NYC-Program26-ISSUU by The Architect's Newspaper

WELCOME TO FACADES+ NEW YORK CITY!

The Architect’s Newspaper is celebrating 14 Years of Facades+ Conferences. We are thrilled to welcome both new attendees and longtime facades fanatics to today’s event. We bring fresh and relevant programming to each and every city and have an exceptional group of projects, people, and expertise for you today.

Facades+ NYC brings together top professionals from the worlds of design, engineering, fabrication, and construction to consider how high-performance envelopes are transforming the built environment across North America and around the world, and are responding to changing codes, climates, technologies, and client expectations.

I’d like to thank our amazing conference co-chairs, Kai-Uwe Bergmann, Margaret Tyrpa, and Ben Caldwell of Bjarke Ingels Group - BIG, who have brought together today’s program of design leaders. We invite you to connect with the presenters and your peers during networking breaks in the Methods+Materials Gallery and throughout today’s event.

Please get to know our sponsors exhibiting in the Methods+Materials Gallery today and learn how they can help you shape the future of facade design and technology.

Has Facades+ struck a chord with you? Have a look at our upcoming events held in 15 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Visit our website to learn more about our other events and additional opportunities to earn your CEUs.

We are eager to hear from you about how we might improve the Facades+ experience. Talk to us. And please spread the word—help us to continue to grow the Facades+ dialogue and community.

All the best,

Diana Darling CEO & Creative Director, AN Media Group

Conference Organizers:

DIANA DARLING CEO / Creative Director, AN Media Group

MARTY WOOD VP of Events, AN Media Group

DIONNE DARLING VP of Brand Partnerships, AN Media Group

THURSDAY SYMPOSIUM

CO-CHAIRS

KAI-UWE BERGMANN

Partner / BIG

Kai-Uwe Bergmann is a global partner at BIG, contributing his expertise to projects and proposals worldwide, with work spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Based in BIG’s New York office, he helps lead work in more than 40 countries while coordinating with the firm’s international studios. His work also extends to exhibitions and publications, including BIG’s literary portfolio including Hot to Cold, Yes Is More, and Formgiving. An AIA Fellow and past Van Alen Institute board member, Kai regularly complements his professional work through teaching assignments as well as serving on international juries and lectures globally.

MARGARET TYRPA

Director of Enclosures / BIG

Margaret Tyrpa is a licensed architect in New York and New Jersey, with three decades of experience spanning design, production, coordination, and construction administration. As Associate and Director of Enclosures at BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, she has led technical detailing and facade development for over 70 projects, including The Spiral tower in Manhattan, the Bloomberg Student Center at Johns Hopkins University, Google’s campuses in Mountain View and Sunnyvale, and residential towers in Quito and Toronto.

BEN CALDWELL

Director of Specifications / BIG

Ben Caldwell AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP BD+C is an Architect at BIG, licensed in New York, California, and Connecticut. Ben is a Director of BIG’s Specification Department, with over thirty years of experience in materials research, specifications, and technical design on all types of building projects in the United States and abroad. He is a Principal on NFPA “Fire Tests” and “Structures, Construction, and Materials” Standards Committees.

SYMPOSIUM AGENDA - MARCH 26

8:00 AM CHECK-IN & BREAKFAST | METHODS + MATERIALS GALLERY

9:30 AM WELCOME: Diana Darling | The Architect’s Newspaper

9:40 AM PROGRAM INTRODUCTION: Kai-Uwe Bergmann | BIG

9:45 AM CIVIC PERSPECTIVE Perspectives on NYC in Transition

Moses Gates | RPA

10:00 AM KEYNOTE Materialism

Kai-Uwe Bergmann | BIG

Jack Murphy | The Architect’s Newspaper

Enhancing Building Skins: Innovations for Better Performance and Design

Kelly Henry | Wells Aaron Alterman | STI Specified Technologies

Thorsten Evenkamp | fronTEK powered by RAICO Ben Caldwell | BIG

ROUNDTABLE Concrete Futures: Advancements, Prospects, and Carbon Innovation

12:00 PM

Ken Miller | Reg Hough Associates

Adam I Gordon | Wildflower LTD

Julian Ocampo | ICON Tracey Coffin | BIG

12:45 PM PARTNER REMARKS: Alejandro Daras | Neolith

2:00 PM PARTNER REMARKS: Chris Gall | Oldcastle Building Envelope SPONSORED BY:

