Winka Dubbeldam

Founding Principal

Archi-Tectonics

Winka Dubbeldam, MArch MS-AAD, is a seasoned academic and design leader, having served as Chair and Miller Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design from 2013 through June 2023. Apart from working on curricular revisions and faculty growth, Dubbeldam initiated the annual publication “Pressing Matters” published by ORO, and organized annual conferences at Weitzman such as the New Normal [2013], Future Cities [2014] , the ACSA [2015], Women in Architecture [2016], and lastly the prestigious ACADIA conference 2023. Previously, Professor Dubbeldam initiated and directed the Post-Professional Architecture program for 10 years (2003-2013), providing international students with innovative design skills, cutting-edge theoretical and technological knowledge, and the analytic, interpretive, and writing skills necessary for a productive and innovative career in the field of architecture. She also taught advanced architectural design studios at Columbia, Cornell and Harvard University, among other prestigious institutions. Dubbeldam is currently the External Examiner at the Architectural Association London’s DRL [2023-26] and was the same at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London (2019-2023).  She has been a juror and chaired international and national award juries [ULI, Prix de Rome, AIA, SARA, RIBA, Archiprix], and was keynote speaker at important international conferences, and gave a TED talk in 2013 at TED Global. Currently Professor Dubbeldam is on the editorial board of PLAN magazine’s Research Journal [2021-] and was one of the Creative Directors for CityX Virtual Italian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale [2021& 23].

James Richärd

Partner

Richärd Kennedy Architects

James Richärd, FAIA is an internationally recognized, award-winning lead designer who leverages context, materiality, and tectonics to create powerful and evocative spatial experiences. With his integrative approach to design, and a focus on civic work, he is sought out and known for inspiring projects that enrich the communities they serve – whether a global international hub or a rural neighborhood. He has specialized expertise in the design of academic and community libraries, diplomatic campuses, and academic research facilities.

Over the past decade, he has designed and constructed a multitude of Diplomatic campuses and facilities around the world, including new embassies, consulates and diplomatic compounds in Qatar, Brazil, Mexico, Mauritius, India, Indonesia, and China, among others.

Jim has been named an Emerging Voice by the Architectural League of New York and Architect 50 by Architect magazine eight years running. He has been the recipient numerous international/national design awards, including the University of Arizona Alumni of the Year, AIA Arizona Firm of the Year Award, the AIA Arizona Architect’s Medal, and an AIA Fellow. With Jim’s design leadership, the firm’s work has been featured in more than 30 publications.

With nearly forty years dedicated to his practice and studio in the heart of Phoenix, he has been a guest lecturer and critic for several architectural institutions as well as public owners including the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of State, where he is also an adjunct Industry Peer Advisor for State’s Industry Advisory Group. Committed to advancing the practice of architecture and realizing its profound impact on the imagination and human spirit, Jim remains engaged in mentorship and advocacy in his home state of Arizona and internationally.

Alex Rosenthal

Associate

Heintges

Alex Rosenthal is an Associate at Heintges and has been working with the firm since 2016. Alex has collaborated with some of the world’s leading architecture firms in the design and technical development of building envelopes on projects internationally, ranging from flagship retail to high-rise residential, commercial, laboratory, and museum programs. Since 2020, he has been based out of Heintges San Francisco office. Mr. Rosenthal holds degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Architecture and a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University’s GSAPP where he received the Lucille Smysyer Lowenfish Memorial Prize.

Kathleen Hetrick

Associate

Buro Happold

Kathleen Hetrick is an Associate at Buro Happold and is a Bloomberg Fellow at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. As part of the Buro Happold Los Angeles Sustainability team, Kathleen combines her passion for regenerative design with a technical background in Architectural Engineering. She leads the sustainable design process on a wide range of cutting-edge projects including LEED Platinum, ILFI Zero Carbon and Living Building Challenge buildings, portfolio-wide scope 3 emissions reduction plans, social impact studies, resiliency analysis and corporate sustainability implementation workshops. She also facilitates Buro Happold’s regional outreach initiatives to encourage local K-12 students to pursue sustainability-focused careers in STEM. She is currently a board member of USGBC-LA and is one of the founding instigators of Carbon Leadership Forum – Los Angeles.

