stockwell, San Francisco, CA, Associate 1980-1981 RTKL Associates, Inc., Baltimore, MD. Associate Principal 1967-1980 EDUCATION Harvard Graduate School of Design 1967
Master of Architecture in Urban Design
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 1965
Bachelor of Architecture
Ecole des Beaux Arts, Fontainebleau, France 1964
Diploma in Architecture
MIT Executive Education Program, Computer-Aided Design 1973 Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education 2001
AWARDS AIA/HUD Secretary Award (Kings Beach Housing NOW) 2014 US EPA Best Smart Growth Building 2013 (La Valentina Housing) 2013 California Preservation Foundation Award (Temple Art Lofts) 2013 Super Heroes Award, USGBC (King’s Beach Housing NOW) 2013 Winner, Golden Nugget Award for Special Need Housing (Kings Beach) 2013 Winner, Golden Nugget Award for Best Sustainable Design (La Valentina) 2013 Silver Medal, Rudy Bruner Award in Urban Environment (Swan’s Market) 2001 Winner, Oakland City Hall Plaza Competition 1985
Winner, 16-B Baltimore Office Building Design Competition 1969 Harvard University Graduate School of Design Scholarship 1966-1967 Miami University International Scholarship (4 years) 1961-1965 Winner PCA Mid-West Region Design Competition 1964
Alpha Rho Chi Architectural Medal, Miami University 1965
COMMUNITY AND Port Of Oakland, Commissioner 2018-Present PROFESSIONAL Oakland/Alameda County Coliseum Authority Commissioners 2007-2018 SERVICE Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board 2000-2008 Oakland Metropolitan Chamber Of Commerce, Board of Directors 1996-1999 The Summit Medical Center Foundation, Board of Trustee 1996 -1998 The College Preparatory School, Board of Trustee 1994-1996 Oakland City Planning Commission, (Chairman) 1993-1994
Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Vice President 1990-1994 Oakland Consolidated Chinese Association, Vice President 1990-1993 Coalition of Chinatown Development, Oakland, CA, Board of Directors 1990-1998 OCA - East Bay, Board of Directors (President) 1990-President Oakland Asian Pacific American Redistricting Task Force, Chair 1994 Chinatown PAC, Oakland, CA, Board of Directors 1986-1992 Strategic Plan for Oakland, Member of Coordinating Committee 1991 Submit Date: Jun 15, 2022
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Yui Hay Lee
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Please tell us how your qualifications and participation will relate to the requested board and/or commission's mission.
I live and work in Oakland since1980. During this period, I owned and managed an architectural firm for over 39 years.
Up till my retirement in 2019, our firm had designed over 300 projects with majority of them in Oakland.
I know my City well because I was actively participating in many community, non-profit and public organizations. This list includes Summit Medical Center Foundation, The College Preparatory School Board, Oakland Asian Cultural Center Board, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Board, Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, Oakland City Planning Commission, Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum Authority, as well as my current position at Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners. I believe my many years of experience at these organizations and my root in our City serve me well in my decision-making as a Port of Oakland Commissioner. Prior to my appointment to the Port, my architectural firm had designed the major renovation and addition of Terminal 2 (Southwest Terminal) at Oakland International Airport (OIA). We had also designed a portion of the Terminal 1 Building where the Security Check Point and Aviation Office Building are currently located. In addition, we had worked on a number of smaller projects located both inside and outside of the OIA. So I am quite familiar with the general requirements and operation of the Airport.
Subsequent to my appointment to the
Port Commission, my focus have shifted to the Maritime side of the business. I had travelled on behalf of the Port to Far East twice in 2019 to visit our Sister City and other port cities in China, as well as our shipping clients in Taiwan, China and Singapore. Currently I am serving as Chair of the Maritime Ad Hoc Committee, charging with the development
of a long term strategic plan for our seaport. This work is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023. As an Architect working on the planning and design of numerous commercial developments, I am well versed of the business of commercial real estate. Port of Oakland is a complicated entity. It is a public agency with private financing. It involves the Airport, the Seaport, as well as Commercial Real Estate along the waterfront. It is not unlike merging three different businesses into one. The Port's goal is to maximize the benefits of these assets to serve our larger community.
At the same time, the Port needs to protect our environment, our surrounding neighborhoods and also to create good jobs for the region. There are many challenges facing the Port today. With the help of our very talented and dedicated staff, I believe we can overcome these challenges together. I very much like to continue as
a member of this challenging but exciting team.
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Service on City of Oakland boards, commissions, and committees may require filings of the FPPC's Statements of Economic Interest (Form 700). Upon appointment and determination of filing status, I will comply with all filing obligations.
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YuiHayLeeResume_2022_.pdf
Yui Hay Lee