Sponsored by Autodesk and Fox Rothschild
Ray Calabro, FAIA, MRAIC
Principal, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Amy Donohue, AIA
Principal, Bora
Melissa Higgs, Architect AIBC, FRAIC
Principal, HCMA
Sarah Lindenfeld, AIA
Managing Partner, Payette
Brandon Specketer, AIA
Partner, COOKFOX
Paul Schwer, PE
President, PAE
Click on the link below to review presentations from the 2024 Design Colloquium in San Francisco.
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Wednesday, April 17, 2024
4:30 - 6:30 PM
8:00 a.m.
Breakfast
8:30 a.m.
Welcome
Land and Labor Acknowledgement
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Review Schedule and Opening Statements
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Honoring Marsha Maytum, FAIA
Mary Ann Lazarus
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
9:00 a.m.
Quinn Evans
Recipient of AIA National Architecture Firm Award 2024
Introduction
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Quinn Evans Presentation
Regional Operations Director and Senior Associate, Quinn Evans
9:45 a.m.
Break
10:00 a.m.
How are design firms leveraging technology?
Facilitator:
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Panelists:
Design Principal, SOM
Senior Director of Design Technology, SOM
Partner, Olson Kundig
Professor, UC-Berkeley School of Architecture
Senior Vice President of Research, Autodesk
11:30 a.m.
Intellectual Property and Liability Implications from AI/Technologies
Partner, Fox Rothschild
Partner, Fox Rothschild
Partner, Fox Rothschild
12:15 p.m.
LUNCH
1:15 p.m.
Embodied Carbon Data, Technology, and Design
Facilitator:
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Panelists:
Associate Director for Industry, Climate Works Foundation
Sustainability Manager, Lendlease Construction
Researcher, Climate Leadership Forum
Partner, LMN Architects
2:45 p.m.
Break
3:00 p.m.
PechaKucha
Julia Chapman
Senior Associate, ennead
Heather DeGrella
Associate Principal | Sustainable Design Director, Opsis Architecture
3:30 p.m.
Benchmarking Survey Results
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Chief of Operations, Lake|Flato
4:30 p.m.
Summary and Discussion
Discussion and Reflection on Day 1
5:30 p.m.
Cocktails and Dinner at Greens
8:00 a.m.
Breakfast
8:30 a.m.
Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
8:35 a.m.
Beyond buildings: how do we make our cities more livable?
Facilitator:
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Panelists:
Deputy Director, Downtown SF Partnership
City of SF Director of Planning
Partner, HCMA and Board Chair, Downtown Van (DVBIA)
10:00 a.m.
Break
10:15 a.m.
Pechakucha
Claire Maxfield
Managing Director, Atelier Ten
Kristen DiStefano
Director, Atelier Ten
10:40 a.m.
Autodesk Presents
Facilitator:
Audience Marketing Manager, Architecture | Industry & Portfolio Marketing | Worldwide Marketing-AEC
Panelists:
Associate, Lake|Flato
Lake|Flato will discuss how they used the Forma tool in the renovation of their San Antonio offices.
11:15 a.m.
Facilitated Discussions
Highlights and take-aways from the two days.
12 p.m.
Adjourn
Boxed Lunches will be available
Partner, Fox Rothschild
Gunjan Agarwal is based in Fox Rothschild’s Pittsburgh office and serves as the Practice Management Partner of the firm’s 113-attorney Intellectual Property Department. Gunjan combines her love for technology with her experience to help clients develop legal strategies to leverage their intellectual property assets. Her patent and transactional experience spans a range of technologies, including: software, artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual/augmented reality, automotive, consumer electronics, electrical circuits, optics, fluid mechanics, oil and gas, mechanical engineering, life sciences, medical devices and pharmaceutical-related arts. She often provides her clients practical advice on management and risk assessment relating to intellectual property. Clients rely on Gunjan to advise them on patent strategies, including securing patents for innovative technologies, designing products that avoid infringement of competitors’ patents, and implementing strategic license opportunities. Her skills also extend to trademark portfolio development and management. Gunjan provides strategic support for performing due diligence relating to IP assets, vetting the strengths and weaknesses of a company’s IP portfolio and exposing issues from offensive and defensive angles. Gunjan regularly counsels clients on the preparation, negotiation and enforcement of complex technology transactions, software and platform licensing, technology-focused supply chain agreements, and university technology transfer agreements.
