AS+GG Director Juan Betancur’s experience in designing supertall and high-performance buildings has helped him develop a comprehensive design approach that incorporates innovative ways of dealing with the issues that have plagued this building typology for decades. He believes that smart design can drastically reduce the consumption of natural resources that these complex and expensive buildings consume. By using new technologies and basic principles of orientation, natural ventilation and building massing to optimize performance, this building typology, currently a rare commodity, will become more numerous as humans continue to migrate into dense urban areas where natural resources and space are at a premium.

As a Director at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture IAS+GG) and previously as an Associate at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Juan has worked on several large-scale and supertall projects. Juan is currently leading a confidential office tower project in Boston. Previously he was the Senior Architect on Wuhan Greenland Center, a supertall mixed-use tower nearing completion in China. Juan was also the Senior Architect on FKI Tower a 240-meter-tall tower in Seoul, Korea that features an exterior wall with fully integrated photovoltaic panels. In his previous role at SOM, Juan worked on completed projects in China including Pearl River Tower, a 303-meter tower designed to harvest wind and solar energy in Guangzhou; Zifeng Tower, a 350,000 sm mixed-use supertall building in Nanjing; and Shanghai Grand, a 40-story, 100,000 sm office building in Shanghai.

An Associate Principal at SCB, Steve Hubbard is a Senior Designer who directs the architectural design and coordination of projects from the early conceptual phases through completion. Steve is a member of the Residential Research and Development committee at the firm, and has extensive experience in high-rise residential, mixed-use, hospitality, office, and urban planning on national and international projects.

Notable recent projects Steve has designed include the Marquee at Block 37, a 700-unit apartment tower in Chicago’s Loop; Loews Chicago Hotel and North Water Apartments, a 51-story luxury apartment tower and 400-key hotel in Chicago, IL; and Moment, a 47-story multi-family residential tower in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. He is currently designing the historic Tribune Tower condominium conversion project in Chicago.

Prior to joining SCB, Steve was at the Chicago office of SOM, where he led a studio in the design and development of large-scale, international projects. Steve is a graduate of Ohio State University and the Catholic University of America. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is certified with is certified with the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB).

As President and CEO, Chris provides firm-wide leadership, strategic vision, and project strategy across all SCB practice areas. He has grown SCB’s national presence by establishing thriving practices in Seattle and Boston and expanded the firm’s strength in core market sectors to include significant work in aviation and life sciences.

Chris’s project approach embraces multi-disciplined collaboration and technical innovation, leading to high-performing, beautifully crafted design solutions. He specializes in commercial office, hospitality, residential, adaptive reuse, and mixed-use urban infill projects.

As founding principal of the SCB San Francisco office, Chris oversaw the delivery of projects awarded for design excellence such as Anaha, Park Lane Ala Moana, and 100 Van Ness, a highly successful conversion of an office tower in San Francisco’s Civic Center to a residential apartment building. The adaptive reuse portfolio includes the recent transformation of The Tribune Tower – one of Chicago’s most visible and iconic landmarks – from office to luxury residential.

A graduate of Carleton University, Chris is a member of Lambda Alpha International, an honorary society for the advancement of land economics; the American Institute of Architects; Urban Land Institute; San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), the Arts Club of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago.

Since 2003 I’ve been working with researchers, NGOs, architects, and the glass industry to reduce bird mortality. My specialty is risk assessment, product evaluation, collision monitoring, public education and outreach, and implementing custom bird safe building solutions. This includes integrating bird safe practices into existing thermal and/or aesthetic design goals for LEED, passive house, net zero, and similar protocol projects. Consulting options also include risk assessments on initial design, as well as identifying optimal solutions for retrofits, and reviewing final plans to ensure that products are being used appropriately.

