Quyen brings imagination and sensitivity to complex design, working on projects that range from aquariums to multi-use housing, schools, and libraries. She approaches design with the intent of transforming the everyday into the unexpected, translating concepts into places that embody her client’s core mission. Recent projects include the Pacific Visions expansion at the Aquarium of the Pacific, UC Davis Tercero Student Housing, and the National Aquarium of New Zealand. Quyen is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

With over 25 years of experience, Philip is a talented design leader capable of project execution from conceptual design through project completion. His passion for both design and digital technology has led him to be an innovator in the use of digital media and design. Philip brings a strong academic background in architecture to his projects and a working knowledge and practice in architectural design from a wide variety of experiences, helping him solve the complex design problems. He leads the design studio in San Francisco on projects throughout California. He has taught and served on juries / lectured at UC Berkeley, USC, SciArc, Woodbury, Cal Poly, AAU, and CCA. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from University of Southern California and Master of Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design

Craig Scott, AIA

Craig Scott is co-founder of IwamotoScott Architecture. Honors received by IwamotoScott include the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, induction into the Interior Design Hall of Fame, ACADIA’s Digital Practice Award of Excellence, Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard, and Emerging Voices and League Prize awards from The Architectural League of New York. Scott maintains a teaching career alongside professional practice, as Professor of Architecture at CCA in San Francisco.

Karen Brandt, AIA, is a Senior Principal at Heintges, a certified WBE. She joined Heintges New York in 2001 and launched the firm’s San Francisco office in 2013. She has spent the last eight years leading and growing the firm’s West Coa­st teams and body of work. Notable projects include 100 Stockton Street, headquarters for Adobe, LinkedIn, and Uber, the MIRA SF tower, the new Whitney Museum of American Art at Gansevoort and the historic renovation of the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. Ms. Brandt holds degrees in architecture from the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley and the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

MA (Hons)

Ben studied at Edinburgh University, and joined Foster + Partners in 2001, initially working on 30 St Mary Axe. In 2008 he completed Vivaldi Towers in Amsterdam. Since 2009, Ben has been focused on the design of the Apple Park project, combining his experience of masterplans, integrated building design and detailing. Ben is based in California, leading construction of the project on site and the Foster + Partners office in San Francisco. He makes art in his spare time.

Pedram Farashbandi is a Principal at David Baker Architects, a collaborative architecture and urban design firm based in San Francisco and Birmingham, Alabama. Pedram grew up in Shiraz, Iran, a city known for its gardens, poets, literature, and wine—all of which influenced the way he perceives his surroundings and approaches design. Over a decade of practice with DBA, Pedram works on diverse projects at the initial phases, rethinking conventional approaches and adapting workflows to suit specific challenges. His projects include affordable housing, hospitality, modular design and construction, micro-units, and innovative live-work developments. He is currently overseeing the design and construction of Tidal House, a residential tower on Treasure Island.

Brett joined Turner Construction since 2009, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Structural Engineering from UC San Diego. In his 12+ years at Turner, Brett has held a variety of roles, including Field Engineer, Cost Engineer, Project Engineer, Senior Cost Engineer, and SPD Project Manager.

His past projects have spanned several market segments, including aviation, commercial, higher education, sports, and light industrial. In 2021, Brett relocated from San Diego to the South Bay to fill the Business Development Manager position for Turner’s Silicon Valley office. Since June 2024, Brett has served as the Sustainability Manager for the Northern California Region, working with project teams to reduce our carbon, water, and waste impacts in our operations.

Outside of work, Brett enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter on the beach or in the Santa Cruz Mountains. His stress relief is by way of golf, basketball, and working out, as well as writing poetry for toddlers.

NAIOP

Eric is responsible for managing design, permitting, and construction activities at Longfellow’s San Diego properties. Prior to joining Longfellow, Eric worked for both general contractors and development managers in Phoenix, Arizona, and Northern California Bay Area. His past project types have included ground up tech campuses in Silicon Valley, bioscience and venture capital tenant improvement projects, and high-rise construction in downtown San Francisco. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Management from University of Arizona.