Brad Benke, AIA, is a Research Engineer at the Carbon Leadership Forum focused on developing data-driven resources to help practitioners and policymakers adopt and scale decarbonization strategies in the built environment. With a background in deep-green architecture and consulting, Brad works to synthesize and improve life cycle assessment practices and tools within the AEC industry and deliver practical solutions for low-carbon building design and construction. His recent work includes leading the CLF WBLCA Benchmark Study and developing the background data and methodologies for the CLF Embodied Carbon Policy Reduction Calculator. Brad is a former co-chair of AIA Seattle’s Committee on the Environment, and a former Senior Architect at McLennan Design, where he led diverse teams and stakeholders toward achieving decarbonization goals for buildings and organizations across the country.
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Mark Cameron, Hon. AIA, established Cameron MacAllister Group in 1986 to provide marketing advice and strategies to design firms. Prior, he was director of marketing for NBBJ and The Architects Collaborative.
Mark’s expertise includes strategic planning, leadership development, training, and ownership transition. He has conducted numerous training workshops throughout the United States and United Kingdom on communicating difficult messages, presenting competitively, listening and communication, client development, and strategic planning.
Mark has lectured on strategic planning and marketing at the University of California Berkeley School of Architecture, the University of Washington School of Business Administration, the American Institute of Architects national convention and local chapter events, and the Society for Marketing Professional Services national convention and local chapter events. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of AIA/San Francisco.
In 2016, the American Institute of Architects conferred Honorary Membership upon Mark in recognition for his contribution to the profession. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Milligan College, a master’s degree from The Divinity School at Harvard University, and he also studied at Boston Architectural College.
Partner, LMN Architects
Jenn is a passionate interior designer specializing in experiential and sustainable design. With a keen focus on the interplay between spatial qualities and human experiences, she strives to optimize occupant wellbeing, achieve functional goals, and enhance the client’s culture and values, while minimizing negative environmental impacts. She helped develop a metric for evaluating the curricular value of social interaction spaces, and is an industry thought leader on interior designers’ role in decarbonization in the building industry. Jenn is a co-creator of the firm’s Path to Zero Carbon series, which is focused on sharing research, summarizing, and prioritizing actions to reach carbon neutrality. She is a leading member of the firm’s Materials & Health and Circular Lab Applied Research Team, spearheading initiatives such as the launch of a finish material library vetting process and implementing low-waste management strategies. She is committed to advancing design practices for the betterment of communities and the environment.
Senior Associate, Ennead Architects
Julia Chapman she serves as a Senior Designer and Project Architect on cultural, educational and healthcare projects. She combines an interest in climate change and sustainable design with curiosity about form and materials to create buildings that expand the impact of institutions and communities.
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Clark Davis, FAIA, LEED AP, leads many of Cameron MacAllister Group’s services in practice management, organizational and leadership development, and firm governance.
Prior to joining Cameron MacAllister Group, Clark was a senior principal at HOK for nearly 25 years. He served for 12 years as vice chairman and a member of the firm’s executive committee, and for 19 years as managing principal of HOK’s headquarters office in St Louis, Missouri. He led the creation of a broader regional practice, with new offices in Chicago and Denver, and organized firm-wide practices in healthcare, science & technology, aviation, corporate accounts, and other key markets. He was responsible for the entire firm’s marketing, communications, business planning, and website development.
Clark has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. He was president of AIA St. Louis and AIA Missouri, and he served on the Executive Committee of the AIA Large Firm Roundtable.
