Jeff Sydness is known for his ability to combine creative design solutions with the realities of large scale development. As the founding principal of Sydness Architects, he brings 30 years of design experience in corporate, commercial, hospitality and residential buildings for a wide range of U.S. and international clients. He has been responsible for over 25 million square feet of construction, first as a partner with Johnson/Burgee Architects, a leading international architectural firm of the 80's and 90's, and now with his own firm. Many of these buildings have become significant commercial and urban landmarks. Working closely with Philip Johnson and John Burgee on a number of significant projects, he became an Associate in 1983 and a Partner in 1988. Mr. Sydness was the Design Partner responsible for several projects at JBA including Takashimaya in New York, Puerta de Europa in Madrid, Spain, and the Conrad International Hotel in Singapore.

Sydness received his BA degree from Principia College and his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Minnesota. He founded Sydness Architects in 1996, getting off to an impressive start as the winner of an invited international design competition for the Shanghai St. Regis Hotel, a forty-story, five-star hotel operated by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, in Shanghai, China. He has steadily built on that success, with commissions for major projects in some of the fastest growing areas of Asia and the U.S.