Vely Zajec was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria. She studied Mechanical Engineering in Sofia Technical University, then moved to California and in 2000 graduated with Bachelors of Architecture from the University of Southern California. During school and after graduation Vely was designer/ job captain with Moore Ruble Yudell in LA for several years.  She worked on housing projects in Germany and Sweden, the US Embassy in Berlin, student housing projects for the UC system, Gloria Caufman Performing Arts Center at UCLA, and several master plan developments including the master plan for Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.  In 2006 Vely relocated to Laguna Hills to be closer to her family, there she launched her own design practice.  The housing recession in addition to now having  2 little ones added to the need and the incredible opportunity to run her own show.  She collaborated with a design firm in Baltchik, Bulgaria while setting up a home studio with a couple contracted designers.  Vely sustained a very successful business for 7 years with half the work throughout East Europe and half in Southern California.

As the housing industry picked up and Vely’s kids were older, she got back into the corporate world, wanting to be a part of the big Multi Family Housing tidal wave.

In the last 10 years she has been with Humphreys and Partners Architects, working with one of the most successful and innovative design teams in the US housing industry today.  At Humphreys Vely’s interest in the profound socio-economic and political aspects of multi-family were also peaked. She is interested in finding a way to make an impact, in whatever capacity, first as a California resident, second as somewhat of a social activist, third as a master Entitle-er of Multi Family projects that has seen it all with our California bureaucracy, and last but not least as an Architect.

Vely is married with 2 kids. Her husband is a writer and a consumer advocate, her daughter is a senior in pre-law at UCSB and her son is a junior in high school.