Since 2012, Clark has led the Managing Uncertainty research initiative for the AIA, the AIA Large Firm Roundtable, AGC, DBIA, LCI, COAA, and other industry bodies. The original research, performed by McGraw Hill Construction under contract with the Large Firm Round Table (LFRT), concluded with the Managing Uncertainty and Expectations in Building Design and Construction report, published in 2014. Clark was the author of the Managing Uncertainty Project Planning Guide for Owners and Project Teams, published by Dodge Data & Analytics in 2018. He has reported on the results from the research at numerous industry conferences. Clark also was the author of the “Architectural Services and Compensation” chapter of The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice, 13th and 14th editions, published by the AIA.
Clark holds degrees in architecture from the University of Kansas and the University of Michigan and he has chaired advisory boards at both institutions.
Associate Principal | Sustainable Design Director, Opsis
Heather’s tireless passion for green building is evident throughout her career of extensive community and professional service, public speaking and practical application on a diverse number of design and research projects. Taking inspiration from nature, Heather applies her expertise in sustainability and wellness throughout the project life cycle and into operations ensuring that sustainable design goals have been realized. When she is not designing, Heather is guiding our studio and the Green Team focus group on best practices and tools in achieving our goals, fighting for environmental and social justice, and exploring the outdoors.
Betsy del Monte, FAIA, LEED BD+C, joined Cameron MacAllister in 2018 as a Principal Consultant. A registered architect, she brings 30 years of architectural practice and sustainability consulting experience to the firm.
Her expertise includes high-performance-building design, sustainable-and-resilient-community design, and fully integrated project delivery, which enables her to help clients accelerate their sustainable and resilient design outcomes. She also teaches graduate courses in sustainable design and development at the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Betsy currently serves on the national AIA Strategic Council, the AIA Sustainability Leaders Group, and the AIA Equity and Future of Architecture Committee.
Formerly, Betsy was a Principal in Architecture and Director of Sustainability for the Beck Group, a national, integrated firm providing architecture and construction services. Her experience also includes work with architecture firms in Atlanta and Houston, as well as nine years with Philip Johnson and John Burgee in New York.
Betsy received her Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture degree from Rice University.
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Saskia Dennis-van Dijl advises Cameron MacAllister clients in the areas of marketing, practice management, leadership development, and strategic planning.
Guiding clients through the development and implementation of strategic and tactical marketing plans and budgets, Saskia provides counsel to in-house marketing principals and senior marketing staff on best practices, marketing trends, and prospective clients. She also leads training workshops for architects, engineers, and related professionals throughout the United States on topics including: Presenting for Success, Client Care and Business Development, Effective Communications, and Basics of Marketing.
In recent years, Saskia has focused extensively on leadership development in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry including a deep commitment to concerns related to diversity equity and inclusion. She was a founding member of the 2014 Equity by Design research project sponsored by AIA San Francisco and now works with companies around the nation on culture and policy development to achieve goals of diversity and inclusion in all aspects. Saskia has spoken widely on the topic including presenting to the AIA, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and several other national and regional groups.
In 2018, Saskia was named a Women of Vision award winner by the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce. She was one of 50 women honored for their roles in shaping the industry in Oregon and southwest Washington. Saskia also serves as Executive Director of the Global Design Alliance, an international network of 19 design, planning and construction firms who are committed to fostering dynamic growth and change.
Saskia joined Cameron MacAllister Group in 1999 after 11 years as Director of Business Development for Esherick Homsey Dodge and Davis (EHDD), an architectural firm based in San Francisco.
Director, Atelier Ten
Kristen is an Associate Director of the San Francisco office. With her macro-to-micro approach, Kristen provides big-picture guidance for large scale masterplans and detailed analysis including daylight optimization, shading control and innovative materials on the building scale.
Kristen has successfully led some of the firm’s most ambitious and complex projects including the new Nvidia campus in Santa Clara, CA and the San Francisco Giants’ Mission Rock Development. She led the sustainability vision for the 2020 Project, an unprecedented public private partnership (P3) project at the University of California Merced that nearly doubled the size of the campus. She’s currently working with the California College of the Arts in San Francisco to develop a carbon neutral unified campus.