ROUNDTABLE Wood for Good: Mass Timber’s Evolving Role in Design and Construction

2:15 PM

3:00 PM

Peter MacKeith | Fay Jones School of Architecture Lucas Epp | StructureCraft

Amy Harrington | TYLin Jason Wu | BIG

PANEL Build Better: Capabilities and Collaborations for Next-Gen Design

Bob Zhang | North Glass Michael Steinhuelb | seele, Inc

Niyazi Can | Bisam Facade Margaret Tyrpa | BIG

3:45 PM METHODS + MATERIALS BREAK

ROUNDTABLE Biophilic Design: Expanding Nature

4:15 PM

Mitchell Joachim | Terreform ONE Joyce Hwang | University at Buffalo SUNY

Julia Watson | Lo–TEK Einat Lubliner | BIG

CLOSING REMARKS:

5:15 PM

Diana Darling | The Architect’s Newspaper

Ben Caldwell | BIG

Margaret Tyrpa | BIG

5:15 PM COCKTAIL RECEPTION SPONSORED BY:

NETWORK: facades2026 PASSWORD: Facades Guest

SPEAKERS

AARON ALTERMAN

Consultant Support Specialist – US & Canada / STI Specified Technologies

Aaron joined STI in 2015 as a Territory Manager in the Gulf South. In 2018, he was promoted to the Curtain and Facades Specialist role, working with glaziers, fabricators, curtain wall consultants and perimeter fire containment contractors in the Midwest, Gulf Coast, Texas and Central Canada. In 2024, Aaron became the Curtain Wall and Facades Consultant Support Specialist for North America, working with curtain wall consultants, architects, engineers and code officials.

NIYAZI CAN

Technical Director / Bisam Facade

Niyazi Can, a Structural Engineer graduate from the University of Hartford, serves as the Technical Director at Bisam Facade, specializing in building envelope and facade systems. With a Fenestration Master certificate from FGIA and over a decade of experience, Niyazi is renowned for his expertise in designing and adapting facade systems to meet stringent codes and project requirements, particularly in the North Eastern market.

TRACEY COFFIN

Technical Director / BIG

Tracey Coffin, AIA, joined BIG in 2019 and is currently a Technical Director in the New York office. She has extensive experience managing collaborative multi-disciplinary teams and overseeing the construction of high profile commercial, mixed-use, and adaptive reuse projects. Tracey has led the Wildflower Film Studios project team through all design phases as the Project Architect and is responsible for the management of all project deliverables and construction phase services. Prior to joining BIG, Tracey was an Associate at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill and a Project Architect at Leong Leong in New York City.

ALEJANDRO DARAS

Global Projects Director / Neolith

Alejandro Daras is Vice President of A&D Projects at Neolith and has extensive expertise on Rainscreen systems and solutions. Leading Neolith’s international expansion since 2021, he played a key role in the company’s growth. With dual master’s degrees in architecture from Valencia and the Illinois Institute of Technology, Alejandro transitioned from independent architect roles to the Construction Materials industry in 2016. His career spans Valencia, Munich, Chicago, New York, and Dallas, understanding of architectural intricacies on a global scale.

DIANA DARLING

Conference Director, Cofounder, CEO / The Architect’s Newspaper

Darling is CEO, creative director, and cofounder of The Architect’s Newspaper, which recently celebrated its 20th year. The A|N media company consists of print and digital publications covering architecture and design news, as well as the Facades+ and TECH+ conferences. As A|N’s publisher, Darling won the AIA National Collaboration Award, Grassroots Preservation Award, and ASLA NY’s President’s Award. She began her publishing career as director of print production for The Gap’s European markets. She holds a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.

