Graham Banks

Partner

Pelli Clarke & Partners

Graham Banks, AIA 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.

Paul Ormond

Engineer

Dept of Energy Resources at Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Paul is an expert on building decarbonization working at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the state energy office, helping Massachusetts achieve its legal net-zero decarbonization mandates. In this role, Paul works with Massachusetts cities, towns, planners, developers, architects, and utilities to improve new and retrofitted buildings with a particular focus on building thermal performance. Recently, Paul co-led the team that updated Massachusetts building code to include a Passivehouse mandate for new multi-family residential buildings as well as thermal energy demand limits, air infiltration requirements, and thermal bridge mitigation requirements, for most commercial buildings, well above the current requirements of American model energy codes. Paul also teaches building decarbonization at Harvard University Extension School.  Paul is a Massachusetts licensed Professional Engineer and a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (BS, Civil Engineering) and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (MS, Civil Engineering).

Alejandra Menchaca

Founding Principal

AIRLIT studio

Alejandra Menchaca, PhD, LEED AP, WELL AP

Alejandra is a Principal at AIRLIT studio, an environmental consultancy with a design-centric approach rooted in technical excellence. Alejandra combines expertise in mechanical engineering and building science to give clients a clear understanding of the impact design strategies and innovative solutions have on long-term building performance. Alejandra’s expertise includes passive design, visual and thermal comfort assessment, and indoor air quality. She also has extensive experience in policy development, having contributed in updating ASHRAE standards, developing zero net carbon policies with the city of Boston, and developing compliance workflows for the MA stretch code. She holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and has lectured at MIT and the Harvard GSD.

Shu Talun

Associate Principal

RDH

As a Senior Façade Consultant, Shu Talun brings her passion for the mechanics and science within facade systems to the RDH Boston team. With a Master of Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design, and over 11 years of experience, Shu is uniquely adept at helping clients achieve their aesthetic and building performance goals. She has managed multi-disciplinary design teams on projects ranging between $30m -$50m.

As an architectural design professional with training in manufacturing, Shu has a passion for engaging across different work cultures to solve complex challenges. She is experienced in the management of the design process through collaboration with architects, general contractors, façade consultants and property developers. Her experience in manufacturing allows her to provide architects with a balanced approach to achieving architectural distinction and cost aware optimization.

David Woshinsky

Senior Associate

Handel Architects

David Woshinsky is a Senior Associate in Handel Architects’ Boston office with over 20 years of experience in architecture and planning, working in both the public and private sectors. He is currently serving as Project Architect for the renovation of Roosevelt Towers, which includes the modernization of multiple occupied buildings for the Cambridge Housing Authority. Previously he served as Project Architect for Handel Architects’ new 500,000 SF 2 Harbor Life Science Center, which recently completed in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood. Prior to that he served as Project Architect for the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel and Residences in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where he was involved from design development through construction administration and led the project’s development in Revit.

Prior to joining Handel Architects, Mr. Woshinsky spent four years in Kuala Lumpur working on various large-scale projects including residential, corporate office headquarters, mixed-use developments and master plans. Previously, he worked as a designer and job captain at Borges & Associates in Miami on a variety of high-rise residential, office, hotel and mixed-use projects.

Mr. Woshinsky holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Vassar College and a Master of Architecture from the University of Miami. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and a Registered Architect in the State of Massachusetts. He is also the co-chair of the Boston Society of Architects Placemaking Group, where he continues his passion for activating urban spaces with popups, tactical urbanism, and the creation of sustainable and equitable public spaces.

Nathaniel Jones

Senior Consultant

Arup

Dr. Nathaniel Jones is a senior building scientist at Arup, an architecture professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology, and president of the USA affiliate of the International Building Performance Simulation Association. His portfolio at Arup includes numerous thermal and visual comfort, daylighting, microclimate, air quality, and COVID-19 disinfection projects. Nathaniel has developed simulation tools used by architects and engineers worldwide, including comfort.arup.com, Arup’s advanced online comfort modeling tool, and Accelerad, a suite of open-source GPU-based lighting and daylighting simulation tools used by architects, engineers, and educators around the world. He is the author of over twenty peer-reviewed papers related to occupant health, comfort, and building energy use.

Felipe Francisco

Technical Design Lead

Studio NYL

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.

