Founder and President, Dovetail Design Strategists

Susanna Sirefman is the Founder and President of Dovetail Design Strategists, the leading independent architect selection firm. Dovetail provides pre-project strategy and design team development for civic, cultural, and educational institutions, developers, and private individuals looking for world-class architecture and design excellence. Dovetail has served an impressive and broad range of clients in the cultural sector including the Portland Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jacob’s Pillow, Corporation of Yaddo, onePULSE Foundation, Storm King Art Center, Liberty Science Center, the New York Public Library, and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Susanna draws from extensive knowledge of the latest design and building trends, providing her clients with unmatched access to both emerging and acclaimed talent in architecture. Trained as an architect at the renowned Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, England, Susanna’s deep knowledge of the field informs her ability to advise on design, synthesize architectural concepts, and make a project vision accessible to both architects and the public. Dovetail’s signature methodology and competitive selection process, tailored to each project, thoughtfully leads its clients to inspired architect shortlists and winning designs as they prepare for growth and enhanced visibility.

Susanna has authored five books on contemporary architecture and written for many publications including the Wall Street Journal. Among recent speaking engagements, Susanna was featured at the 2023 International Museum Construction Conference in Belgium and the 2024 California Association of Museums Annual Conference. Susanna is a fellow of the Urban Design Forum, the Urban Land Institute, and a member of the ULI Mixed-Use Product Council, the Van Alen International Council, The Museum Association of New York, the Author’s Guild, and on the Advisory Board of the online magazine Madame Architect.