Matt Kuba is an Associate Principal and the Midwest Regional Façade Engineering practice leader for Thornton Tomasetti. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, he spent 8.5 years producing structural calculation reports and shop drawings for glazing contractors, before joining TT as a Façade Consultant. Matt specializes in structural analysis, finite element modeling and thermal performance analysis of exterior wall systems. He believes in design that balances structural efficiency, aesthetics, and thermal performance.

JP is a registered architect with over 13 years of experience supporting the successful delivery of large-scale multifamily, commercial, and cultural projects worldwide. Since joining MA in 2016, JP has served as the Project Architect on 900 West Randolph (also known as The Row Fulton Market)—a 547,000-square-foot, 43-story residential tower located within Chicago’s historic Fulton-Randolph Market District Completed in June 2023, the highly anticipated project features a deeply expressed glass and metal façade that pays homage to the city’s robust architectural heritage and infrastructure. In its detailing and articulation, the tower references the work of Mies van der Rohe and the muscular yet elegant structure of Chicago’s ubiquitous “L” tracks, defined by steel beams and curved aluminum brackets.

Prior to joining MA, JP worked in Rotterdam on various international projects, including a contemporary art museum in Moscow.

Angela Peckham (she/her) is a Design Management Director in Studio Gang’s Chicago office with experience in cultural and educational projects, including extensive management and coordination of teams for projects from design concept to construction administration. Since joining Studio Gang in 2006, Angela has worked on projects at many scales, including the Arkansas Arts Center, Writers Theatre, the University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons, the WMS Boathouse at Clark Park, the Midwest Offices of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center, and the Ford Calumet Environmental Center. Prior to her work at Studio Gang, Angela spent several years in New York working in film production and development. She holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan and continues to see the built environment through cinematic eyes.

Spending his formative years around the Sarasota School of Architecture movement, Justin was always fascinated by the way space shapes the human experience and the mechanics of how things go together. At 13, he began to spend his free time at his uncle’s job sites and learned from him both the technical practice of construction and also the power of relationships. He still spends his weekends renovating vintage homes with his husband, Stephan, and their dog, Luc. Justin’s projects all have one common element: the relentless pursuit of the “big idea.” He believes that conceptual clarity in design leads to the most impactful projects, and that the details and technical execution are critical to support the broader concept. At his core, Justin understands we have a responsibility to our clients and our planet to design thoughtful, timeless, and meaningful architecture. “The most sustainable architecture is architecture that makes a connection to those who use it.” His deep connection to all aspects of residential architecture–from designing it to building it–drives his wholistic approach to mindful design.

Janel Allgeier has been specifying building materials for over a decade. She has been with EQUITONE 5 ½ years and primarily covers the Central and Mid-Atlantic US markets.
Having worked with both interiors and exteriors, she is well versed in building materials and project cycles. Janel can be called on for in-person or virtual meetings and presentations and looks forward to growing the high density fiber cement market.

With 37 years of diverse architectural experience and the last 26 years being collaborative in the design and execution of all Yazdani Studio projects. As an integral design leader, he establishes a clear design vision and is capable of project execution from conceptual design through project completion. His work combines experimental design with a mature resolution of pragmatic requirements, along with a high degree of technical expertise.

Natalia Quintanilla is a Sustainability Associate at SOM where she works in the design and delivery of high-performance buildings. With over 10 years of experience in sustainability, architecture and façades consulting, she has acquired expertise in a variety of complex projects, including residential, commercial, supertall and large-scale mixed-use developments. By combining her background in architectural practice and building science, she brings a diverse approach to supporting the development of passive design strategies to enhance the vision of a project without compromising the energy efficiency and thermal comfort of buildings.

Peter Eric Siegal, AIA, LEED-AP is Senior Vice President and Director of Technical Design for the Americas for Lendlease Development, LLC. Prior to his current role at Lendlease, Peter was the Director of Development Operations for Lendlease’s Chicago development business.

