Yes Community Architects
Since 2018, Yes Community Architects has designed, advocated for and helped reimagine housing in the Bay Area and beyond — from ADUs, treehomes, and private dwellings to prefab workforce housing and whole transit-oriented neighborhood developments. Before founding the firm, Yes Duffy worked at David Baker Architects — designing over 1000 units of housing and leading complex community engagement efforts. As our firm grows, we expand our design horizons to other community benefit projects that help build a better future for all of us.
Yes Duffy, AIA
Principal Architect
Yes is an activist, architect, fabricator, university instructor, and urban interventionist. His work combines contemporary fabrication methods with traditional architectural wisdom to achieve collaborative, community-focused, place-based innovations. From 2010-2018, Yes designed a wide range of award-winning, sustainable, mixed-use developments at David Baker Architects in San Francisco and Oakland, helping design, entitle and manage construction of over 1,000 units of housing. He was instrumental in developing DBA’s expertise in modular housing, custom manufacturing, digital fabrication, and designing for a new generation of maker spaces and creative communities. As Principal of Yes Community Architects, Yes has designed many affordable multifamily homes–from modular workforce housing to family and senior housing. Work from his multiple Design/Build courses at UC Berkeley and while at David Baker Architects has been published widely and has won numerous local and national awards
Kelly Gregory
Architect
Kelly is a social architect and design strategist. Her practice is rooted in justice-focused work: affordable housing projects, government service design, democratic public space, design-build, and in-depth, human-centered research. Her projects fold current communities and future solutions into functional, creative spaces for collaboration and engagement. Kelly has more than 15 years of experience in architectural design. Over six years with David Baker Architects, she focused on affordable infill housing, and as a designer at Paulett Taggart Architects, she worked on civic buildings throughout San Francisco. Most recently, she worked with the Washington State Department of Transportation as the first ever artist-in-residence within a statewide government agency.
Joseph Ongaco
Designer
Joesph has a passion for affordable housing, community-focused design and construction and he has been instrumental at YCA, providing architectural design for projects from concept to completion. He uses his extensive experience in fabrication, model-making and prototyping to push innovative approaches and methods for our projects.
Zoë Conley
Community Liaison
Zoe is a multi-faceted professional and creative with a passion for inclusive design and collaborative strategizing. Berkeley-born and bred, Zoë graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Human Rights from UC Berkeley, and continues her education with current courses in Architecture and Interior Design. As Community Liaison, Zoe leads our efforts to engage community members, so that our projects truly reflect, support, serve and uplift the neighborhoods they’re in. Zoe makes use of multiple tools to make community design real – from social media and online tools to partnerships with grassroots groups and sourcing further funding.