LUCAS EPP

Founder / StructureCraft

Lucas Epp is the Vice President and Head of Engineering at StructureCraft. He has significant experience designing and building mass timber buildings across North America and Asia which have received national and international recognition, including recent top awards from the NCSEA, IABSE and IStructE. Lucas is also the founder of Branch — a software revolutionizing structural analysis, design, detailing and manufacturing for mass timber and beyond.

THORSTEN EVENKAMP

Managing Partner / fronTEK powered by RAICO

Thorsten is Managing Partner of fronTEK facades, an international facade specialist delivering high-performance metal and glass building envelopes across Europe and the United States. He leads the company’s strategic growth, including the expansion of its U.S. operations, building agile teams and partnerships with leading architects, developers, and contractors.

CHRIS GALL

Manager, Business Development / Oldcastle Building Envelope

Chris Gall is Business Development Manager at Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope (OBE). Chris has over 35 years of experience in the design, testing and product development for exterior facades for many clients, including the General Services Administration (GSA) and Department of Defense (DoD). Chris also has extensive experience in Hurricane Impact Products, Security Glazing, ASTM/FPA & TAS, Building Forensics, and LEED Compliance and Documentation.

SPEAKERS

MOSES GATES

Vice President and Regional Planning Association / RPA

Moses Gates is Vice President for Housing and Neighborhood Planning at Regional Plan Association, an independent non-profit organization that researches and advocates for long-term planning improvements across the Tristate area. Since joining RPA in 2016, Moses authored or oversaw several reports on housing policy, regional planning and urban design. These include four reports on improving the New York City Housing Authority, an urban design vision for green infrastructure on Rikers Island, a blueprint for inclusive economic growth in New York City, and possibilities for large-scale Transit-Oriented Development and creation of Accessory Dwelling Units.

ADAM I GORDON

Managing Partner / Wildflower LTD

Adam I Gordon is the Managing Partner of Wildflower Ltd. and the mind behind Wildflower Studios, his most ambitious effort to date. Designed by architect Bjarke Ingels and developed in partnership with lifelong New Yorker Robert De Niro, the multi-level Queens campus will combine the collaborative potential of a Hollywood-style studio with the latest in digital production capability. Wildflower Studios exemplifies Gordon’s approach towards development, evolved over three decades of experience solving real estate puzzles.

AMY HARRINGTON

Associate / TYLin

Amy Harrington is an Associate at TYLin in the Building Sector. She joined the firm in 2013 and leads the office’s Mass Timber Community of Practice. Amy manages many of the firm’s high-profile mass timber projects, spanning adaptive reuse and new construction. Her work includes projects in higher education, public buildings, and residential sectors. Amy is passionate about the vital role structural engineers play in advancing a sustainable built environment, and she has focused her career on mass timber construction and existing building work in support of that commitment.

KELLY HENRY

Director of Architectural Systems / Wells Kelly leads the strategic growth and development of DEX, Wells’ national Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) building solution. With more than 16 years of experience in UHPC and precast facades, she brings expertise in research, design, and fabrication to deliver high-performance, memorable architectural solutions. Kelly is recognized for bridging design intent with manufacturable solutions and advancing sustainable, design-forward building systems across the U.S.

JOYCE HWANG

Professor of Architecture / University at Buffalo SUNY

Joyce Hwang, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB is a Professor of Architecture at the University at Buffalo SUNY, Director of Ants of the Prairie, partner at Double Happiness, and a core organizer for Dark Matter U. For over two decades, she has been developing projects that incorporate multispecies habitats into constructed environments, working in collaborations with arts organizations, academic institutions, and interdisciplinary partners.

MITCHELL JOACHIM

Co-Founder / Terreform ONE

Mitchell Joachim is Co-Founder of Terreform ONE and Professor of Practice at NYU, where he leads research in bio-integrated architecture guided by a mission of design against extinction. His projects and writings have been exhibited and published internationally, including at the Venice Architecture Biennale, MoMA, MAXXI Rome, Dwell, Wired, Domus, and Fast Co. Joachim’s work has been supported by organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Fulbright, the La Mer Blue Heart Oceans Fund, the Ove Arup Foundation, and the Holcim Foundation.