Beyond projects, Kristen runs Atelier Ten’s Carbon Management practice and is an integral part of the firm’s Masterplanning and Daylight practices. She has taught Architectural Design and Environmental Systems and Controls at the University of Oregon and was a Teaching Associate at Cornell University.
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Lori Ferriss, AIA, PE, LEED AP BD+C, brings 15 years of experience as an architect, structural engineer, and conservator to Cameron MacAllister Group. She is a renowned leader, advocate, and educator in sustainable stewardship of the built environment. Her personal mission is to break down silos between disciplines and across the building sector to leverage the built environment toward a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.
Licensed as both an architect and professional engineer, Lori provides Cameron MacAllister Group clients with a broad range of knowledge to help them see the great potential of existing buildings. She brings a balance of technical expertise and strategic thinking skills to her work with clients that lead to implementable outcomes. She works with firms to embed climate action into both organizational structure, staff development, and project delivery processes for measurable and consistent change.
Lori’s award-winning work leverages connections between the built and natural environments for a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable future. She is a frequent speaker on carbon mitigation and climate justice topics through building reuse at the local, national, and international levels. She is also a co-developer of the CARE Tool, which estimates the carbon benefits of reusing and retrofitting buildings. Lori’s research in establishing carbon accounting methods and standards of practice for existing and historic buildings has been featured in the Journal of Architectural Conservation and Architect Magazine. She has also presented her findings on stage at the UN COP27 climate conference.
In 2022, Lori received the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Young Architects Award. She also chairs the AIA Committee on the Environment, serves on the steering committee of the Climate Heritage Network, and is a co-founder of the Northeast Hub of the Carbon Leadership Forum and the Zero Net Carbon Collaboration for Existing and Historic Buildings.
Sustainability Manager, Lendlease Construction
Joan Gibbons is a Sustainability Manager for Lendlease Construction based in San Francisco, where she is currently helping Lendlease meet its ambitious goal of achieving absolute zero carbon across every scope by 2040, while creating $250M of social value by 2025. At Lendlease, Joan is collaborating across the company's national portfolio to procure low-embodied carbon materials, reduce jobsite emissions, and is driving implementation of a variety of other sustainability initiatives to reduce the company’s environmental footprint. Joan holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a LEED AP BD+C accredited professional. She is committed to ongoing learning and collaboration to achieve ambitious sustainability goals and is passionate about creating social and environmental value through her work.
Senior Vice President of Research, Autodesk
Mike Haley serves as Senior Vice President of Research at Autodesk. In this role, he leads the company’s industrial research that uncovers new technologies for customer-centric transformations while addressing challenges like climate change, automation, and industry convergence.
The Autodesk Research team encompasses scientific research (AI, Human-Computer Interaction, Simulation and Systems, Optimization, Geometry, Visualization, and Robotics), industry research (Design, Manufacturing, Architecture, Infrastructure, Construction, and Media), and strategic foresight. Mike also oversees the Autodesk Technology Centers, working with customers and partners on the future of design and make. This multidisciplinary, integrated approach guides the company’s technology, strategy, and product development. Mike also leads Autodesk's Generative AI efforts.
Mike’s track record includes establishing the company’s AI Lab, driving machine learning competency, and pioneering cloud technology at Autodesk. He holds an MS in Computer Science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and has expertise in computer graphics, machine learning, distributed systems, and mathematical analysis.
Regional Operations Director, Quinn Evans
With over 25 years of combined experience in professional practice and teaching, Mr. Hess has been passionately involved in real estate development and the adaptive re-use of existing places. Following Detroit’s historic bankruptcy in 2013, Richard spearheaded a small team of like-minded individuals interested in being a part of the city’s comeback, focusing on the revitalization of Detroit’s neighborhoods and its many culturally-rich, abandoned places. Today, Quinn Evans’ Detroit office is over 30 team-members strong and has repeatedly been listed as one of the city’s Top Workplaces by the Detroit Free Press.
