Agenda

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.

As director of branch sales, Derick Clutchey is responsible for expanding sales and ensuring service excellence for YKK AP’s 10 branch locations across the U.S. He is responsible for overall branch sales and their oversight, as well as support strategy development and execution with emphasis on business growth.

Clutchey joined YKK AP in 2016 as the Baltimore branch manager. In 2018, his oversight was expanded to include the Boston branch. He has successfully led the northeast regional team throughout this time with effective leadership as well as a strong talent for building relationships with employees and customers.

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.

Sebastian’s strength as a designer stems from his ability to identify and execute solidly articulated concepts. As a Creative Director, he is involved in every aspect of design, from practice to education. His wide range of experience enables him to excel in many disciplines, to find solutions as conceptual as the initial design idea and as specific as the furniture that completes the project.

Since joining RIOS in 2004, Sebastian’s contributions have expanded the Studios’ multidisciplinary expression, with work that spans scales from large, urban mixed-use, to institutional, to residential, to furniture that solve complex problems with bold, integrative designs.

Mr. Siegel is a Principal with Stantec Architecture. He has over three decades of experience with large, complex, cultural, institutional, corporate and mixed-use development projects. He has worked with prominent international architects around the globe, Tadao Ando, Ricardo Legoretta, Gert Windgardh and Ma Yansong.

His recent work has lead the design teams for the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC, Pioneer Park in Shenzhen China and Roosevelt Universities Vertical Campus in Chicago.

Michael is a designer, builder and athlete. Fascinated with the process of design connecting vision to craft, he has built a yacht and lives in endless renovation projects. As an athlete he is challenged by unfathomable events like the Ironman triathlon. The process of realizing the unfathomable comes to bear in his leadership of the design and engineering team on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles.

Cory is an associate at Stantec specializing in the design and delivery of complex buildings. His work combines an expertise in computational design with deep investigations of specialty materials and assemblies. He has designed buildings, public spaces, and artworks with internationally acclaimed firms. Currently he is the lead architect for the façade and complex interior spaces of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

Andrew is an innovative leader dedicated to redefining the future of project execution within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. He is a recognized façade and constructability expert whose experience with mass customization and computational design has resulted in the execution of some of the most geometrically complex projects in North America. By implementing emerging technologies and methodologies, Andrew is transforming traditional AEC practices and helping the industry fully embrace novel and symmetrical exchanges between the digital and physical worlds.

Andrew leverages his multifaceted background spanning film, robotics, parametrics, design, architecture, engineering, and construction to create cross-functional and high-functioning teams. He advises companies on their digital transformation journey to expand and evolve their capabilities, while maintaining core competencies and competitive advantages.

Christopher Wood is a seasoned thought leader with a rich background in engineering, quality assurance, manufacturing, marketing, and sales across 30 diverse industries, from small family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 giants. Currently serving as Vice President of Operations at Skywalker Holding, he guides the team producing the fiber-reinforced polymer facade panels for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

Stan Su, AIA / LEED AP BD+C is an architect who specializes in the technical design and delivery of high-performance building enclosures and specialty structures. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and has 27 years combined experience in architectural design, systems fabrication, and construction administration. Stan has led both architectural design teams and facades-specific consultant teams on projects in the United States, Asia, and the Middle East. He has been instrumental in the technical resolution and creation of innovative enclosure solutions in Glass, Metals, GFRC, UHPC, FRP, Fabric Membranes, and Terracotta.

Katherine Harvey has over 20 years of experience as a design professional integrating spatial practices with deep design thinking. Her training as both an architect and landscape architect is aligned with the practice’s goal of breaking down boundaries between the design disciplines to create holistic experiences.

She has led a range of projects from large scale masterplans to urban districts to botanical gardens. Katherine has a particular interest in large scale sites and complex landscapes which integrate ecosystems with the built environment. She has led RIOS’ master planning work for Descanso Gardens, One Beverly Hills, and La Casa de Maria coordinating across disciplinary boundaries to create new opportunities for landscape resiliency.

Her recent plans have addressed water independence and disaster recovery all while balancing human experience and fostering stewardship. She is passionate about landscape architects tackling carbon neutrality and has led the practice in building guidelines for maintaining accountability in our projects. Katherine has taught studios and lectures at the University of Southern California and continues to engage academia as an invited critic and through design mentorship.

Sebastian’s strength as a designer stems from his ability to identify and execute solidly articulated concepts. As a Creative Director, he is involved in every aspect of design, from practice to education. His wide range of experience enables him to excel in many disciplines, to find solutions as conceptual as the initial design idea and as specific as the furniture that completes the project.

Since joining RIOS in 2004, Sebastian’s contributions have expanded the Studios’ multidisciplinary expression, with work that spans scales from large, urban mixed-use, to institutional, to residential, to furniture that solve complex problems with bold, integrative designs.