EINAT LUBLINER

Senior Urban & Architectural Designer / BIG Einat Lubliner joined BIG in 2020 as an Urban and Architectural Designer, bringing experience across educational, hospitality, cultural, public realm, and residential projects, as well as master planning and urban design work focused on resiliency and infrastructure. Prior to joining BIG, Einat was an Architect at Brian Orian Architects in Israel, where she specialized in residential projects and masterplans for a variety of higher education, public realm, and mixeduse projects.

PETER MACKEITH

Dean / Fay Jones School of Architecture

Peter MacKeith, dean and professor of architecture at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, is a nationally recognized design educator and administrator. During his leadership since 2014, the school has grown significantly in student enrollment, retention and graduation outcomes, faculty appointments and accomplishments, curricular programs, diversity initiatives, community engagements and outreach centers, external funded research, new facilities and financial resources. MacKeith is currently overseeing the completion of the Fay Jones School, and the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation.

SPEAKERS

KEN MILLER

Principal / Reg Hough Associates

Ken Miller is a Principal Concrete Consultant and Owner of Reg Hough Associates, LLC (RHa). Since assuming leadership of the firm in 2015, he has focused on advancing architectural castin-place concrete and exposed concrete facade systems, with particular attention to constructability, surface quality, and long term durability. Under his leadership, RHa has expanded its services to include architectural concrete restoration and the development of a proprietary concrete repair system.

JACK MURPHY

Editor in Chief/ The Architect’s Newspaper

Jack Murphy is the editor in chief of The Architect’s Newspaper and AN Interior. Previously he was editor of Cite: The Architecture and Design Review of Houston; adjunct professor at the University of Houston; and assistant editor of Totalization, edited by Troy Schaum and published by Park Books in 2019. He earned degrees in architecture from MIT and Rice University. He received an Honorable Mention for the Pierre Vago Journalism Award 2020 from the International Committee of Architecture Critics. In addition to his work as an editor, writer, and educator, Murphy has contributed to award-winning architecture practices in Boston, Austin, Houston, and New York.

JULIAN OCAMPO

Senior Director / ICON

Julian is the Senior Director of the Design+Build team at ICON, where he leads the design of the company’s innovative construction projects. In this role, he collaborates with a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, and designers to create cutting-edge structures using ICON’s proprietary 3D printing technology. Prior to joining ICON, Julian worked at BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, where he led pioneering projects in collaboration with NASA, including habitat designs for Project Olympus, a program that explores space-based construction for long-term habitation on the Moon and Mars.

MICHAEL STEINHUELB

Vice President / seele, Inc

Michael Steinhuelb is Vice President of seele, Inc. and seele Canada, responsible for directing and providing overall management of seele, Inc. He first joined seele group in 1999 as the first Project Manager for international projects, and re-joined the company in New York City with seele, Inc. in 2015. Michael is a licensed architect and holds all contractors‘ licenses for seele, Inc. and seele Canada in the United States and in Canada.

JULIA WATSON

Founder / Lo–TEK

Julia Watson is the co-founder of the Lo-TEK Institute, which empowers generational wisdom through education and advocacy, and the Living Earth Curriculum, a global initiative to embed Indigenous knowledge into STEM and climate literacy. She launched and co-leads the Lo—TEK Office of Intercultural Urbanism, which advances the field of TEKnological Urbanism—a transformative approach to city-making that centers ancestral wisdom and trandisciplinary collaboration. Her thought leadership has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Architectural Digest, Vogue, BBC, CNN, Wallpaper, DOMUS and many more.

