Amin Taha

Chairman

GROUPWORK

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.

Heidi Creighton

Vice President of Sustainability

Skanska USA Commercial Development.

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.

Bill Zahner

CEO

Zahner

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.

Yan Krymsky

Design Director

Perkins&Will

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.

Katie Horak

Principal

Architectural Resources Group

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.

Chris O’Hara

Founding Principal

Studio NYL

O’Hara is facade director for the Skins Group, a division of Studio NYL, established to provide full service facade design specializing in thermal modeling, moisture/condensation analysis, and in-depth detailing. Although Studio NYL is recognized for its skins work with cutting-edge glass and glazing, their team also specializes in digitally fabricated metal skins, GFRC, reinforced polymers, stone, ultra high performance concrete, terra cotta, and traditional precast. O’Hara is currently working on multiple projects in the Boston area.

Naseema Asif

Senior Architect

RIOS

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.

Derick Clutchey

Director of Branch Sales

YKK AP

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.

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.

Ted Grebelius

Co-Founder

Sätila Studios

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.

Katherine Harvey

Partner & Creative Director

RIOS

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.

Andrew Kragness

Director of Computational Design

Martin Bros

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.

Cory Hill

Associate

Stantec

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.

Peter Kater

Sales Director, North America

WindowMaster

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.

Earl Patrick

Director of Design

Enclos

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.

Richard Peterson

Senior Project Director

RIOS

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.

Nolan G. Lenahan

Principal

DCI Engineers

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.

Tim Nass

VP of Sales

SAFTI FIRST

Tim Nass has over 30 years of experience in the architectural glazing industry. As the VP of Sales at SAFTI FIRST, he brings his extensive knowledge and expertise when working closely with architects, general contractors, construction managers, face consultants, contract glaziers and developers. Tim also oversees SAFTI FIRST’s global network of architectural sales representatives.

He has been delivering our AIA-registered presentation to various architecture firms, AIA/CSI local chapters, and other architectural and glazing industry events.

Michael Siegel

Principal

Stantec

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.

Sebastian Salvadó

Partner & Creative Director

RIOS

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.

Chris Schultz

Product Manager

Kawneer

Chris is a Product Manager at Kawneer, which pioneers architectural solutions to advance modern design with resilient, distinctive buildings that promote well-being. Before joining Kawneer, Chris spent ten years in engineering and product management roles within the infrastructure products industry. Chris applies his engineering experience to drive the delivery of technical solutions for the commercial construction markets. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clemson Univ. and is currently an M.B.A. candidate at Georgia Tech.

Andrea Zani

Innovation Manager & Sustainability Lead

Permasteelisa North America

Andrea Zani is the R&D Innovation Manager and Sustainability Lead at Permasteelisa North America, where he is responsible for managing and leading the development and delivery of innovative, low-carbon and high-performance façades. He is actively involved in shaping and driving Permasteelisa Group’s decarbonization strategies to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

Andrea holds a Masters degree and PhD in Building Engineering from the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. He is a member and co-chair of the Society of Façade Engineering North America Hub, is active in Façade Tectonics Institute (FTI) advocacy and is a member of its Embodied Carbon Working Group. He also collaborates with LBNL Window Group, CBE Berkeley and other research centers on several research activities.

Christopher Wood

VP of Operations

Skywalker Holding’s NorCal Museum Siding

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.

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.

Michael Adams

Regional Energy Director

Glumac

As Lead Energy Consultant, Michael manages a team dedicated to modeling building energy performance. Their primary goal is to not only meet, but to surpass the stringent criteria established by building rating systems, state energy codes, federal building guidelines, and relevant incentive programs while being cost effective and meeting project goals. With an eight-year background in sustainable design and construction, Michael is an invaluable asset when it comes to energy and water efficiency in the built environment while having a thorough understanding of relevant building codes and requirements. He is deeply engaged throughout the design process, proposing, analyzing, and vetting sound recommendations for cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs.

Will Babbington

Facade Design Director

Studio NYL

Facade Design Director, Studio NYL, has designed and realized award-winning structural and skin projects that merge high performance, high design, and constructability. He is the current national Vice Chair for the Building Enclosure Council and AIA National’s representative on the ASHRAE 90.1 Envelope Subcommittee. Will is also on the ASTM Committee E06 on Performance of Buildings and is a developer and trainer for ASTM’s and NIBS’ new Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) certificate program. Will has presented at various AIA state and local events, CSI’s National CONSTRUCT Convention, BEST5, BEC-Colorado and BEC Minnesota events, and at multiple AIA National Conventions.

JED Donaldson

Partner

Johnson Fain

JED is a Partner at Johnson Fain with more than 20 years of professional experience in designing large-scale projects including creative office, residential, and mixed-use developments. JED earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and a Master of Architecture Degree from Virginia Tech.