Architect, LEED AP

Leslie Scheppelmann is a registered Architect in the state of California and her experience encompasses a variety of projects ranging from historic buildings, existing structures, and new construction. Her work has included investigation of enclosure failures and repair design, condition assessments of existing structures, and assisting project teams with developing enclosure details to meet performance, durability, and aesthetic goals. Leslie’s expertise includes design and repair solutions for all elements of building enclosures including roofs, plazas, cladding and precast panels, custom fenestration and curtain walls, and below-grade structures. Additionally, she has extensive experience in preserving historic materials, concrete and masonry repairs, and repairing fire- and water-damaged structures.

Leslie’s array of project experiences on both existing buildings and new construction allows for creative problem solving for atypical conditions. She holds the position of Chair for the ASHRAE Technical Committee on Building Materials and Building Envelope Performance. In 2024 and 2025, respectively, Leslie’s project teams for the reroofing of the historic Marin County Civic Center and facade restoration of St. Ignatius Church received California Preservation Foundation awards.

David Lehrer serves as CBE’s Communications Director and as a member of the research team. He is the primary liaison between our industry partners and the research staff, he leads CBE’s outreach efforts and oversees CBE’s portfolio planning. He has been a key contributor to several CBE research topics including occupant surveys, high performance facades, and the visualization of building information. He frequently plans and facilities events related to building performance, sustainability and technology.

David is a licensed architect in California and holds a Master of Architecture degree from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining CBE, David practiced architecture for over a decade on a broad range of project types. David is also a specialist in resource efficient design, and has lectured and written on numerous related topics. David has been an adjunct faculty member at the California College of the Arts (CCA) where he has taught green building and interdisciplinary design courses. He serves on the Advisory Council for the Emerging Technologies Coordinating Council (ETCC). Previously he served for several years as co-chair of the the AIA San Francisco Chapter Committee on the Environment. He is a LEED Accredited Professional, and also earned a certificate in Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies from the Stanford Center for Professional Development.

AIA, LEED AP

James is an experienced architect and project designer with over 25 years of leadership in planning and delivering complex, engineering-intensive facilities. He employs a deep knowledge of digital design tools, façade expertise, and integrated sustainability to implement high-performance buildings on both new and existing campuses. With a deep background in academic, industrial, and science and technology projects, James works collaboratively with his clients to help them align technical rigor with design excellence. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech and a Master of Arts in Environment and Energy from the Architectural Association in London.

Brent Van Gunten, AIA

Brent Van Gunten is a Principal and Technical Director at Gensler. His portfolio includes commercial projects for office and science users, headquarters campuses, and higher education faculty and research space. Brent is committed to his clients’ investment in design, through both technical excellence and the creation of design opportunities. He leads with communication: distilling complex goals and technical demands into transparent choices which constituents can embrace. This engagement enables design-sensitive solutions to user experience and sustainability. His work includes significant building re-use projects, demonstrating the impact of new construction while conserving natural resources.

As a Professional Engineer and owner of Blackcomb Facade Technology, J-F Robert has focused his practice on significant curtainwall projects. His experience ranges from 60 story high rise, PHI certified commercial buildings, high end residences and complex freeform structures. Blackcomb Façade Technology is the exclusive fabrication partner for RAICO Bautechnik in the Pacific Northwest for all systems types including Timber, Steel and Aluminum.

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. 

Charlotte D’Acierno is an architect at EHDD with a background in chemistry. She enjoys collaborating with creative teams and taking on key roles in façade design from concept through construction. She is deeply committed to what feminist historian Donna Haraway calls “response-ability” – the capacity to respond and drive social and environmental justice through the power of design. Charlotte integrates her scientific experience with her architectural expertise on marine research labs across California and internationally. She is committed to designing with dignity in mind, focusing the last five years on elegant and affordable student and multi-family housing throughout the Bay Area.

Peter Albertson AIA LEED AP BD+C

Pete is a Senior Project Architect based in the San Francisco bay area. He has 25+ years of experience in
work spanning from high-end residential to multi-modal transportation stations. His last 12 years have
been focused primarily on core and shell mid and high-rise for developers and companies in the
workplace, life science, and healthcare markets.

Stephen Fisher is the Lead Structural Engineer for Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems located in Sacramento California. He has 23 years of work experience in the structural design of buildings and non-structural components. As a Lead Structural Engineer for Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems, Mr. Fisher is in charge of all structural design and testing of the company’s curtain wall systems. This involves the design of custom aluminum extrusions and connections to the building structure and coordination with the building structural engineer and local building authorities. Curtain wall systems range from fully captured to four sided structurally glazed and stick framed on site to shop assembled unitized systems. Mr. Fisher was also involved in the design of Bagatelos’ UL Rated BiPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) curtain wall systems for stick, unitized, and rain screen applications. His current projects include major California hospitals and private commercial multi-level buildings. Seismic evaluations of the curtain wall systems is a major design component since most of the company’s projects are located in California.