JASON WU

Associate / BIG

Jason Wu is an Associate at BIG, having worked on project typologies ranging from commercial, hospitality, residential, cultural, to large scale masterplans. In his over decade at BIG, Jason has contributed to numerous international projects and successful competitions, including the office’s extensive collaborations with Google, Toyota, and Audemars Piguet. Prior to joining BIG, Jason worked on notable projects in Canada with KPMB Architects, Gow Hastings Architects, and Diamond Schmitt Architects..

BOB ZHANG

Sales Director | North America / NorthGlass

Bob is the Sales Director of Tianjin NorthGlass for North America, the leading fabricator of specialty and oversized architectural glass for the global construction industry. Bob has many years of experience working with quality control department of NorthGlass. Bob was the project manager for Apple Park project in Cupertino, supporting the design team on the glass selection for Apple’s new headquarters. In 2015, Bob came to the US to make more connections with architects and support their designs of future projects with the innovation and capabilities that NorthGlass has to offer.

FRIDAY WORKSHOPS

WORKSHOPS AGENDA - MARCH 27

WORKSHOPS WILL BE HELD AT THE NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL - 185 W BROADWAY NEW YORK, NY 10013 REGISTRATION OPENS AT 9:00-10:00 AM (MUST PRESENT I.D. AT SECURITY)

TRACK A ENERGY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND RESILENCY

10:00 AM Moved by Climate: Bioclimatic Thinking for Adaptive Facade Design

Ricardo Daniel Diaz | Techne Rodrigo Borghino | Techne

12:30 PM Mass Timber Hybrid Systems: Decarbonize your Structure and Facades

Ben Mickus | WRNS Studio Kayleen Kulesza | WRNS Studio Kristin Slavin | Conifer Advising Eli B. Gottlieb | Thornton Tomasetti

2:45 PM Living Walls and Roofs: Designing Facades to Support Ecological Systems

David Brenner | Habitat Horticulture

TRACK B IN THE DETAILS: FACADE DESIGN, ENGINEERING + PROJECT DELIVERY

10:00

12:30 PM Architecture and Illumination: Integrated Approaches to Facade Lighting

Alex Miller | TM Light

2:45 PM Realizing Complex Facade Design: Office-to-Residential Conversions and Beyond

Charles Thomson | CetraRuddy Brian McFarland | CetraRuddy Benson Gillespie | Surface Design Group

TRACK C MULTIMATERIAL FACADES IN PRACTICE

10:00 AM The Treadwell: Facade Design, Materiality, and Community

Hilary Kroll | INC Jen Marchesani | Shildan Group Paul Gingold | CM & Associates

Hunter Frick | Brown Harris Stevens Development Marketing Sam Lim | Dart Interests

12:30 PM Glass Failures and Analysis

Russell H. Davies | AVRO Consult Engineering Adrian Lowenstein | All Things Facades

Tali Mejicovsky | Turner Engineering Group

TRACK D TECHNOLOGY: RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & DESIGN TOOLS

10:00 AM Structural Glass Design Manual: A Design Guide and Voluntary Specification for the Use of Glass as a Structural Material in Buildings

Richard Green | Green Facades Terrence R. McDonnell | CTL Group Andrew Crosby | RJC Engineers

12:30 PM Structural Thermal Bridges: A Hands-On Design Workshop

Angela Tarng | SGH Joseph Gentile | SGH Emma Ramsden | SGH

WORKSHOP SPEAKERS

RODRIGO BORGHINO

Managing Partner / Techne

Managing Partner at Techne. Over 10 years of experience in bioclimatic analysis, facade design, and complex performance analysis of facade systems across building typologies.

DAVID BRENNER

Founder & CEO / Habitat Horticulture

David is a pioneer in the field of vertical gardens. He holds a degree in Environmental Horticulture Sciences and Psychology from California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo. He credits his time spent apprenticing at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, with setting him on the path to living wall design. It was at Kew that he came to appreciate the beauty of epiphytic plants—those which have naturally evolved to grow vertically on trees.

