julia ann gallagher, AIA, noma, LEED AP
Principal Architect | Founder of JAGA-Studio
Julia Ann Gallagher is a licensed architect with over 25 years of experience in architecture, design, and project leadership. She founded Julia Molloy Gallagher Architecture PLLC in Brooklyn in 2017 and later established Julia Ann Gallagher Architect, PC in Hawthorne, California in 2023. Her bi-coastal practice, JAGA-Studio, delivers full-service design solutions—from concept through construction—for homeowners, developers, and institutions alike.
JAGA-Studio operates with a lean and scalable structure, assembling teams of collaborators as needed to support multidisciplinary work ranging from strategic planning to public art installations. The firm’s approach is rooted in collaboration, research, and a deep respect for place and people—often designing from the inside out to craft spaces that are sculptural, functional, and meaningful.
Julia’s background spans elite academic and professional settings. A native of Northern California, she holds a BA from Barnard College and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University. She has taught at Columbia GSAPP, Parsons School of Design, NYIT, and is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at USC’s School of Architecture.
Clients describe Julia as a trusted partner with a calm yet confident presence, an educator at heart who empowers them throughout the design and construction process. Her portfolio includes projects with Gehry Partners, Adjaye Associates, the U.S. Department of State, the Kennedy Center, and a host of cultural, governmental, and nonprofit institutions worldwide.
Julia also served on the Board of Directors of AIA Los Angeles and is the 2024–2025 California Representative for AIA LA.
She is currently accepting commissions for new construction, additions, and interiors in California and New York.
Prior to establishing her own practice Gallagher worked with design firms in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles including Rockwell Group, Spacesmith, Slade Architecture, Geddes Ulinskas Architects, and AUX Architecture with clients and collaborators including Gehry Partners, Adjaye Associates, TDIC in Abu Dhabi, Matel Brands, Absolute Art, L Brands, Overseas Building Operations with the US Department of State, National Park Services, the Kennedy Center, Harlem School of the Arts, Vista Del Mar Family Services, and various international artists, athletes, businesses, and individuals. Beyond design, Julia has management and community development experience working on a professional and academic projects in the non-profit sector with Van Alen Institute in NYC, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in Abu Dhabi, the UN-founded Global Studio in Johannesburg, Urban Think Tank in Caracas, Venezuela, and the World Learning in Italy and West Africa.
The office and its collaborative teams produce multidisciplinary work ranging from strategic planning, architecture design and construction, interior design, community workshops, and public art installations. Across disciplines we specialize in curating engagement between governments, organizations, designers, and individuals to improve people’s experience in the places they visit, they live, and they love. We focus on cultural, sustainable, and transformative environments that interface between historic spaces and the transient communities who create them.
anthony roy gallagher
Partner & Director of Strategy and Development
Anthony Gallagher is Partner & Director of Strategy and Development at JAGA Studio, where he brings a multidisciplinary background spanning international finance, development strategy, construction coordination, storytelling, and community engagement. With a grounded and highly practical approach, Anthony plays a central role in guiding projects from early planning through implementation—bridging design ambition with financial clarity, constructability, and long-term durability.
Born and raised in Chicago, Anthony is the son of a Mexican mother and Irish-American father and grew up in a working-class family shaped by craftsmanship, resilience, and entrepreneurship. His father worked as a builder and tile setter, and his parents’ purchase and renovation of a Chicago two-flat instilled in him an early understanding of housing as both shelter and opportunity. Those formative experiences continue to inform his belief in thoughtful development, stewardship, and the value of well-built spaces that support everyday life.
At seventeen, Anthony joined the United States Navy, where his aptitude for language and systems analysis led him toward advanced communications and intelligence training. Fluent in Spanish and conversational in Japanese, Russian, and Portuguese, he later lived and worked throughout Japan, Russia, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, and the Philippines, developing a global perspective that continues to shape his collaborative and human-centered approach to leadership.
After earning a graduate degree in international finance in Washington, D.C., Anthony built a career navigating complex institutional and cross-cultural environments while also pursuing long-term studies in performance and storytelling in New York City. Over the past two decades, his work across healthcare systems, production, writing, and the arts has strengthened his ability to listen deeply, communicate clearly, and lead diverse teams with empathy and focus.
Anthony has spent years working alongside builders, contractors, developers, and creative professionals, bringing a calm and methodical presence to every stage of a project. Together with Julia, he purchased and renovated their first Brooklyn property shortly before marrying, beginning a shared investment in architecture, housing, and family life that continues to evolve through JAGA Studio’s bi-coastal practice.
Clients and collaborators value Anthony for his humility, strategic thinking, and steady leadership. He is known for asking thoughtful practical questions, building trust among teams, and helping translate big ideas into achievable outcomes. In addition to his work with the studio, he is an active youth sports coach and proud father of two sons, Atlas and Apollo.
WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING
“Julia was fantastic to work with. She has a great eye for materials and overall design, and was a thoughtful sounding board and partner throughout the process. She helped us source high-quality materials at great prices and connected us with a talented team of trades and contractors to bring everything to life seamlessly.”
— Private Resident
“I just love working with Julia! Her can-do attitude, clarity, peaceful confidence, and down to earth partnership inspires me, and gave me confidence that I could accomplish my building project. She collaborated with me to make smart investments. I learned so much about the construction process, and with each selection and design choice, I moved closer to building my vision. Working with Julia is like working with a best friend, who actually knows how to get things done. ”
“My overall working experience with Julia has been exceptional. This is my first time tackling a full gut renovation of a 3-story townhouse in Brooklyn, and she was able to walk me through the process with ease and confidence as she has renovated her own home in Brooklyn years before. More importantly, I felt like I had a partner with Julia, when it came to problem solving the issues that had arisen, and it was incredible to be able to bounce ideas to someone who has a keen sense of design and aesthetic. ”
“When my husband and I set out to remodel our brownstone, we were very happy to have Julia there to help us transform our list of “wants” into a true plan for upgrading our living space to match our lifestyle. She worked with us to meet our priorities and our budget, and oversaw the project from start to finish. Now living and working from home during the past 10 months, we couldn’t imagine living a different way. Julia was not only a good design professional, but a great communicator, so it was easy to trust her advice on negotiating between our varied stylistic preferences and budget.”