Richard is currently leading the architectural and engineering team responsible for the rehabilitation of the iconic Michigan Central Station – once considered the grandest train station in the nation and the gateway to the industrial Motor City. When completed, Michigan Central will serve as the hub for Ford Motor Company’s 30-acre innovation district – focusing on state-of-the-art mobility solutions for a more sustainable and equitable future. The road to revitalizing Michigan Central has been an ongoing commitment for Quinn Evans for over a decade, and for many, is seen as a towering symbol of Detroit’s past, present, and future. Richard is also leading the stabilization of New York’s Buffalo Central Terminal, an equally impressive, early-twentieth century train depot which has been abandoned for nearly 40 years.
Mr. Hess holds a Bachelor of Design from the University of Florida with a Masters in Architecture from the University of Michigan. Richard is currently Quinn Evans’ Regional Operations Director, responsible for managing their offices in both Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he currently sits on QE’s Board of Directors.
Planning Director, City and County of San Francisco
Rich Hillis is the Planning Director for the City and County of San Francisco. Mr. Hillis is responsible for overseeing long range city planning, development review, and environmental review for most physical development in San Francisco. He served on the San Francisco Planning Commission for eight years before becoming Director of the Planning Department.
Prior to joining San Francisco Planning , Mr. Hillis served as the Executive Director for the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture where he led its reinvigoration, investing over $60 million into the historic campus and providing a stable and vibrant home to dozens of arts organizations and events. Before joining the Fort Mason Center, Mr. Hillis served as Deputy Director of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, where he managed all aspects of the redevelopment of Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island into a new 8,000-unit, mixed-use neighborhood, led efforts on priority Port development projects, and oversaw efforts to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for development along Octavia Boulevard. Previously, he was the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department’s Director of Partnerships and Property, managing RPD’s assets and concessions.
Mr. Hillis has an Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s from the State University of New York at Albany .
Chair of Board of Directors, Downtown Van
Melissa is passionate about creating innovative public buildings where communities come together, and is a believer in the power of architecture and design as a catalyst for positive change in the world. She enjoys working closely with clients to find creative solutions to their unique design challenges. Her expertise in recreation facilities, arts and culture, and long-range vision plans are demonstrated by the success of the Clayton Community Centre – the first Passive House certified community centre in North America – and the award-winning Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre and West Vancouver Community Centre. Her work on long range strategies includes the West End Community Hub Renewal Plan, Granville Street Design Framework, Granville Island 2040 Land Use Vision Plan, and the Vancouver Aquatic Strategy.
Melissa plays a key role in managing and developing the cross-disciplinary aspects of hcma, including communication design, sustainability, and community and stakeholder engagement to augment our architecture practice, enhancing our reach and impact. She believes that true collaboration and transdisciplinary design has the power to improve creative outcomes across all project types and scales.
Melissa is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors for Downtown Van (the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association). She is past Chair of UBC’s Advisory Urban Design Panel (AUDP), and a past member of AIBC’s Diverse Membership Group and the City of Surrey’s Advisory Design Panel. Melissa is also an Adjunct at UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) and has taught a course on Social Sustainability and several architectural design studios.
Partner, FoxRothschild
Laura is a trusted adviser to professional services businesses, including architects and engineers, working with them to resolve legal issues involving employment, contracts, business sales and ownership transition issues.
She assists clients through the corporate life cycle, from formation through developing an exit strategy. She routinely handles 8-10 ownership transition programs per year. In addition, she has handled M&A transactions ranging in size from $1 million to more than $300 million in enterprise value.
Laura did her undergraduate work at Emory University and law school at the University of California at Berkeley.
Deputy Director, Downtown SF Partnership
Born in San Francisco, Claude grew up in a family dedicated to the civic good and the power of public space to transform cities and people. He serves as the Deputy Director for the Downtown SF Partnership (a Business Improvement District) overseeing place making and place management functions for 43-blocks of downtown San Francisco. Claude was introduced to the world of BIDs during an internship for the US State Department in Kingston, Jamaica. His interests include urban design, architecture, organizational psychology, behavioral economics and systems theory. Claude holds a B.S. in City & Regional Planning from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and an M.A. in Change Leadership from the California School of Professional Psychology. He lives with his partner in an 1870’s Italianate Victorian in San Francisco’s Castro District.