Lisa Rammig

Director

Eckersley O’Callaghan

Lisa leads Eckersley O’Callaghan’s West Coast offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She joined EOC in 2013 to support the practice’s emerging facade engineering group in London and after playing a significant role in the group’s exceptional growth, Lisa has been responsible for the expansion of EOC’s West Coast presence.

Lisa directs EOC’s R&D efforts, focusing on innovative glass designs and technology.

She remains heavily involved in academia particularly with the Facade Research Group at TU Delft where she pursued her doctoral research and has built strong links between research and industry.

Alejandro Daras

Global Projects Director

Neolith

Global Projects Director at Neolith, Alejandro Daras has an 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. 

Felix Weber

Facade Specialist

RDH

As a Façade Specialist, Felix has a deep knowledge in complex façade and glass design. He is a highly creative engineer and experienced team leader with over 15 years of experience in façade consulting and structural engineering. He enjoys designing structures and façades influenced by individual materials or products. He has worked with many cladding types and specializes in structural facades, structural glass, complex geometry structures, and uncommon building materials such as ETFE and fiber-reinforced polymers. Felix was involved, for example, in the Bombay Sapphire Greenhouses (Laverstoke, UK), a Large Confidential Campus Project (Cupertino, CA), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, CA) and the Berkeley Hotel Entrance (London, UK).

Michael Zanotelli

Facade & Curtain Wall Specialist – Western US & Canada

STI Specified Technologies

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.

Michelle Murray

Architectural Sales Representative

SAFTI First

Michelle Murray has over 15 years of experience in the architectural glazing industry. As the Architectural Sales Representative at SAFTI FIRST®, she brings her extensive knowledge and expertise of fire rated glazing systems and fenestration in general when working closely with architects, specifiers, glazing contractors and code officials. Michelle is a dynamic presenter and speaker who has been delivering our AIA-registered presentation to various architecture firms, AIA local chapters, CSI local chapters, and at other architectural and glazing industry events.

Andreas Hafner

Managing Director

seele, Inc

Andreas Hafner is Managing Director of seele GmbH, responsible for strategic development, sales, and innovation. He joined seele in 1993 as a student trainee and advanced through roles in project and sales management as well as international leadership positions. In 2016, he became Managing Director of seele GmbH and, in 2018, President of seele, Inc. and seele canada. Andreas holds a degree in mechanical engineering (Dipl.-Ing.) from the Technical University of Munich and has led renowned façade projects across Europe and North America.

Michael Steinhuelb

Vice President

Seele Inc

Michael Steinhuelb is Vice President of seele, Inc. and seele Canada, responsible for directing and providing overall management of seele, Inc. He first joined seele group in 1999 as the first Project Manager for international projects, and re-joined the company  in New York City with seele, Inc. in 2015. Michael is a licensed architect and holds all contractors‘ licenses for seele, Inc. and seele Canada in the United States and in Canada.

Dionne Darling

VP of Brand Partnerships

The Architect’s Newspaper

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.

Brian Hubbs

Principal

RDH Building Science

Brian is recognized as a practical engineer and researcher who delivers innovative solutions. He is one of the three co-founders of RDH and has a unique blend of theoretical and hands-on knowledge gained from completing hundreds of projects across RDH’s various practice areas.

Brian’s experience includes work on both high- and low-rise commercial, institutional, and residential projects in many geographic locations and in virtually all climatic regions in North America.

A key member of any design team, Brian specializes in façade engineering and is regularly involved in the design, testing, and construction of unique and complex building façades. He is often asked by clients to test and review various enclosure systems manufactured around the world.

An engaging and vibrant presenter, Brian regularly speaks at seminars, conferences, and universities on a range of building science topics. As one of the key contributors to the evolution of building enclosure technology in British Columbia, he has led landmark policy, guideline, and research initiatives.