ANDREW CROSBY

Principal / RJC Engineers

Andrew is a Principal at RJC Engineers. He specializes in steel design, complex connections, and vibration analysis through his extensive work with contractors. His retail work includes renovations and expansions across Canada, including projects at Erin Mills Town Centre, Square One, Halifax Shopping Centre, and Calgary Eaton Centre. He has completed a wide range of complex glass structures. His work includes glass observation boxes (The Ledge) at the Sears Tower in Chicago, Calgary Eaton Centre’s barrel vault skylight and glass bridge, and Columbia Icefield Skywalk in Jasper National Park.

RUSSELL H. DAVIES

Principal / AVRO Consult Engineering

Russell H. Davies, P.E. has 30-years in practice working alongside excellent clients and colleagues. Prior to founding AVRO in 2012, Russell completed a wide range of projects with firms based in Boston, New York and London. Russell has lectured at numerous symposia and served on the teaching faculty at Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation from 2004-2016. Russell has been a member of ASTM E6.13.51 task group contributing to glass design standards.

RICARDO DANIEL DIAZ

Managing Partner / Techne

Ricardo is a Managing Partner at Techne with Over 10 years of experience in bioclimatic analysis, facade design, and advanced graphical representation of building envelopes. Prior to joining Techne, Ricardo co-founded the Facade Studio based in Mexico City dedicated to solve facade projects focusing on energy efficiency, safety, affordability and design intent compliance of the facade. He has led teams at The Facade Studio through the design and study of the facade for commercial, residential, retail and hospitality projects along Mexico working with interdisciplinary teams from Mexico and the US.

FELIPE FRANCISCO

Design Principal /

Studio NYL, a Lerch Bates Company

Felipe Francisco, AIA is an Architect, Builder, and Fabricator with experience ranging from large-scale commercial and institution projects, medium scale Passive House residential projects, and small scale digital fabrication projects. At Studio NYL Felipe’s role is that of Technical Design Lead for the Boston Office. As part of the facades division, he works with architects, building teams, and contractors to provide expertise on challenging facade systems.

HUNTER FRICK

Chief Marketing Officer / Brown Harris

Stevens Development Marketing

Hunter Frick is Chief Marketing Officer at Brown Harris Stevens Development Marketing. He sets the strategy for end-to-end campaigns that deliver measurable results, support absorption goals, and generate millions of media impressions. Hunter’s work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other leading publications, where he is a trusted voice in luxury branding and real estate trends.

JOSEPH GENTILE

Senior Project Consultant / SGH

Joseph Gentile is a Senior Project Consultant with SGH’s Fire Engineering Group. He is a consultant and educator who brings his extensive expertise on the application of building codes and accessibility standards to design teams and his students. Joseph’s project work includes adaptive reuse, mass timber, high-rise, cultural, aviation, health care, higher education, residential, and performing arts buildings. He has supported design teams and worked with authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) across the United States, and he has significant experience in the Middle and Far East.

Build without Limits

For those ready to build without limits, Wells offers boundary-pushing building systems and services grounded in regional connections. Together we can transform your bold ideas into inspiring realities that stand the test of time.

GET INSPIRED AT WELLS.BUILD

WORKSHOP SPEAKERS

BENSON GILLESPIE

Partner / Surface Design Group

Benson has been involved with, and overseen, the design and construction of innovative enclosure systems throughout the United States and South America since the founding of the firm in 2013. His work includes both the assessment and renovation of historically sensitive facades and the development of new enclosure systems, with a focus on the use of parametric software to evaluate complex facade geometry, structural glass and an extensive range of cladding materials.

PAUL GINGOLD

Vice President / CM & Associates

As Vice President of New Business, Mr. Gingold is responsible for all Pre Construction activities, including buyouts, value engineering, interactions with client’s staff, representatives, and design consultants, compiling budgets, forecasting costs, reviewing General Conditions, billings, claims, and change orders, as well as managing CMA Project Management and Field staff.

