Martin Voelkle

Partner

Bjarke Ingels Group

Martin Voelkle is a Partner at BIG who focuses on architecture, sustainable construction and technology. Martin has been leading BIG’s collaboration with ICON Build, a developer of advanced construction technologies, including 3D-printed buildings, which are produced with less waste and in a more expedited manner than typical construction methods. Collaborations with ICON have included affordable housing communities, market rate residential, hospitality and event spaces, and NASA’s Project Olympus – a research base that will be the first lunar surface construction on another planetary body. Martin is also leading BIG’s transportation portfolio with the Zurich International Airport Dock A in Switzerland – a design that celebrates the passenger experience and ease of movement by way of its flexible framework constructed of renewable timber, the largest of its kind – and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Central, a reconsideration of the BQE transit corridor through Brooklyn with a focus on accessibility, integration with growing neighborhoods and an incorporated public realm. Martin’s work varies from cultural and infrastructural to residential and commercial, including the Shenzhen Energy Mansion HQ in China; Gowanus active community hub and residence in New York; and the Qianhai Prisma Towers in Shenzhen, China, designed to be a landmark gateway integrated thoughtfully with the existing skyline and public realm. Martin’s design interest and expertise expands to the urban scale with the development of King’s Cross Google HQ in London and Telosa, the vision for a new city in America that sets a global standard for urban planning, expands human potential and becomes a blueprint for future generations and future urban environments. Martin began working at BIG Copenhagen in 2010; he helped build the BIG New York office in 2012; and in 2016 he led the enterprise of BIG’s London office before returning to BIG New York, where he is currently based

Ben Llana

Vice President – Development

Skanska

Ben Llana serves as Vice President of Development for Skanska USA Commercial Development’s Houston region.

Since joining Skanska in 2013, Ben has contributed to several of the company’s notable large-scale projects, including Bank of America tower and the development of 1550 on The Green.

Prior to joining Skanska Ben oversaw the land development of ExxonMobil’s 4 million-square foot Corporate Campus in Spring, Texas.

Ben holds a Master’s in Design Studies from Harvard University and bachelor’s in Architecture and Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves on the Houston Downtown Management District Board.

Mark Motonaga

Partner & Creative Director

RIOS

Mark Motonaga joined RIOS in 2009. His extensive experience architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design enable him to manage complex projects and has made him a leading voice in the design community for creating memorable experiences. His grasp of creative culture and placemaking has led him to speak at such events as the Fast Company Innovation Festival to share his insights into the qualities that make great spaces succeed. His interest is in understanding the underlying cultural currents of a site to create bold, distinct designs that reveal the story that defines a place. His trans-disciplinary approach allows him to integrate both architecture and landscape architecture in design, as well as understand the complexity and inter-related nature of both practices.

Ivan Devora

Senior Design Professional

HOK

As a Senior Design Professional and Associate at HOK, Ivan works closely with clients to develop successful solutions. His attention to detail provides him with the leverage to deliver projects that are on time and well crafted. Ivan provides his team with strong confidence in his abilities, while remaining flexible to changing project circumstances.

Matt Ragan

Managing Director of Repositionings

Rebees

Matt Ragan is Rebees’ Managing Director of Repositionings. After earning History and Business degrees from the University of Kansas, Matt tried his hand at acting (where he found just enough success to still be talking about it) before finding his true calling in the world of hospitality and food and beverage. Matt would go on to run and develop multiple upscale restaurants in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas prior to joining Rebees in 2019. Outside of work, Matt enjoys brewing beer, researching current trends in the attempts to reconcile quantum physics and general relativity, and passionately arguing with friends and colleagues about matters large and small.

Mili Kyropoulou

Assistant Professor

University of Houston

Mili Kyropoulou is an Assistant Professor at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston and the founder and director of the Building Analytics and Sustainable Environments (BASE) Lab. She holds an MSc in Sustainable Environmental Design from the AA (Architectural Association) in London and is a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Chartered Architect and LEED AP. As an international architect, educator, and researcher, her work manifests through climate-based, human-centric design using experiments and building performance simulations. With over 15 years of experience in architecture, Mili has been involved in built projects or proposals in the US, Europe, the UK, Africa, Latin America, Russia, the Middle East, and East Asia. She serves on expert organizations such as IBPSA (International Building Performance Simulation Association) and IES (Illuminating Engineering Society), publishing in several places such as PLEA, Façade Tectonics, eCAADe, and SimAUD.

Ahmed K. Ali

Associate Professor of Architecture

Texas A&M University

Dr. Ahmed K. Ali is the Harold Adams endowed professor of architecture and the director of the award-wining Resource-Based Design Research Lab (RBDR/Lab) at Texas A&M University. Dr. Ali’s research and scholarship investigate the relationship between the architecture of waste, circular economy, and industrial symbiosis. He is well-known as “the Wasteman” for his patent designs and his incredible ability to transform industrial waste streams into valuable building products and systems. Dr. Ali’s work has been cited in numerous prestigious press including the Steven Holl Foundation’s critical research archive, William Zahner’s Steel Surfaces book by Wiley, General Motors Green, Living Architecture Monitor, and Texas Architect Magazine