Chief of Operations, Lake | Flato
As Lake|Flato’s Chief of Operations. Scott brings strong leadership and oversight to human resources, finance, management and business operations, ensuring that internal processes maximize the firm’s capabilities and growth capacity. He is committed to establishing an outstanding business culture supported by a sound financial and operational model to produce design of the highest quality. Scott’s attentiveness to organizational design and the alignment of process with organizational goals drives Lake|Flato’s success in an increasingly competitive marketplace. A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Architecture and the University of California, Los Angeles, with an MBA, Scott is as passionate about road biking, mountain biking and track racing as he is about behavior economics.
Partner, Fox Rothschild
Syvia helps her clients with choice of entity decisions and entity formation, counsels businesses regarding general corporate matters and governance and regularly drafts and reviews contracts.
She works with clients to develop business succession plans to allow for internal ownership transition, and she represents clients in mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations. She also counsels clients regarding wind up and dissolution.
While Syvia’s clients come from a wide range of business sectors including the market research, public relations and custom furniture industries, a portion of her practice focuses on design professionals, including architects, landscape architects, interior designers, engineers and environmental consultants. She drafts and reviews design services contracts and helps these clients to successfully transition ownership either internally, to a new generations of owners in order to allow for the growth of the design firms over multiple generations of ownership and leadership, or externally to become part of a larger organization through merger and acquisition.
Director, Atelier Ten
As managing Director of Atelier Ten’s San Francisco office, Claire is a recognized leader in the environmental design and delivery of large, complex, environmentally ambitious masterplans, landscapes and buildings. Her breadth of work spans from the first LEED Platinum building at Ithaca College to designing what will be the largest and most sustainable mass transit development on the west coast.
Claire’s expertise in green buildings marries technical excellence with a strong design and environmental ethos. She has extensive expertise in climate-responsive architecture, design for thermal and visual comfort, high performance façade optimization, advanced energy and HVAC systems, water reuse systems, and carbon management.
Claire is a LEED Fellow, holds a BA in Architectural History & Environmental Studies from Cornell University, and an M.Arch from Princeton University’s School of Architecture. She has taught at the Rural Studio at Auburn University, Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute in New York City.
Senior Director of Design Technology, SOM
Kat Park is the Senior Director of Design Technology at SOM, overseeing technology strategy related to design. A computer scientist and architect specializing in computational design, Kat Park spearheads research initiatives, identifies opportunities and technology trends to innovate the design process related to the built environment. Prior to SOM and architecture, she was an interdisciplinary software developer and interaction designer at Art Technology Group and MIT Media Lab. Kat Park holds a BS in Computer Science & Engineering and a Master of Architecture degree, both from MIT.
Principal/Owner, Olson Kundig
Blair Payson, a principal/owner of Olson Kundig, has worked on both architectural and exhibit design projects, including the Century Project at the Space Needle, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center, and Recompose, a Washington state organization advocating for an alternative approach for burying the dead, as well as several homes across the western United States and Mexico. Blair’s current work includes a new museum for an American sculptor, a renovation of a historic Los Angeles theater, and several hospitality and residential projects. Blair regularly lectures and organizes conferences across the U.S. and internationally, including the 2021 Advanced Building Skins Conference in Bern, Switzerland; he also co-chaired the 2020 Architect's Newspaper Conference in Seattle, and delivered the 2019 Association of Licensed Architects keynote address.
A maker at heart, Blair is an architect who revels in the details. From large cultural projects to temporary design interventions, Blair is able to distill large, complex projects into distinct culminating moments. Lately, Blair’s research has taken him on site visits to a subterranean cavern deep underground in one week, to hundreds of feet above an urban landscape the next, demonstrating not only the range of his interests, but also his proclivity towards risk and experimentation. Blair holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University, and he is the recipient of several design awards for his work on the Gates Foundation Visitor Center and the Century Project at the Space Needle, among other projects.