ELI B. GOTTLIEB

Managing Principal / Thornton Tomasetti

Eli Gottlieb is Managing Principal at Thornton Tomasetti. He has worked on technically challenging and creative projects around the world. Eli engineered the 10-acre platform over an active rail yard on which much of Manhattan’s massive Hudson Yards is built as well as The Shed, also part of the development, which created a new paradigm for flexible cultural and performance space. Eli’s portfolio also includes 7 and 11 Times Square and New YorkPresbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York, the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor and Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

RICHARD GREEN

Principal - Owner / Green Facades

Richard is the Founding Principal of Green Facades and a facade specialist with over 30 years of experience as a global expert in the area of facades and structural glass. His experience encompasses all stages of a building enclosure’s life-cycle. Richard has worked on cultural facilities on six continents and such iconic buildings as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center by Renzo Piano in Athens, Greece; the restoration of the Sydney Opera House; the Amazon Spheres with NBBJ; and the refurbishment of the Seattle Space Needle with Olson Kundig.

HILARY KROLL

Partner, Sustainability Director / INC

Hilary Kroll is a Partner and Sustainability Director at INC. Hilary enjoys designing all things great and small; she is particularly interested in projects that encompass the total design of the interior and the exterior. She has been the Project Manager and Project Architect at INC for many projects that range from residential to hospitality design. It is happily her daily goal to transform New York City, one beautiful space at a time.

KAYLEEN KULESZA

Senior Associate / WRNS Studio

Kayleen is a Senior Associate at WRNS Studio. She joined WRNS Studio in early 2019 following a move from Chicago where she led programming and architectural design. She worked on large-scale educational, healthcare, and mixed-used projects, developing master plans and schematics, and overseeing construction documents and administration. A natural leader and mentor, she collaborates with a group of contemporaries on installations and publications that explore architecture, furniture design, and artistic expression.

SAM LIM

Vice President of Planning & Construction / Dart Interests

Samuel Lim joined Dart Interests in 2024 and serves as Vice President of Planning and Construction, where he leads development projects from early conceptual planning through final turnover. Samuel brings a deep command of both design and technical execution to every project he leads. His portfolio spans new construction and major renovation across a wide range of asset types. His work emphasizes high-quality building envelopes, sustainability, and thoughtful material selection to deliver resilient, high-performing structures in today’s evolving built environment.

ADRIAN LOWENSTEIN

Founder / All Things Facades

Adrian is the founder of All Things Facades, an independent consultancy and manufacturer’s representative firm dedicated to technical excellence and real-world execution in the building envelope industry. All Things Facades brings deep industry expertise, a vast network, and a relentless focus on quality and performance to help projects move from concept to reality with precision, innovation, and clarity.

WORKSHOP SPEAKERS

JEN MARCHESANI

Vice President Sales & Marketing / Shildan Group

Jen Marchesani has been with Shildan Group for almost 10 years, and currently serves as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. During her tenure, she has worked on numerous iconic projects featuring terra cotta rain screen and/or sunscreen throughout the United States. Jen was integral to the collaboration with OFFICE 52 Architecture on their materials & technology research, development and fabrication of the custom extruded terra cotta panels and custom glazes for the innovative high-performance facade on Tykeson Hall at the University of Oregon.

TERRENCE R. MCDONNELL

Principal Engineer / CTL Group

Mr. McDonnell brings over 25 years of structural engineering expertise to CTLGroup as Associate Principal. Recognized for his deep technical knowledge and innovative thinking, Terrence leads multidisciplinary teams through complex structural design, forensic analysis, and rehabilitation of significant buildings across the United States and Canada.

BRIAN MCFARLAND

Principal / CetraRuddy

Principal Brian McFarland is intimately involved in the design and construction process, leading projects from concept design through completion of construction. With more than 30 years of experience and professional practice, Brian has an in-depth understanding of multifamily residential projects; both new construction and adaptive reuse. In addition, Brian has experience with educational, institutional and hospitality clients.