As a charter member and co-chair of the Boston Society of Architect’s MakeTank Knowledge Community, he has played a lead role in many of the committee’s efforts in the greater Boston area. This includes advocacy for STEM education and the development of a digitally fabricated model of the City of Boston for display at the Boston Society of Architects. His work has been exhibited at Architecture Boston Expo, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and World Maker Faire in NYC, and published in Architect’s Newspaper and Architecture Boston Magazine. In his spare time, he is a gravel cyclist, bike-packer, and backpacker.

Alberto Franceschet

Principal

Socotec

As a Principal of the Boston office, he oversees SOCOTEC’s Massachusetts building envelope consulting projects from the design to the construction administration phases.

With over 25 years of experience in the Façade industry, he has developed a deep understanding of the challenges of designing, engineering, procuring, manufacturing, and installing custom unitized Curtain Walls. His broad knowledge of Façade and his unique experience give him the skill set to be the ideal partner and advisor for Architects and Developers.

He is the co-author of numerous technical papers on the design of façades to resist blast loads and on the dynamic performances of Double Skin Façades for building energy efficiency.

Alberto holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Padova (Italy) and was recently appointed as Member of the Board of the Façade Tectonics Institute.

Gavin MacPherson

General SuperIntendent

Suffolk

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 containments 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.   

With over 30 years in a variety of fields in construction, Aaron has become a critical partner for many of the top CW Consultants in North America.  With his knowledge and expertise of perimeter fire containment systems for all types of construction including Mass Timber, backpan or non-backpan glazing systems, precast, GFRC, and Steel Stud/EIFS assemblies, Aaron can assist from design conception to project close out while meeting critical life safety requirements for a better project outcome.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Aaron is now a proud resident of the great city of New Orleans.

Chris Heider

Business Development Manager

Longboard Arch Prod

Chris Heider specializes in exterior cladding and architectural design solutions across the Northeastern U.S. With a strong background in architecture and technical sales with a passion for elevating façade aesthetics, Chris partners with architects and builders to deliver sustainable aluminum systems that meet modern design and performance standards. He brings a hands-on approach to design-assist and project collaboration, helping clients navigate specifications and execution with confidence.

Sergiy Kholodov

Technical Sales Representative (Timber Curtain Wall)

Unicel Architectural

Based in Montreal and a graduate of the National Technical University in Kharkiv, Ukraine (robotic systems/B.A.) and École Centrale de Lyon in France (master’s degree in industrial systems engineering), Sergiy has held several senior roles at construction firms. Sergiy has more than 20yrs. experience in the construction industry, including eight years in glazing project management and 14 years in sales.

Chris Giovannielli

Global Director of Product Management

Kawneer

Chris Giovannielli is Director of Global Product Management for Kawneer, where he has been a leading contributor for more than 25 years. Chris directs product development, positioning and launch strategies across global markets with an emphasis on education and sustainability. His deep expertise on the benefit of Kawneer’s products in the educational setting and how they tie to sustainability in people’s daily lives is highly valued in the industry. He has been featured in Metropolis and Green Building and Design, and recently was the member spotlight for the Air Barrier Association of America. Chris earned his Executive MBA from University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business in 2021. (13) Christopher Giovannielli | LinkedIn

Jim Hammond

Architectural Sales Representative

YKK AP

Jim has worked within the Building Products Industry his entire career since graduating from Merrimack College in 1985. He has been with YKK AP since 2019 working as the New England Architectural Sales Representative. He finds this part of his career to be the most challenging and interesting. Helping today’s Architectural Professionals to solve complex Façade problems and design issues to be very satisfying work.

Cory Fry

Sales Director

Mitrex

Cory Fry is the Sales Director at Mitrex, a leading manufacturer of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). With a background in sustainable construction, Cory and his team work closely with developers, architects, and contractors to integrate solar technology into building façades. Passionate about innovation and decarbonization, he helps clients unlock the aesthetic and energy-generating potential of solar cladding systems, contributing to a more sustainable built environment.

Diana Darling

CEO & Creative Director

The Architect’s Newspaper

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.

Douglas Nye

Regional Sales Manager

Kingspan

Douglas Nye is a Regional Sales Manager at Kingspan. He brings experience from previous roles at B&C Glass and Lymo Construction Co. Inc. Douglas Nye holds a 1987 – 1991 Bachelor of Architecture in Architecture @ Boston Architectural College. With a robust skill set that includes Strategy, Account Management, Management, Sales Processes, Outside Sales and more.