JED’s knowledge of the building industry is complemented with his interest in green building technologies and advanced computer modeling. JED has taught architectural courses and/or been a guest studio critic at UC Berkeley, USC, Art Center, and UCLA Extension. He has been an invited speaker at USC’s BIM symposium for several years. His commitment to green building technologies has led to speaking engagements and leadership positions with a number of organizations including Passive House California where he is a Board Member and President. He is involved in the US Green Building Council and participated in the Abstract Review Committee for 2018 Municipal Green Building Conference & Expo and was a Co-Chair on the Greening Committee for the 2016 Greenbuild Conference.

Manuel Eshaghof

Vice President

Glumac

Manuel brings over 14 years of professional engineering experience to the projects he designs. His responsibilities include all phases of mechanical system design for commercial, mixed-use, residential, institutional, and education market sector projects. He is also involved in planning, designing, scheduling, and evaluating HVAC systems for life cycle analysis and system selection process. As Program Manager, he is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the project meets the specific goals and objectives, that quality services are provided, that client satisfaction is ensured and that the contract is successfully executed.

Frederico Fontana

Senior Associate

Thornton Tomasetti

Frederico Fontana is a Façades specialist with an architectural background. His skills include façade design, site work and knowledge of thermal and optical performance applied to building envelope systems.

Amber Langlois

Partner

Johnson Fain

Amber has been an integral part of the leadership team at Johnson Fain for over 10 years. She has been a key project team leader in the management and delivery of significant projects such as Opus One, Figueroa Eight, Citrus Commons, Metro Bus Rapid Transit Station Design, and College Station. Her noteworthy and extensive architectural and project management background includes all aspects of the design, production, and construction administration process from concept through construction.

Vincent Ip

Computation Leader

NBBJ

Vincent is an award-winning designer and digital computational leader, dedicated to pushing the limits of architectural innovation. His diverse expertise spans complex facade design, form-finding, simulation, digital fabrication, and interoperability workflows. Vincent’s remarkable portfolio includes the ZCB Bamboo Pavilion in Hong Kong, a project celebrated with fifteen international and local awards, including the Small Project of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in 2016. His work exemplifies a seamless fusion of technology and design, creating spaces that inspire and captivate.

Sam Keville

Studio BIM Leader

NBBJ

Sam connects architecture and technology through meaningful and progressive practice. His focus remains fixed on cutting edge modes of representation and realization leadership. This translates to hard skills in design and production software, computational design, rendering, and design fabrication. Alongside soft skills involved with personal development programs, training, and standards. His work experience includes all phases from competition to construction administration, as well as assisting firms develop new initiatives and pilots with follow through to project team adoption. His collaborative attitude makes him an open team member with a sense of responsibility and drive to meet deadlines and produce exceptional results.

Isabelle Paparo

Senior Facade Engineer

Arup

Isabelle is a Senior Façade Engineer in Arup’s Los Angeles office with a background in structural engineering and materials. Isabelle holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Her research focused on GFRP Sandwich panels in façade applications. After transitioning from academia to the industry, Isabelle works as a project manager and oversees the structural design of building enclosure systems and structural glass applications. In this role she has worked on challenging projects including high profile corporate campuses in California with Google.

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.

Andrew Manto

Cofounder

SumPoint

Andrew is co-founder of SumPoint. He’s a problem solving technologist – trained as an Architect, he takes on complex design challenges by collaborating across disciplines, working from micro to macro, and building interesting and impactful spaces that make the world a better place.
Formerly, Andrew was Associate Director of Fabrication Architecture at Sidewalk Labs/Google where he led the DFMA prototyping of a mass timber kit-of-building-parts composed of facade, floor, and structural elements.
He was an Advanced Manufacturing Engineer at Zahner, where he developed custom fabrication processes, implemented bespoke software and hardware tools, and created online platforms for the specification of unique facade components. He holds a Master of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Conor Schafer

Engineer

Arup

Conor, a façade engineer at Arup’s Los Angeles office, specializes in computational design and leads digital design initiatives for Arup Facades West. With a background in both structural engineering and architecture, Conor develops digital tools that enhance collaborative architect-engineer workflows.

Bradford J. Prestbo

Director

Studio NYL

An exceptional leader, Bradford J. Prestbo, FAIA, is advancing the profession through his practice, advocacy, and educational efforts in the use of cutting-edge design technologies, high-performance design, and the incorporation of maker culture into the design process.

Bradford also finds time to share his knowledge of advanced design technologies, high-performance design, and how maker culture is transforming our practice within the industry. He has practiced internationally, is a sought-after speaker, is frequently interviewed by publishers, and is an educator via his detailing workshops, higher-education classes, design juries, and mentorship of emerging professionals.

Bradford is actively involved in the AIA, and has been elevated to the College of Fellows for his notable contributions to the advancement of the profession of architecture. He is part of the leadership group in the AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community, and founded the Boston Society of Architect’s MakeTANK Knowledge Community, where he currently serves as the National Director.

Education
Bradford holds a degree from Syracuse University School of Architecture.

Tyler Tucker

VP

Thornton Tomasetti

Tyler Tucker focuses on the design, engineering, and installation of specialty façade systems. He specializes in connection design, parametric modeling and geometric rationalization of complex projects.