TALI MEJICOVSKY

Director of Design | Building Envelope / Turner Engineering Group

Tali Mejicovsky is the Director of Design for Building Envelope with Turner Engineering Group. She leads a team of Building Enclosure design specialists who provide technical guidance by carrying out facade analyses and reviews. Previously, Tali was with Arup for 31 years working with facade engineering teams in New York, Sydney and San Francisco with stints in Melbourne, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Her roles included team leadership, skill development, technical oversight and business development. Significant projects include Solar Carve (40 Tenth Avenue), Northeastern EXP, Harvard Art Museum and the expansion and renovation at The Frick Collection.

BEN MICKUS

Partner / WRNS Studio

Ben is a Partner at WRNS Studio. His portfolio includes the Juilliard School and Alice Tully Hall in New York, mixed-use developments across the Bay Area, mass timber student housing, and an Arts and Humanities Building at CSU Monterey Bay. Ben’s design approach is characterized by intellectual mobility. Regardless of context, the search for innovation is Ben’s true North, the unifying theme that connects all of his work. He currently serves on the board of directors of Radium, where he uses his expertise to help realize the Bay Area’s first waterfront performing arts center in his home town of Alameda.

ALEX MILLER

Founding Partner / TM Light

B. Alex Miller is a founding partner of Taylor and Miller Architecture and its lighting arm, TM Light. Under his leadership, the firms were recently recognized by Architizer as one of the Top 100 Architecture Firms in New York City and among the Top 8 Lighting Design Firms globally. TM Light’s portfolio spans museums, galleries, commercial spaces, and luxury retail. Miller has been named to the Design Vanguard by Architectural Record and as an Emerging Voices winner by the Architectural League of New York.

BRADFORD J. PRESTBO

Senior Design Principal / Studio NYL, a Lerch Bates Company

Bradford J. Prestbo is advancing the profession through his practice, advocacy, and educational efforts in the use of cutting-edge design technologies, highperformance design, and the incorporation of maker culture into the design process. He has practiced internationally and is actively involved in the AIA. He has been elevated to the College of Fellows for his notable contributions to the advancement of the profession of architecture. He is part of the leadership group in the AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community, and founded the Boston Society of Architect’s MakeTANK Knowledge Community, where he currently serves as the National Director.

EMMA RAMSDEN

Project Consultant / SGH

Emma Ramsden is a Project Consultant with SGH’s Structural Engineering Design Group. She has broad experience designing new structures, rehabilitating existing ones, and investigating deteriorated and historic buildings. As chair of SGH’s sustainability group, Emma champions integrating sustainable design principles across projects. She is also a trained industrial rope access technician, using these skills to perform hands-on facade surveys and inspections for structural and building enclosure deterioration.

WORKSHOP SPEAKERS

KRISTIN SLAVIN

Founder / Conifer Advising

Kristin Slavin is a recognized leader in mass timber and sustainable construction. As the founder of Conifer Advising and former Director of Product at Intelligent City and Associate Director of Building Innovations at Sidewalk Labs, she brings extensive experience in architecture, development, and product management to advance mass timber prefab product development. Her work has been instrumental in driving building code changes and industry-wide adoption of sustainable practices, with notable projects like Carbon12, the tallest CLT building in the US at its completion.

ANGELA TARNG

Consulting Engineer / SGH

Angela Tarng is a Consulting Engineer with SGH’s Building Technology Group. Her structural engineering background and her experience with both building enclosure and structural engineering projects allow her to provide clients with an understanding of the trade-offs and limitations when designing components with both structural and waterproofing performance requirements. She regularly investigates and provides design consulting for historic and contemporary building enclosures.

CHARLES THOMSON

Associate Principal / CetraRuddy

Charles Thomson is an Associate Principal at CetraRuddy, having joined the firm in 2013. Highlights of his portfolio include Rose Hill, a 45-story residential condominium on East 29th Street; 412 West 15th Street, an 18-story commercial building in the Meatpacking District; and Corporate Commons Three, a sustainable, mixed-use commercial building on Staten Island with a charter school, restaurant, and rooftop farm. Currently, Charles leads the design teams for 29-10 Northern Boulevard and 77 Commercial Street – two high-rise residential rental projects in New York City.