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“The success of a project is not just measured by what gets built, but by how it gets delivered. The right team brings more than design, they bring foresight, coordination, and the ability to navigate complexity with precision, ensuring outcomes that are both impactful and executable.”
Pascale Sablan
CEO
Philosophy
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“Running a design practice today requires more than great design, it demands clarity in operations, discipline in business development, and leadership that can align people, process, and performance. The firms that thrive are not just creative, they are structured to sustain growth."
Pascale Sablan
CEO
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“The most powerful projects are born from alignment, where vision, capital, and community are in conversation from the start. When development is approached as a partnership rather than a transaction, it creates value that extends far beyond the site.”
Pascale Sablan
CEO
About me.
Pascale Sablan, FAIA, NOMAC, LEED AP
Pascale Sablan, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Third Office. She is the 315th living African American woman registered architect in the United States and a globally recognized leader operating at the intersection of design, leadership, and cultural impact.
With over 18 years of experience, Pascale has led and contributed to internationally significant projects that shape cities through cultural infrastructure, civic investment, and community-centered design. Her work advances urban development as a driver of economic growth, social impact, and long-term resilience.
In parallel, she has led global organizations and run a business at the executive level, developing expertise across operations, human resources, finance, and business development. This dual lens, design leadership and business strategy, enables her to advise clients not only on vision, but on the systems, teams, and execution required to deliver it. Through The Third Office, she provides integrated guidance across organizational strategy, project delivery, and long-term growth.
Most recently, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the New York Studio at Adjaye Associates, where she was responsible for leading the firm’s work across the Americas. Her leadership is defined by her ability to navigate complex environments, align diverse stakeholders, and deliver projects that serve as catalysts for neighborhood transformation and cultural legacy.
Pascale is also the Founder of Beyond the Built Environment, an advocacy organization dedicated to addressing inequities in architecture and expanding pathways for women and BIPOC designers. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, and Forbes has recognized her as “a powerhouse woman actively changing history.” She was also featured on Oprah’s Future Rising as a Black trailblazer advancing the world forward.
She currently serves on the International Union of Architects Professional Practice Commission and is the immediate past President of the National Organization of Minority Architects, where she made history as the fifth woman to lead the organization.
Her honors include the 2025 Presidential Medal for Distinguished Service from NCARB, the Architectural League of New York Emerging Voices Award, and elevation to the AIA College of Fellows as the youngest African American to receive this distinction in the organization’s 167-year history.
Trusted Space
The Third Office is a strategic advisory practice operating between organizations, leadership, and execution.
It was created to provide a neutral, trusted space where complex ideas can be clarified, decisions can be strengthened, and teams can move forward with alignment and confidence.
A strategic layer between vision and delivery.
Supporting Leaders
Neither internal nor external, The Third Office exists in the space between, supporting leaders, institutions, and project teams at critical moments where clarity, discretion, and strategic thinking matter most.
Architecture
Business Development
Advocacy
The practice is grounded in real-world experience at the highest levels of architecture, business development, and advocacy, allowing it to move seamlessly between vision and execution.
Why choose us
Providing high-level guidance to help leaders navigate complex decisions, define direction, and move forward with clarity and confidence.
Strategic Advisory
Executive-Level Project Support
Partnering with leadership teams to strengthen oversight, ensure alignment, and support critical project milestones from vision through delivery.
Stakeholder Alignment + Facilitation
Facilitating conversations across diverse stakeholders to build consensus, resolve friction, and drive unified decision-making.
Design + Development Strategy
Advising on the intersection of design intent, development goals, and project feasibility to ensure cohesive and impactful outcomes.
Communication + Positioning
Shaping clear, compelling narratives that strengthen how projects, ideas, and organizations are understood and received.
Organizational Navigation
Supporting teams in navigating internal dynamics, structures, and challenges to improve effectiveness and maintain forward momentum.
Special Projects + Partnerships
Collaborating on unique initiatives and strategic partnerships that require discretion, creativity, and tailored execution.