Founded in 2003, KZ Architecture is committed to designing unique, forceful, and classically modern South Florida buildings. Providing environmentally sensitive solutions for a structure in a tropical climate, every project is in harmony with its purpose, its surroundings, and the client’s vision.

Jaya Kader Zebede AIA

Jaya Kader Zebede is the founding principal of KZ architecture. Born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, she spent 15 years in Boston before moving to Miami, Florida.

Prior to KZ architecture, Jaya was involved in several South Florida projects. She collaborated with Maryann Thompson Architects, a firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the design competitions for a Municipal Center (Islamorada, 2004) and Temple Beth Am (Miami, 1999). In both competitions, her team’s entry was the runner up to the winning design.

In addition, Jaya was instrumental in the development of a team which participated in an international competition for the Miami Beach Library and Cultural Center in South Beach. Her group included Borrelli and Associates and Robert A.M. Stern from New York. Her team was awarded the project in 1998 and she served as project architect for the Library until 2002. Before moving to South Florida, Jaya worked for several prominent architects in the Boston area, including Moshe Safdie, and Graham Gund.

A member of the American Institute of Architects, Jaya earned a Master of Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1988. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor’s Degree from Brandeis University (1984) with highest honors in Art and Architectural History.

Design Philosophy

“I do not believe that one style is appropriate for every building; instead I strive to respond to the specific conditions of a site and to the owner’s program and desires.”
—Jaya Kader Zebede

The projects of KZ Architecture reflect a deep respect for their contexts, including the specific conditions of each site, a study of the vernacular forms of the area and the local climate. Environmental issues are a priority for the practice, and several KZ Architecture projects follow the guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council. With a palette of appropriate materials, the buildings embody a language that weaves together the traditional and the modern, as well as the indoors and the outdoors. The landscape is made to permeate the structures through large windows, doorways, balconies and porches.

A collaborative approach to the design process, KZ architecture emphasizes a dialogue with clients and consultants from complimentary disciplines to ensure a project’s multidimensional success.

In the words of a KZ Architecture client, “Slowly, patiently, [and] laden with deep questions, [Jaya] probed our minds to determine our needs, our expectations, and our life style…It was [her] professionalism, dedication to excellence, tenacity, and meticulous attention to detail that made it all possible.”