Stan Su, AIA / LEED AP BD+C is an architect who specializes in the technical design and delivery of high-performance building enclosures and specialty structures. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and has 27 years combined experience in architectural design, systems fabrication, and construction administration. Stan has led both architectural design teams and facades-specific consultant teams on projects in the United States, Asia, and the Middle East. He has been instrumental in the technical resolution and creation of innovative enclosure solutions in Glass, Metals, GFRC, UHPC, FRP, Fabric Membranes, and Terracotta.

Jack Murphy is the Executive Editor of The Architect’s Newspaper. Previously, he was Editor of Cite: The Architecture and Design Review of Houston and Adjunct Professor at the Gerald D. Hines University of Houston College of Architecture and Design. He earned an undergraduate degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a graduate degree in architecture from Rice University. He has worked for award-winning architects in New York City, Houston, Austin, and Boston. His writing has appeared in Places Journal, Dwell, Architectural Record, The Architect’s Newspaper, Texas Architect, Cite, PLAT, Paprika!, New York Review of Architecture, The Houston Chronicle, and SF Gate, among other publications. He was Co-Editor-in-Chief for PLAT 7.5 Oversharing and PLAT 8.0 Simplicity and Assistant Editor of Totalization, edited by Troy Schaum and published by Park Books. He lives in Brooklyn.

Katie Horak is a Los Angeles-area native and Principal in ARG’s Los Angeles office. She has nearly twenty years’ experience in the field of historic resource management in both the public and private sectors. Katie is a recognized leader in the industry, bringing creative and innovative solutions to complex issues related to historic site documentation, preservation policy and approvals processes, heritage management and interpretation, and adaptive re-use.

John Bechtel, AIA is the Architecture Studio Director for ARG’s Los Angeles office. He brings over 30 years’ experience to ARG. In the course of his career, he has been involved in a broad variety of markets, project types and clients in California and the West Coast. He has led design teams in Education, Civic, Sports and Hospitality and Commercial projects, and has managed local and regional practices. His teams’ work has been recognized for their design and technical excellence.

John is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Construction Specifications Institute, the National Organization of Minority Architects, and the Asian American Architects and Engineers.

Ted Grebelius, born in Sweden and co-founder of Sätila Studios, has a deep passion for creating buildings and environments that inspire and encourage. To him, the rich narratives found in historic properties aren’t just tales of the past. They’re guiding compasses, offering invaluable lessons on culture, and design. He approaches renovation with great respect, ensuring that while these buildings undergo modern transformation, their authentic character is preserved. His effort in breathing new life into the historic “Old Sessions House” in London stands as a testament to this ideology. Ted is now channeling his energy into another exciting venture in Downtown Los Angeles, “The Barker,” this project promises the continuation of this vision of creating spaces that harmonize the past with the present.

Naseema views design as an investigation into the dynamics of cultural frameworks and a community’s unique connection to its urban and natural environment. She brings over 18 years of experience to her role and is proficient at orchestrating complex interdisciplinary project teams with a focused vision on an end result that supports the aspirations of the community in which it is situated. She has led cultural, civic, and commercial projects ranging from the repositioning of The Music Center Plaza to a true outdoor performance venue, concept design and entitlements for the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (LA ART) urban gondola system, and The Resort at Playa Vista, an AIA LA COTE award-winning LEED Platinum certified community hub. These projects track an ongoing exploration into the seamless integration of tools from architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design to shape inventive placemaking strategies that respond to the unique relationship between a proposed program and the site’s environment. Naseema is inspired by the notion of craft and tectonics. Her personal interest in making manifests through construction as an art form, exploring the juxtaposition of materials and textures in projects which transcend disciplines.

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.

As Global Director, Sustainability & ESG, Sneh Kumar is responsible for the development and execution of strategy to deliver an increasingly sustainable product offering to customers and stakeholders. He is focused on product design and certification, along with supply chain transparency, and optimization of the overall manufacturing footprint to achieve Arconic’s sustainability commitments. With more than 20 years in the building products industry, Sneh has been involved in the commercialization of over 40 high-performance building facade products and has received multiple patent grants. He is a visionary leader with proven abilities to solve complex and relevant problems to unlock business value. Sneh has been actively involved with industry associations, architects and customers and has served on the Board of the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). He is an invited speaker and panelist at multiple industry conferences.