Mr. Fisher has performed extensive computer Finite Element Modeling (FEM) of 4SSG unitized curtain wall systems for a current California hospital project in San Francisco to ensure adequate performance of the structural silicone sealant. This FEM modeling was validated with AAMA 501.6 Dynamic Racking Crescendo Testing in March of 2010. Mr. Fisher, representing Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems has been involved in research work with Professor Ali Memari at Pennsylvania State University and DOW Corning which explores and documents the performance of a 4SSG curtain wall systems when expose to dynamic seismic racking. Additionally, Mr. Fisher has co-authored two journal articles published in the Journal of ASTM International regarding the seismic design of structurally glazed curtain wall systems. He holds BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Davis and is a licensed Structural Engineer in the State of California.

Jesse Keefe LEED AP® BD+C

Jesse is an architectural designer passionate about design excellence and sustainable innovation, using climate analysis and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools to drive research-based design decisions. He is experienced across all project phases with expertise in BIM coordination, custom analysis tool development, and AI/ML integration. Additionally, he is committed to bridging design creativity with technical rigor to deliver high-performance buildings and advance firm-wide sustainability strategies.

Kevin Lin is an architectural designer rooted in both architecture and interior design. He began his career in Japan, where he developed a deep appreciation for local craft, materiality, and the subtle cultural nuances that influence the built environment. Moving to the United States expanded his perspective even further, reinforcing his belief that no single solution fits every design challenge.

Recently, Kevin has been involved in projects utilizing plaster and terracotta materials that rely heavily on process and craftsmanship. Through this work, he has developed a particular interest in collaborating with local trades and translating façade design concepts into built reality.

Shane Carmichael is the President at Levolux, bringing expertise in building design and construction solutions. Levolux combines decades of experience in the construction sector with the latest innovations in building design to bring our clients high performance solar shading, balcony and facade solutions. We engineer our products to provide you with value across the project life cycle, which may include design, supply and installation.

Michael has over 20 years of real-world experience on many of largest, high profile projects throughout the Western United States. Through his knowledge and expertise, Michael developed a solid reputation working closely with inspectors, glazing contractors, and curtain wall consultants as a trusted resource on a wide range of curtain wall projects.
Michael is committed to ensure your project stays on budget and gets done right the first time from conception to close out. Prior to his role as Façade and Curtain Wall Specialist for the Western US and Canada, Michael was the Western United States and Hawaii Regional Manager.

Chris is a Product Manager at Kawneer, which pioneers architectural solutions to advance modern design with resilient, distinctive buildings that promote well-being. Before joining Kawneer, Chris spent ten years in engineering and product management roles within the infrastructure products industry. Chris applies his engineering experience to drive the delivery of technical solutions for the commercial construction markets. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clemson Univ. and is currently an M.B.A. candidate at Georgia Tech.

Andrew is the Commercial Manager for Kingspan Insulation North America, and specializes in high-performance insulation products. Originally from the UK, Andrew began his career in technical support and continued to grow into a consultative sales role, helping architects and developers overcome building challenges by offering cost-effective system solutions for their specifications. Focusing on product solutions and market development, Andrew enjoys the variety of working in several markets with a wide range of building codes and requirements. In his role as product manager, Andrew helped launch premium insulation products into North America such as Kooltherm rigid thermoset phenolic insulation and Optim-R vacuum insulation panels. He is involved in testing & approvals, including entire wall system testing to help determine fire performance.

Andrew is part of the Net Zero / Sustainability team in Kingspan, regularly attends CSI and AIA events. He has spoken about innovative insulation technologies and deep energy retrofits at the AIA Conference on Architecture and has acted as a resource to industry publications such as Net Zero Buildings and Building Design & Construction.

Dionne Darling has been with The A|N Media Group for over six years. As VP of Brand Partnerships and Associate Publisher, she manages A|N’s Texas headquarters and handles accounts in the West, Southwest and Europe territories. Dionne has over 28 years of direct B2B sales, management and business development experience.