Speakers

Paul Woolford

HOK

FAIA, IIDA, LEED AP BD+C

As the design principal for HOK’s San Francisco studio and member of the firm’s global design board, Paul leads interdisciplinary teams of architects, engineers, interior designers and landscape architects.

Paul has focused his entire career on rethinking the relationships between people and their environments. His design of innovative, people-centered buildings has earned him numerous accolades, including three AIA COTE Top Ten Awards and consistent LEED Platinum certifications.

Under Paul’s guidance, our San Francisco studio has been recognized as AIA California’s Firm of the Year, and his teams have won dozens of regional and national design awards.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Paul is an influential figure in architectural education, having taught at UC Berkeley, Cornell University and the Savannah College of Art and Design. He is also an engaged member and leader of various organizations, demonstrating his dedication to public service and urban planning.

Levi J. Rippy

HOK

AIA, LEED AP BD+C, DBIA, NOMA, NCARB

Levi is the technical principal for HOK’s San Francisco and Seattle studios. He leads the technical direction and development of projects across various markets, including aviation and transportation, healthcare, science and technology, justice, corporate, commercial and hospitality.

With more than 20 years of experience as an architect, Levi is an expert in alternative project delivery, including design-build and integrated project delivery. He is committed to improving society through sustainable strategies, well-crafted design and the promotion of design equity.

Dedicated to architecture and design, Levi is a member of HOK’s technical board working to improve project delivery and design processes. He also sits on the firm’s mentoring task force and has served as chairperson for the AIA Seattle Chapter’s Urban Design Forum.

Outside of architecture, Levi is an elite soccer official. He officiates matches across the country for the U.S. Soccer Federation and NCAA.

Chris Giovannielli

Kawneer

Chris Giovannielli is Director of Global Product Management for Kawneer, where he has been a leading contributor for more than 25 years. Chris directs product development, positioning and launch strategies across global markets with an emphasis on education and sustainability. His deep expertise on the benefit of Kawneer’s products in the educational setting and how they tie to sustainability in people’s daily lives is highly valued in the industry. He has been featured in Metropolis and Green Building and Design, and recently was the member spotlight for the Air Barrier Association of America. Chris earned his Executive MBA from University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business in 2021. (13) Christopher Giovannielli | LinkedIn

Michelle Murray

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.

Justin W. Ridley

YKK AP

Justin is a Building Envelope Specialist with YKK AP America. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University, College of Architecture with a B.S. in Architecture. Justin’s career covers over 18 years of experience within the Architectural, Engineering, Building Material Manufacturing & Distribution communities. Justin is also actively involved in community development & volunteering where he resides in San Francisco, CA (Russian Hill). He is also member of SF AIA, SF Heritage, Junior Giants Coach, and a volunteer at Saints Peter & Paul School in North Beach.

J-F Robert

RAICO North America

As a Professional Engineer and owner of Blackcomb Facade Technology, J-F Robert has focused his practice on significant curtainwall projects. His experience ranges from 60 story high rise, PHI certified commercial buildings, high end residences and complex freeform structures. Blackcomb Façade Technology is the exclusive fabrication partner for RAICO Bautechnik in the Pacific Northwest for all systems types including Timber, Steel and Aluminum.

Michael Zanotelli

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.

Felix Weber

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).

Ethan Martin

DCI Engineers

Ethan Martin, PE brings a wealth of engineering design experience to the team of developers, architects, and contractors. Having helped develop CLT in the US, Ethan assists general contractors with mass timber constructability and collaborates with architects on construction types and acoustics to create exciting projects for clients. Ethan collaborated with state officials in Oregon to set up the permitting process for tall mass timber buildings. This process developed the prototype buildings creating the Type IV-A, IV-B, and IV-C construction types, which allow for mass timber up to 18 stories. Driven to inform his team and professionals in the AEC industries, Ethan quickly becomes an asset to any multi-discipline project team looking for answers on proformas, construction types, constructability, supply chain, and product usage. He also co-founded the International Mass Timber Conference with Forest Business Network in Portland, now one of the leading mass timber conferences in the world.