Naseema views design as an investigation into the dynamics of cultural frameworks and a community’s unique connection to its urban and natural environment. She brings over 18 years of experience to her role and is proficient at orchestrating complex interdisciplinary project teams with a focused vision on an end result that supports the aspirations of the community in which it is situated. She has led cultural, civic, and commercial projects ranging from the repositioning of The Music Center Plaza to a true outdoor performance venue, concept design and entitlements for the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (LA ART) urban gondola system, and The Resort at Playa Vista, an AIA LA COTE award-winning LEED Platinum certified community hub. These projects track an ongoing exploration into the seamless integration of tools from architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design to shape inventive placemaking strategies that respond to the unique relationship between a proposed program and the site’s environment. Naseema is inspired by the notion of craft and tectonics. Her personal interest in making manifests through construction as an art form, exploring the juxtaposition of materials and textures in projects which transcend disciplines.

Amin Taha was born in Berlin and has been settled in the UK since 1974. He began an independent studio in 2003 and incorporated Groupwork as an Employee Ownership Trust of which he currently sits as chairman. as well as running the design and detailing or projects Amin has taught, written, and lectured on architecture, sat on the RIBA National and International Awards Jury and aids property related research groups and funds.

Jack Murphy is the Executive Editor of The Architect’s Newspaper. Previously, he was Editor of Cite: The Architecture and Design Review of Houston and Adjunct Professor at the Gerald D. Hines University of Houston College of Architecture and Design. He earned an undergraduate degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a graduate degree in architecture from Rice University. He has worked for award-winning architects in New York City, Houston, Austin, and Boston. His writing has appeared in Places Journal, Dwell, Architectural Record, The Architect’s Newspaper, Texas Architect, Cite, PLAT, Paprika!, New York Review of Architecture, The Houston Chronicle, and SF Gate, among other publications. He was Co-Editor-in-Chief for PLAT 7.5 Oversharing and PLAT 8.0 Simplicity and Assistant Editor of Totalization, edited by Troy Schaum and published by Park Books. He lives in Brooklyn.

Tim Nass has nearly 30 years of experience in the architectural glazing industry. As the Vice President of Sales at SAFTI FIRST, leading USA-manufacturer of fire rated glass and framing systems, he brings his extensive knowledge and expertise when working closely with architects, consultants, general contractors and glaziers to deliver a code-compliant glazing solution that meets all the aesthetic, performance and budget requirements of the project. Tim also oversees SAFTI FIRST’s global network of architectural sales representatives.

Tim Nass is a dynamic presenter and speaker who has been delivering educational presentations to various architecture firms, AIA local chapters, CSI local chapters, at the CSI National Convention and other architectural and glazing industry events.

Peter has 18 years’ experience in the facade industry and joined WindowMaster Clearline Inc as Sales Director in 2022. Peter is an engineer who brings extensive international facade product sales experience and technical expertise to WindowMaster’s growing automation hardware and control systems business. Peter is committed to providing optimized solutions that create impactful, real-world benefits for commercial and educational building stakeholders, but also for the environment using WindowMaster’s innovative, intelligently controlled natural ventilation technology.

Sabina is adept at designing high-performance places centered around culture and history to create lively public destinations. Her brilliant vision is mindful of sustainability and integrates placemaking to amplify connections between people and the environment.

Sabina’s wisdom empowers others to do their best work. She brings over a decade of architecture experience with a passion of creating human-centered designs that bring diverse groups together and support social interactions. Her approach responds to clients’ interests, while addressing efficiency to enhance everyday life.

Sabina excels at solving issues and organizing chaos by combing systems into strategic and environmentally impactful designs that help people connect and enhance living. Her work takes cues from the site’s surrounding environment and history to create places that are active and interconnected yet distinct. She’s contributed to commercial and educational projects of all scopes and sizes around the globe, from Turkey to Azerbaijan and Hawaii.

Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Yan has lived in Los Angeles since the age of three. Growing up in an immigrant household left Yan with a multicultural experience that he shares with many Angelinos and an outsider perspective that informs his work.

Yan Krymsky’s passion for art guides his approach to architecture. As the Design Director of Perkins&Will’s LA studio, he promotes the idea that design is a process by which meaning is discovered through geometric and material exploration. Combining research with imagination is imperative, Krymsky believes, because it leads to unconventional and surprising design solutions. As a result, his work is characterized by its expressive form and bold use of color. These elements come together to create functional, multilayered architectural expressions that represent the values and cultures of the people they serve.

Heidi Creighton, FAIA is the National Head of Sustainability for Skanska USA Commercial Development. As a passionate advocate and pioneer in the green building industry, she is charged with identifying solutions that improve asset performance, energy management, community engagement, and user experience while furthering the company’s ESG strategy. Heidi is FAIA, a LEED Fellow, WELL AP, a Fitwel Ambassador, and creator of the Collective Impact speaker series. Recent accolades include recognition by the World Architecture News for the Female Frontiers Award for Social Change in 2022, USGBC-LA’s 2021 Heart of the Chapter Award, and elevation to AIA’s College of Fellows in 2021.