Cameron Chorney

Associate, Project Engineer

RDH

Cameron Chorney | P.E.

As an Associate and Project Engineer, Cameron Chorney is an integral member of RDH’s building enclosure group, leading the development of RDH’s Southern California practice. He is experienced in both New Buildings projects as well as building enclosure assessments and investigations of Existing Buildings across the country. A member of our Energy & Climate team, he provides expertise in thermal and hygrothermal analysis of enclosure assemblies, including energy code compliance calculations. Cameron has a passion for design and implementation of complex facade systems, for example, high-rise unitized curtain wall (UCSD Pepper Canyon West, San Diego, CA), custom curtain wall (PDX Next, Portland, OR), modular construction (Modomi Conners, Bend, OR), and panelized exterior facades (NDA).

Amir Mikhaeil

Senior Designer

Bjarke Ingels Group

Amir Mikhaeil is a senior designer at Bjarke Ingels Group. Amir Joined BIG’s New York office in 2015 where he is a NY registered Architect and in 2023 moved to Los Angeles to help start BIG’s West coast office. He has lead projects for BIG in Ecuador and worked on several of the office’s projects in North America including the recently completed 1 High Line towers in Manhattan. He is currently helping lead BIG’s work with Claremont McKenna College & the Robert Day Sciences Center. Amir received his Masters degree from the Yale School of Architecture where he was awarded the prestigious Feldman Prize for his advanced studio work. Prior to joining BIG, he worked at the offices of Richard Meier & Partners, Pelli Clarke Pelli, and Resolution: 4 Architecture.

Joo Oh

Project Designer

NBBJ

With experience working on technically challenging projects, Joo has rigorous and well-integrated design ideas that are based on an understanding of historical and regional context and the programmatic issues that each specific site has to offer. He approaches every project with this idea and achieves innovative design solutions that strive to exceed each client’s expectations.

Philip Schmunk

Lead Designer

NBBJ

Philip is a Principal and Senior Designer who draws on extensive domestic and international experience to create memorable and meaningful places. His work varies in scale and mission, but seen as a whole revels an ability to effect positive change in major collaborative projects with studio architects. From strategic master plans to transportation centers to sports venues, his approach incorporates strategies from multiple disciplines to achieve the most comprehensive design. Committed to finding public benefit and lasting value, he integrates ecological sensitivity and social responsibility on every project.

Sophie Pennetier

Founder

Digne

Sophie holds 17+ yrs of experience in the design and construction of structures and commercial/cultural  building enclosures, in Europe and in the United States.

Teaching at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, Sophie has founded Digne as a professional runway for her students, as an Academic-Industry hybrid work collaborative.

Mira Henry

Co-principal

SCI-Arc

Mira Henry is a designer and educator. She is the co-principal of the collaborative architectural design practice Current Interests and is design faculty at SCI-Arc. Henry’s built work is grounded in notions of material specificity, color relationships, assembly details, and an engagement in critical cultural thinking. Her formal research and writing focus on architecture, race, and materiality.

She is the recipient of the 2019 Architectural League Prize, Henry Adams AIA Award, and Archiprix International Gold Medal. She has participated in numerous symposia, lectures, exhibitions, and reviews at institutions nationwide, including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton Universities. Mira holds a Bachelor in Art History from the University of Chicago and a Master of Architecture from UCLA.

Matthew Au

Founding Principal

SCI-Arc

Matthew Au is a designer and founding principal of Au Au, a Los Angeles based design office. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Art History and Theory from University of California, San Diego and a Master of Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture.

Since graduating he has practiced at offices including Zago Architecture, Michael Maltzan Architecture, and has worked in collaborative and independent installation works that have been exhibited at venues including Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara (MCASB), MassMoCA, and the Gamble House. Prior to joining the faculty at SCI-Arc in 2013, Matthew was a Visiting Lecturer at Kyoto Seika University.