Workshops

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.

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.

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.

Edward M Peck is an advocate for high-performance architecture, an educator of informed collaboration and a pioneer of innovative materials. With more than 20 years of experience in the design and construction industry, Edward has become a leader in innovative and performance driven architecture. His professional history is diverse; he has practiced as an architect, façade engineer and served as the design director for a leading specialty ETFE contractor. From these positions he has gained valuable knowledge from design and engineering to product development, manufacturing and construction. This diverse experience with complex and progressive projects enables him to be an impactful design leader and collaborator.

Yugene Cha, AIA joined KSP in 2003 and became one of five new partners in 2020 to lead the practice forward. He stands at the forefront of redefining the live/work-place paradigm, with a practice ranging from large-scale commercial developments to complex cultural projects. He serves as the leader of KSP’s empowerment initiative, a role that focuses on creating a studio environment that inspires, equips, and empowers the firm’s next generation of design leaders to contribute at the highest level.

Stephen Katz, AIA, LEED AP BD+C is a Senior Associate and Technical Director at Gensler. Stephen has worked and lectured in the United States, Asia and Europe and has authored papers about façade design, intelligent building technology and sustainability. Stephen is the founder of Gensler Enclosures; a group dedicated to innovation and research for building enclosure design. Stephen has played strategic positions on award winning projects including the Johnson Controls Asia-Pacific Headquarters, the Willis Tower Repositioning Project and the Kohler Global Communications Headquarters to name a few. He favors an inclusive design process which recognizes the importance of teamwork, listening and the power of imagination. Stephen is a licensed Architect, a member of the American Institute of Architects, the AIA National Building Performance Advisory Group and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hobart College and a Master of Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis.

Luke Haas was exposed to the real estate and design industry at a young age, Luke studied architecture to answer challenging problems through innovation and invention. He believes design is improved with input from multi-disciplinary teams. Experienced in the design-build processes and teaming with experts in other fields, Luke’s collaboration skills are visible daily — in the office and on the jobsite. Since receiving a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Ball State University and a Master of Architecture from the Parsons School of Design, Luke has gained experience with Commercial, Higher Education, and Residential projects.

As Perkins&Will’s Director of Digital Practice, Nick takes a big-picture approach to his work, and employs a thorough understanding of how the digital practice enhances and completes the design process. Having spent the first part of his career as a designer, he now views his work as an opportunity to work alongside design teams to put the finishing touches on projects. He loves the fact that while so much of a firm’s process relies on technology, the output is analog. The product is ultimately a space that betters a child’s education, improves the wellness of patients, or enhances the functionality of an office. Nick’s passion lies in perfecting the digital process to maximize these outcomes.

As Digital Practice Manager for Computational Design, Luc brings a programmer’s rigor and designer’s creativity to every area of Perkins+Will’s diverse practice, giving designers new tools to create more sophisticated designs. Trained as an architect, his portfolio now encompasses a wide range of scales and disciplines, from robotic fabrication to environmental simulation and responsive parametric design. Luc’s work pushes at the boundaries of technology and creativity.

James is co-founder of SumPoint. He brings a unique mix of design, engineering, construction, and digital fabrication expertise. His work focuses on the comprehensive process of delivering extraordinary architectural projects; leveraging parametric design-to-fabrication-to-installation workflows.

Previously, James was Vice President – Innovation R&D at Zahner, a company that specializes in computational fabrication at an architectural scale. As a part of the Executive Team, James led research initiatives and provided strategic support on large scale and complex projects.

He has worked as a Design Engineer with award winning architecture firms around the world and as a Product Development Engineer at Ford Motor Company James holds a Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Erik Verboon is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Walter P Moore’s New York office. Trained in both architecture and engineering, Erik brings deep global experience with a focus on the design of complex and high-performance building envelopes for a wide range of building types. Erik’s role as Practice Area Leader of the firm’s national Enclosure Engineering team is supported by his experience working with a wide variety of façade applications including high-performance, double-skin façades, geometrically complex composite façades, and custom unitized enclosures for both new buildings and existing building retrofits and additions.

Erik’s portfolio expresses both national and international work with extensive experience in the New York market, bringing expertise in buildings old and new, across academic, commercial, and cultural sectors. In addition to Erik’s professional accolades, he teaches enclosure design at a number of leading universities.