Nolan offers a diverse background in both private and public sectors, offering efficient structural solutions that satisfy programming goals and exceed client expectations. As a LEED-certified engineer, Nolan seeks creative answers to some of our most pressing environmental concerns in the A/E/C industry, which translates to sustainable opportunities within his projects.

His passion for both architecture and science offers a translation between design languages, driving novel structural ideas that respect design dialogues while generating cost savings, optimizing construction schedules, and maximizing stakeholder value.

Richard is attuned to solving for complex system assemblies and material interfaces. He helps guide project
development while mentoring young designers throughout design phases.

Richard approaches projects with joy and celebrates the process while continuing
to push the envelope of built environments. Closely involved in design, coordination,
and construction, he appreciates all phases of the design process. Particularly, he’s
keen on creating thoughtful initial concepts and narratives that form the basis of a
design and seeks to sensitively respond to the opportunities and constraints of a
project, including the site, climate, context, scale, and the program.

Richard is well-traveled and having lived in Shanghai and Rome, he’s adept at
architectural perspectives beyond western traditions. He’s contributed to several
international Embassy projects, sophisticated and complex in their programmatic
requirements and formal expressions. He appreciates elegance, simplicity, and
fostering exciting and collaborative ways to boost creativity. His design sensibility
and vision seek to straddle the complex and simple, striking the right balance for
responsive and timeless architecture.

Leo William Zahner III is the CEO of Zahner, an architectural metal company known for their contribution and execution of high-profile structures such as Sofi Stadium, Google Bay View Campus, and the de Young Museum. Bill is credited with transforming the company from a regional sheet-metal contractor into the acclaimed architectural metals and facades producer it is today. He also guided the company towards advanced manufacturing, technical innovation, as well as producing works by celebrated artists across the globe. Zahner has authored seven books on architectural metals, including the Architectural Metal Surfaces and Architectural Metals: A Guide to Selection, Specification, and Performance.

Zahner was inducted as an honorary AIA member in 2007. In 2013, Zahner was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Manufacturing Council, where he represented Missouri’s Fifth District. Zahner holds over five patents which pertain to the Architectural Metals industry he serves as the Industry Liaison for the National Architectural Committee of SMACNA, and in 2006, was awarded the Copper Medal, Associazone Italiana di Metallurgia.

Heidi Creighton, FAIA is the National Head of Sustainability for Skanska USA Commercial Development. As a passionate advocate and pioneer in the green building industry, she is charged with identifying solutions that improve asset performance, energy management, community engagement, and user experience while furthering the company’s ESG strategy. Heidi is FAIA, a LEED Fellow, WELL AP, a Fitwel Ambassador, and creator of the Collective Impact speaker series. Recent accolades include recognition by the World Architecture News for the Female Frontiers Award for Social Change in 2022, USGBC-LA’s 2021 Heart of the Chapter Award, and elevation to AIA’s College of Fellows in 2021.

Earl Patrick is Director of Design and oversees Enclos’ design efforts in new and prospective work.

With over 22 years of experience in the facades industry, including 9 with Enclos, he has worked on monumental projects across the United States. Throughout his career, he has assisted clients with refining design alternatives and worked diligently to help architects achieve their vision while helping project teams meet their budgets.

Notable projects with which he’s been involved at Enclos include The Golden State Warriors Arena Complex, Raiders Stadium, The Australian Embassy, 415 Natoma, San Diego Terminal 1, Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, and the Sherwin Willams Headquarters.

Before facade work, his background included carpentry, cabinetry, welding, and residential construction. He’s also a musician and graduated from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in Classical Composition.

Andrea Zani is the Building Physics and Sustainability Leader at Permasteelisa North America where he is responsible for managing and leading the Building Physics team in delivering high-performance curtain wall systems for all North American projects. Andrea is also involved in innovative design concepts and advanced simulation techniques with the goal of improving user comfort, increasing energy efficiency, and decreasing carbon emissions.
Currently, he is a Member of Society of Facade Engineering and co-chair of the North-America Hub, active in FTI Advocacy and Embodied Carbon committee and he collaborates with LBNL Window Group and CBE Berkeley on several research activities.

Andrea holds a master degree and Ph.D in Building Engineering from the Politecnico of Milan.

Stan Su, AIA / LEED AP BD+C is an architect who specializes in the technical design and delivery of high-performance building enclosures and specialty structures. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and has 27 years combined experience in architectural design, systems fabrication, and construction administration. Stan has led both architectural design teams and facades-specific consultant teams on projects in the United States, Asia, and the Middle East. He has been instrumental in the technical resolution and creation of innovative enclosure solutions in Glass, Metals, GFRC, UHPC, FRP, Fabric Membranes, and Terracotta.

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.

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.