Audience Marketing Manager, Architecture
Industry & Portfolio Marketing
Worldwide Marketing-AEC
Autodesk
Sabina Poole is the Architecture Audiences Marketing Manager at Autodesk. She has a background in architectural and art history and has worked with architectural firms directing marketing and business development.
Senior Associate, Quinn Evans
Nakita Reed is a Senior Associate at Quinn Evans and award-winning architect with experience in the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings, with a focus on sustainable strategies in design and construction. She has a Master of Architecture and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia. She is a registered architect, a LEED®-Accredited Professional, and a certified Passive House Consultant.
She serves on the board of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation and is a co-chair of the Zero Net Carbon Collaboration for Existing and Heritage Buildings (ZNCC). She is also the host of Tangible Remnants, a podcast for lovers of existing buildings that explores the intersection of architecture, preservation, sustainability, race & gender.
Associate, Lake|Flato
Jamie Sartory is an Associate at Lake|Flato Architects and a leader in the firm’s Learning studio. Her work centers on creating projects that immerse occupants in the landscape while paying homage to local context and sense of place. Her love of the construction process and her ability to manage deeply complex projects brings added depth to her design expertise. Jamie has worked on schools across the country including Indian Springs School and the Fort Worth Country Day Lower School. Most recently, Jamie led the transformation of Lake|Flato’s office building in downtown San Antonio, transforming the century-old building into a vibrant and welcoming workspace reflective of the firm’s ethos.
Associate Director, ClimateWorks Foundation
Scott Shell is an architect with extensive experience on low-carbon and sustainable architectural design. He collaborated with many talented colleagues to design a number of early zero energy buildings that produced as much energy as they consumed. He advocated for all-electric building policies in jurisdictions across California and the U.S. as a key step to eliminating operational carbon emissions.
In 2022 Scott joined ClimateWorks Foundation to focus full time on reducing the embodied carbon in building materials. As the Associate Director for the Industry Program, he works to reduce and eliminate the emissions associate with producing the key industrial materials used for buildings and infrastructure. This work is global in scope and includes legislative and policy interventions, voluntary commitments, demonstration projects, and advancing the data infrastructure for embodied carbon. Scott works across disciplines and organizations to collaborate with a wide range of individuals deeply committed to addressing the climate crisis at speed and scale through lower carbon construction materials.
Design Principal, SOM
Mark Schwettmann is a Design Principal at SOM with a diverse range of domestic and international experience in major mixed-use, residential, corporate, hospitality, and academic projects. Mark leads a global architecture team with a primary focus on high density urban infill throughout the West Coast. His work spans a wide range of building types from high rise residential to commercial office, commercial life sciences, and civic. He has led the design of multiple LEED Platinum buildings including the expansion of Moscone Convention Center, and 49 South Van Ness, which houses San Francisco’s building, planning, and public works departments and shares its origins with the 1550 Mission residential tower. A lifelong resident of the Bay Area, his passion for the intersection of architecture and technology has also led to innovation and leadership in Design Technology, from the origins of parametric modeling to current research into Generative Artificial Intelligence in Architecture.
Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley
Kyle Steinfeld makes, writes, and teaches about computational design as a cultural practice. An Associate Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley, Kyle aims to reveal the overlooked capacities of architectural computation through related practices of creative work, scholarly writing, and digital tool-making. Across these media, his work undermines the imperative voice so often bestowed upon semi-autonomous processes, and seeks to set in its place a plurality of alternative voices.
His creative work applies techniques drawn from artificial intelligence to architectural design, and has been exhibited at the Italian Pavilion of the Venice Architecture Biennale, at the NeurIPS workshop on Machine Learning for Creativity and Design, and has been written about broadly.