Before joining Lendlease, Peter was in private practice as an architect and consultant mostly assisting developers, property owners, and architects with technical concerns. Prior to that, Peter served for ten years as Technical Director in the Chicago office of developer Related. Before his time with Related, Peter held roles from project manager to principal at three Chicago based architecture firms spanning nearly two decades years.

Peter received a Masters degree in art and architectural history from Columbia University in NYC and a Bachelor of Science in architecture from The Ohio State University.

Travis Soberg is a principal at Goettsch Partners, as well as the firm’s director of sustainable design. He joined GP in 1998 and has worked on some of the firm’s most prominent projects. With the growth and expansion of the firm’s international work, Travis has played a pivotal role in leading the technical design direction on large-scale office, hotel and mixed-use projects, with a primary focus on supertall towers. Travis is a member of the AIA and a LEED Accredited Professional. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Penn State University.

John Rovi has nearly two decades of progressive experience in the fenestration and exterior façade industry. His roles in project management, facade consulting, and most recently in architectural business development for Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope® provide a wide breadth of industry expertise. John frequently presents technical yet easy-to-understand topics to the architectural community, engineers, developers, and owners. His audiences have ranged from 15 to 1,250 people spanning five countries. Over the past nine years, John has also written the blog “Mind Your Business” for USGlass Magazine, providing practical advice on sales, presentations, marketing, and how to drive success both personally and professionally.

Brandon has spent the last 11 years working in the building facades and architectural glass industry. He has worked with rainscreen systems, air and vapor barriers, windows, storefront and curtain wall systems. With a spirit of curiosity and exploration, YKK develops architectural products of true value that connect people, planet and the future.

Ben Juckes is an Associate with the Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign, a Los Angeles based interdisciplinary architecture and design practice which is a laboratory for exploration and experimentation. Before relocating to California, Ben taught parametric modeling and design studios at the University of Western Australia where he also received his Master Degree from the School of Architecture. Whilst at UWA, Ben represented Australia at the Venice Biennale, collaborating with Felix on a retrospective pavilion that brought unbuilt projects to life through a series of augmentations and animations. Since joining the Yazdani Studio he has worked on a wide range of typologies, from the award winning hybrid student “maker space” and housing building – Lassonde Studios at the University of Utah, to cultural projects in Los Angeles and Jerusalem, and significant high end residential developments in Dubai. Ben is embedded in and provides design leadership in both the studios research initiatives and active projects, and is instrumental in developing a variety of DIY tools and custom workflows that challenge conventional practice and change the way we think about architecture.

As an Architectural Design Associate with Viracon the past 10 years, Jennifer Highfield assists architects, engineers, developers, and consultants with architectural glass selection. Jennifer focuses on aligning performance demands, the desire for neutral aesthetics and daylighting for appropriate glass solutions. With her background in the construction industry and her extensive glass knowledge, she provides technical support and design options to ensure goals are met. Jennifer specializes in bird friendly glazing and provides guidance to architects for glass products that comply while meeting strict energy codes.

Curtain Wall & Façade Specialist for the Strategic Accounts Division of STI Specified Technologies, covering the central United States and Canada.

Aaron joined STI Specified Technologies in 2015 and has over 30 years of experience in construction materials. He has conducted firestop trainings for STI, The International Firestop Council and to a variety of groups including; architects, engineers, consultants, code officials, inspectors and all types of trades. He is certified at Level 2 of Firestop Instructional Training (FIT II).

AIA NCARB LEED AP

Natalya is a LEED certified, registered architect with more than 12 years of experience on residential, hospitality, retail and entertainment projects. As a project architect at Stantec, she currently focuses on mixed-use, multi-family residential with extensive amenity programs. Some of her recent projects include 43-story residential tower 900 West Randolph and 72-story apartment tower 400 North Lake Shore Drive. Both projects are equipped with robust amenity programs that include retail, lounges, party spaces and outdoor pools. With a strong attention to detail, Natalya promotes sustainable building practices and exceptional quality and execution throughout the project lifecycle.

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.