Exploring Life & Business with Susannah Stopford of Studio SSAM

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susannah Stopford.

Hi Susannah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up my parents’ work moved us around quite a bit, so I was lucky enough to experience life in Indonesia, Germany, London and eventually moved to New York after finishing grad school at the Rhode Island School of Design. I began working in architecture and design and eventually went out on my own with my design partner and Studio SSAM co-founder Alejandra Murillo. We had a vision for making a design practice that was as much about the culture of the studio as it is about the commitment to the work. In that sense, it has been really important to us to build a flexible work environment that supports its workers and their families. We work hard to extend that respect and commitment to community and context into the projects we do and the communities they are for. Our design studio work primarily focuses on residential projects, educational spaces and some hospitality work.

My journey to LA started in 2019 when we took on a project in Nairobi, Kenya. It had its challenges but was ultimately really rewarding and a huge learning experience. Working out of our usual context really opened our eyes to new ways to collaborate with local designers and makers, and grew our desire to support and amplify local craft and sustainable practices. It was during this time that my now husband was offered a job in Los Angeles, and we decided to go for it!

Moving to LA was such a blessing, it has been the backdrop to our pandemic experience but it has also been so inspiring and filled with discoveries. During the pandemic, we ended up needing to move out of our house and in a scramble found a little cabin in Mount Washington that we were eventually able to buy from the owner – a pandemic real estate miracle! The house is a pretty unique place, the older part is a hunting cabin from 1931 which was purchased and added to in 1970 by a Cal Arts student, a true craftsperson, who expanded the home into the neighboring canyon; it now floats out over a field of prickly pear. When we moved in, we actually tracked him down, he’s in his 90s, and he told us all about his process and how he made the beautiful stained glass that is installed in the living room. The house hadn’t been renovated since so was full of character and charm, it was also in need of a little love. We are now almost complete with our renovation, and I feel really grateful to have had the experience to build a home here in LA.  It has been an invaluable way to test out new ideas, to meet local makers, put together a really excellent team (special thank you to Aram at The Fix!), and grow to become a better designer for others.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Oh, it definitely had its bumps! Being a woman in a leadership role in a historically male space, finding good collaborators, understanding and attempting to plan for turbulent economic circumstances, I could go on!

That said, the greatest challenge (by far!) that we all face is how to support future generations on this planet. Building is a hugely polluting enterprise, but there is great opportunity to change that! To use better materials, to work with recycled, up-cycled, local and sustainable products; to build building that are meant to last 300 years not the 50 years that is so often the case these days. This is the challenge that most excites us, how to build in a way that is sustainable for a longer healthier future. Not just for the 1% or the 10%, but for everyone.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our design studio is called Studio SSAM, we are based in Los Angeles and New York and work locally and internationally. We love to help people fulfill their vision of home. The idea of ‘home’ is so intimate and specific; it is a place where there are definitely essentials but there is also plenty of room for play and joy. The other kinds of projects we love are for kids, specifically in the play and education space, whether at home or at school.

We are currently working on a number of residential projects on both coasts as well as a school building outside of Bogota, Colombia where my co-founder is from. It’s an amazing little building that has a perfectly sized learning kitchen for kids, theatre production workshop, facilities and workshops for maintenance staff and it provides rainwater harvesting and storage as well as solar energy for the whole school. In addition, we were able to create a really nice learning garden – so that the students can grow their own fruits and veggies and learn all about the nature that surrounds them.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I guess I’m a reluctant risk taker who takes risks! Sometimes you just have to jump – do your research, for sure, consult experts if appropriate, seek counsel, absolutely, but in the end – jump! Go for it! Life is too short and there is too much work to do!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ss-am.com
• Instagram: @studio.ssam @rusticjamz