Kat Chan is a Senior Associate at Walter P Moore where she focuses on the development of façade design from an integrated approach. After graduating from Columbia University with a degree in structures and discovering the multifaceted discipline of façade engineering, she has taken her passion for the built environment and honed it for successful design team collaboration and project delivery. Her strength lies in realizing design intent, while emphasizing the user experience and juggling complex geometric configurations. A self-propelled desire for thorough analysis and a propensity for detail has enabled her to advocate for innovative approaches and materials. Kat has a degree in Structural Engineering from Columbia University, where she teaches as part of Adjunct Faculty in GSAPP. Past project experience includes Safdie Architect’s Singapore Changi Airport newest terminal, Grimshaw’s Sustainability Pavilion for the Dubai World Expo, and Studio Gang’s Gilder Center, expansion to New York City’s American Museum of Natural History. Current projects include the ThyssenKrupp Elevator Tower and Headquarters in Atlanta, GA by Gensler and Omaha Performing Arts Center by Ennead in Omaha, NE.

Holger Schulze-Ehring has over twenty years of structural and architectural design experience, with a focus on long-span, lightweight and specialty structures. He founded Büro Ehring in 2016, after a long tenure at architecture and engineering firm Santiago Calatrava, and has continuously worked on landmark projects world-wide, including in the United States and Europe.

Mr. Schulze-Ehring’s expertise is in advanced engineering with a collaborative approach to design. He leverages his cross-disciplinary capabilities to deliver innovative and specialized solutions to complex architectural challenges for his award-winning projects. A strong technical and creative background forms his considerable proficiency in engineering and designing unique and inventive structures.

Craig Copeland, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C is an Architect, Sculptor and Industrial designer who is a Partner in the New York City studio of Pelli Clarke & Partners Architects, and founder of Situcraft in Long Island City, New York. Craig received a Bachelor of Design from the University of Florida (1982); a Master of Architecture from Yale University (1989), was a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome (1997-99). Craig has been the design team leader for several pioneering projects around New York City, including the New Entry Pavilion and Reconfigurations at Brookfield Place, the Visionaire in Lower Manhattan, 1214 Fifth Avenue (Mount Sinai Tower) on the Upper East Side, and the Centrale in Midtown Manhattan. More recently, Craig has been the Design Principal for Cabin | Stack | Prefab, a prefab home and furniture collection, and 2100 Penn Ave, a mixed-use and headquarters project on the George Washington University campus, in Washington DC.

In 2016, while still practicing architecture full-time, Craig opened his stone carving and design studio in New York City, and launched an industrial design company, Situcraft. The following year, Craig was invited to represent the United States in the Italian Design Theater at the Marmo+Mac, International Stone Fair in Verona, Italy, researching and showcasing pioneering stone façade rainscreen systems. Craig’s other ongoing façade research includes his regular participation in the annual Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop in Buffalo, New York.

Ted Baab received his M. Arch with Distinction of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. While at the GSD, he received the AIA Henry Adams Certificate for academic achievement, and a Penny White Award for independent research. His thesis research with P. Scott Cohen, developed a theory of strangeness in architecture through geometric misuse of vernacular form. In additional to teaching, he is a Senior Associate at SO – IL in Brooklyn where he has worked since 2011

Sam is a real estate and construction specialist with 12+ years of experience. Prior to founding Tankhouse, Sam was a construction manager at Sciame where he specialized in large-scale building projects in downtown Manhattan.

Sam earned his master of science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Preservation and Planning (GSAAP) (2013) and his bachelor of arts in Philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley (2005). Previously, Sam was an Adjunct Scholar and an Adjunct Professor at CURE, an urban think tank at Columbia University, and currently serves as a mentor for MsRED candidates.

Sebastian is a licensed architect with 16+ years of experience. Prior to founding Tankhouse, Sebastian was an Associate Partner at Foster + Partners New York where he lead the design and project management for a range of North and South American projects spanning luxury residential, cultural and commercial design.

Sebastian earned his master of science in Architecture from the University of Buenos Aires (2002) and has completed coursework at New York University’s Schack Institute for Real Estate Development. Sebastian previously held teaching positions at the University of Buenos Aires and the Boston Architectural College.