Agenda

Darling is CEO, creative director, and co-founder of The Architect’s Newspaper, celebrating 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.

Walcott oversees marketing, communications, branding, and product management, for YKK AP America’s commercial facades and residential businesses; she also supports communications for Erie Architectural Products group. Walcott brings nearly 20 years of B2B marketing experience with manufacturing companies over a variety of industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Syracuse University and earned her M.B.A. at Wichita State University; she also served in the armed forces as a U.S. Air Force officer.

Celia Toche, AIA, LEED AP joined Pelli Clarke & Partners in 1996. She has been the project design manager for performing arts centers, academic buildings, and several mixed use towers and master plans.

Celia’s recent work includes Torre Mitikah, a mixed-use tower in the Coyoacan neighborhood of Mexico City, Research Translation (MART) Building and New Bed Tower at Stony Brook University in New York, FMC Tower in Philadelphia, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, and Abeno Harukas in Osaka.

A passionate community advocate and educator, Celia teaches at Yale School of Architecture and Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey. Celia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Yale College and a Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Jose Mendoza works in the Building Envelope Consulting Group at Gilsanz Murray Steficek. He has over 15 years of experience in curtain wall and window consulting, including involvement in all phases of design and construction. Jose’s recent projects include new curtainwalls for the Pierhouse at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, JetBlue, One Jackson Square, Alvin Ailey and extensive façade investigation and restoration at the Westchester County Club in Rye, NY.

Jose received his Technical Architecture degree from the University of Sevilla in Spain in 2002. In 2021, he became a National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) Certified Simulator.

Aaron Seward is Editor-in-Chief of The Architect’s Newspaper. Seward is an award-winning editor whose career has centered on interpreting architecture for the profession and the general public. He was editor of Texas Architect magazine for six years and prior to that held several positions at AN, including executive editor. In addition to those publications, Seward’s writing on architecture, culture, and the built environment has appeared in Architect, Curbed, Domus, Metropolis, and other publications. He has a BA in Literature, Writing and the Arts from The New School for Social Research.

Chris has over 35 years of experience in architecture and over 10 years at DS+R where he has held key technical roles in the design and execution of a number of award winning projects.
He currently serves as the Technical Director for the upcoming renovation of the Metropolitan Storage Warehouse into the new home for MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning in Cambridge, MA and as the Project Leader for the Museum of Image & Sound in Rio de Janeiro, and played significant roles in the new MoMA Expansion and Columbia University Business School in New York. He works broadly across the studio as a resource and advisor to various projects.
Chris has served as an Adjunct Professor of Architecture in the advanced technology sequence at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation and has sat as a guest juror on architectural design and technical reviews at Columbia University, Pratt Institute, Barnard College, New York Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Princeton University.
Recent talks include Glascon Global, Reducing Structural Expression in Large Format Glass Facades and the AIA Honolulu Building Voices Symposium, Challenging the Conventional Classroom.

Jeroen is an Associate in Arup’s New York office. He is a structural engineer and multidisciplinary project manager with 12 years of experience.
Before he made New York his permanent home, he was based in the UK, the Netherlands, Australia, and Singapore. Jeroen is a licensed Professional Engineer, and he has a double MSc degree in Structural Engineering and Architecture.
He leads multidisciplinary building engineering teams and he especially enjoys creative collaboration and the design of innovative structures. He looks forward to the opening later this year of the Istanbul Modern Museum, one of his favorite projects. His current work includes the new Centre Pompidou Museum in Jersey City, The Design-Build program for New York City’s Department of Design and Construction and JFK Airport Terminal 4 Transformation.
When he is not working with his teams and clients, he is finding inspiration on the road: doing long-distance runs or exploring new destinations and tasting local food.

Michael Buesing, AIA, LEED AP, CPHD, is a Principal at FXCollaborative, a New York City-based architecture, interiors, and planning design firm. With more than 25 years of experience, he is instrumental in the design and coordination of planning, interiors, code, and sustainability strategies. Michael believes that architects are an integral part of sustainable development and that we must always be thinking of how to build buildings that help the environment. He advocates for the research and application of advanced building enclosure technologies that lead to energy-use reduction—as well as a reassessment of existing, traditional materials. Michael earned his Bachelor of Architecture from University of Texas at Austin, is a registered architect in New York, and is a LEED Accredited Professional and Certified Passive House Designer.

Graham Banks was originally drawn to architecture because it is a practice simultaneously rooted in artistic and scientific disciplines. Graham’s recent work includes South Station multi-phase air rights development in Boston, ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, FMC Tower in Philadelphia, and One West End in New York. He is currently working on Texas Tower, which will redefine the concept of live, work, play in Houston. Graham holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from University of Illinois and a Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Julia Schimmelpenningh is the architectural technical engagement manager at Eastman, in Springfield, Massachusetts, a global specialty material and chemical company.

Her work includes new product development, qualification and commercialization of laminated glazing solutions, regulatory development and industry education and association support. Julia also manages the America’s Customer Applications and Support Laboratories in Springfield MA and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Julia has been very active and solid contributor in the glazing industry for 30+ years and continues activities in ANSI, ASTM, CGSB, ISO, GICC, NGA and other organizations.

Schimmelpenningh served as president of the Glass Association of North America in 2005, and currently serves as chair of the ASTM committee on performance of buildings (E06) from which she has received several awards, the most recent being the E. George Stern award of excellence. She has also been chair of the committee on security systems and equipment (F12) and given the Award of Merit for her leadership, service, and technical expertise.

Emily Losego is Vitro’s director of commercial innovation, where she works with Vitro’s Marketing & Innovation Team to bring new glass product ideas from the drawing board to the production line. A former practicing architect, National Architectural Manager and magnetron sputter vacuum deposition (MSVD) product manager for Vitro, Losego is responsible for defining the vision for the architectural commercial market.

Since joining Erie in 2016, Whittington injects a blend of technical expertise and a passion for design into the firm. After graduating with a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Carleton University, he started as a 3D product designer with Erie where he developed a technical knowledgebase of facade systems. He advanced his career into Sales and Marketing, where he engages high-profile clients and partners to conceptualize and develop effective facade solutions.

Darin C. Cook, AIA is passionate about design, placemaking, and material exploration and development. He leads residential, academic, and institutional projects, including Wolf Point, a transformative placemaking project central to the large-scale revitalization of Chicago’s riverfront. A Fulbright Scholar in the former Yugoslavia, Darin’s greatest satisfaction comes from translating conceptual ideas into built form. He takes pride in mentoring junior colleagues and working with students in the art and craft of architecture. He holds a Bachelor of Design from the University of Florida and a Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Aaron Seward is Editor-in-Chief of The Architect’s Newspaper. Seward is an award-winning editor whose career has centered on interpreting architecture for the profession and the general public. He was editor of Texas Architect magazine for six years and prior to that held several positions at AN, including executive editor. In addition to those publications, Seward’s writing on architecture, culture, and the built environment has appeared in Architect, Curbed, Domus, Metropolis, and other publications. He has a BA in Literature, Writing and the Arts from The New School for Social Research.

Eric Lacroix in consistently recognized throughout the design community and construction industry for his firestop expertise, especially in terms curtain wall perimeter fire barrier systems where he is considered the “Industry Specialist”. Eric has over 20 years of real world experience serving as an invaluable resource on many of largest, most complex high profile projects around the world. He works closely with inspectors, glazing contractors, and curtain wall consultants as a trusted advisor during the design, fabrication, construction and installation of a wide range of curtain wall projects. Eric’s wealth of knowledge and experience ensures the project stays on budget and gets done right the first time. He continuously adds value throughout the process, from conception to construction, to close out. Prior to his role as Director of Strategic Accounts, Eric was the STI Firestop Regional Manager, covering the Southeastern United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, South America, and Mexico.

Kellie Knuff-Perkins is a Project Manager at EQUITONE covering New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. She has spent the last 10 years working for building manufacturers that mainly specialize in rainscreen applications. Kellie began her career in design and construction, working at architectural firms as the Business Development Manager.

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. 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.

Aaron Seward is Editor-in-Chief of The Architect’s Newspaper. Seward is an award-winning editor whose career has centered on interpreting architecture for the profession and the general public. He was editor of Texas Architect magazine for six years and prior to that held several positions at AN, including executive editor. In addition to those publications, Seward’s writing on architecture, culture, and the built environment has appeared in Architect, Curbed, Domus, Metropolis, and other publications. He has a BA in Literature, Writing and the Arts from The New School for Social Research.

Darin Reynolds, AIA, LEED AP BD+C is a partner at COOKFOX Architects and joined the studio in 2006. He has led a diverse range of projects, from workplaces and high-end single-family homes to urban affordable and supportive housing.

Some of his past work includes two high-performance supportive housing developments: The Hegeman in Brooklyn, winner of the 2012 AIANY Award of Merit for Multi-Family Residential, and Webster Avenue in the Bronx. Both were designed for Breaking Ground, a nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness. In Brooklyn, Darin led the project team of 550 Vanderbilt, a multi-family residential building featuring biophilic design elements.

Elissa Winzelberg is responsible for overseeing the planning, design and construction of properties leased or owned by Breaking Ground. She analyzes prospective sites, participates in the selection of consultants and contractors, coordinates programming and design based upon targeted populations and oversees the construction process through project start up and post-occupancy.

Before joining Breaking Ground in 2008, Ms. Winzelberg designed and developed affordable multi-family housing primarily in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to working as a principal in her own firm, she was a partner in Anderson Associates Architects and an associate at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners. At Beyer Blinder Belle she participated in designing and administrating housing, offices, and manufacturing facilities, specializing in historic preservation. She is a registered Architect having received her Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute, and a Masters in Historic Preservation from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture and Planning. Ms. Winzelberg is LEED AP Building Design and Construction, a Certified Passive House Designer, holds a Green Roof for Healthy Cities certification, and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects

Pedja Bilinac, AIA joined Pelli Clarke & Partners in 2017. He is active in the broader field of sustainability, and he is interested in ways in which we can ethically materialize ideas that keep promoting a diverse future ahead of us. His recent work includes 2100 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D. C., a 450,000-square-foot LEED Gold office building. He has taught courses on alternative architecture at Bauhaus University. He is active in the field of architectural theory and has a passion for music and photography. Pedja holds a MArch from Faculty of Architecture from University of Belgrade.

Darling is CEO, creative director, and co-founder of The Architect’s Newspaper, celebrating 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.

Kristin Hawkins, AIA was drawn to architecture because it combines intuitive, visual creativity with logic and problem solving. Her current work includes leading design for the award-winning Chengdu Museum of Natural History in China, an office tower in West Palm Beach Florida, and a tower at 3 East 54th Street in New York City. Past work includes design lead for the Red Building at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, the Center for Innovation in Medical Professions building at Cleveland State University, and the master plan for Vanderbilt University. A current faculty member at the Yale School of Architecture, Kristin holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from Yale University.