In his scholarly writing, he seeks to illuminate the dynamic relationship between the creative practice of design and computational design methods, thereby enabling a more inventive, informed, responsive, and responsible practice of architecture. He authored the first chapter of The Routledge Companion to Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, and is an author of "Geometric Computation: Foundations for Design", a foundational text that demystifies computational geometry for an audience of architecture students and design professionals.
As an educator, Kyle has instructed core courses in design, architectural representation, and design computation for more than twenty years. His leadership roles in the College of Environmental Design have included serving as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, and as the Faculty Director of the Master of Design program.
As a professional architect, Kyle worked with a number of design firms, including Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Acconci Studio, Kohn Petersen Fox Associates, Howler/Yoon, Diller Scofidio Renfro, and TEN Arquitectos. Kyle holds a Masters of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Bachelor's Degree in Design from the University of Florida (UF).
He is a Fellow at Stochastic Labs, an Autodesk IDEAs fellow, and a Hellman Fellow.
Designing for the Climate Crisis:
A Conversation for a Better Future
Sponsored by Autodesk
Amy Donohue, AIA
Principal, Bora
Melissa Higgs, Architect AIBC, FRAIC
Principal, HCMA
Sarah Lindenfeld, AIA
Managing Partner, Payette
Brandon Specketer, AIA
Partner, COOKFOX
Paul Schwer, PE
President, PAE
8:30 AM
Welcome
Mark Cameron
Community Agreements and Land Acknowledgement
Tiffany Bergeron
Review of the Topic and Introductions
Mark Cameron
8:40 AM
Autodesk Sponsorship Thank You
Saskia Dennis
8:45 AM
Designing for the Climate Crisis – a Conversation for a Better Future
Opening words and introduction of the panelists
Mary Ann Lazarus
Presentations by each panelist on their work:
Activism
Kelly Alvarez Doran
Microclimates and What Owners Are Grappling With
Ed Soltero
Research Initiatives
Thomas Auer
Practitioner’s POV & How To Create Opportunities for Our Firms
Jack Rusk
Advocacy & What the AIA is Doing
Lori Ferris
Q&A with the Panel
Facilitated by Mary Ann Lazarus
10:10 AM
Break
10:20 AM
Facilitated Conversation with the Panel & Audience questions
Mary Ann Lazarus & Saskia Dennis
10:40 AM
Breakout Groups: Where do we go from here?
(small group discussion)
11:15 AM
Small Group Report Share
Saskia Dennis
11:27 AM
Final Thoughts and Spring Symposium
Mark Cameron
11:30 AM
Adjourn
Facilitator:
Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, LEED Fellow
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Kelly Alvarez Doran, OAA, MRAIC
Co-Founder, Ha/f Climate Design
Thomas Auer
Managing Director and Partner, Transsolar
Lori Ferris, AIA, PE, LEED AP BD+C
Principal Consultant, Cameron MacAllister Group
Ed Soltero, Ph.D., FAIA, LEED AP BDC
Assistant Vice-Chancellor, FPM and University Architect, Washington University in St. Louis
Jack Rusk, LEED AP BD+C
Director of Climate Strategy, EHDD
Sponsored by Autodesk and Fox Rothschild
Amy Donohue, AIA
Principal, Bora
Melissa Higgs, Architect AIBC, FRAIC
Principal, HCMA
Sarah Lindenfeld, AIA
Managing Partner, Payette
Brandon Specketer, AIA
Partner, COOKFOX
Paul Schwer, PE
President, PAE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2023
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4:30 - 6:30 p.m. PDT
Welcome Reception at PAE
PAE will host the Welcome Reception and give members a tour of their Living Building. The tour will be led by PAE, ZGF, and Walsh Construction representatives.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023
8 a.m.
Breakfast
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8:30 a.m.
Welcome

Land and Labor Acknowledgement
Saskia Dennis-van Dijl
Review Schedule and Opening Statements
Mark Cameron, Cameron MacAllister Group
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8:45 a.m.
Mithun, recipient of AIA National Architecture Firm Award 2022
Jason Steiner and Erin Jacobs of Mithun will present their practice: how they have sustained quality over 50 years; how they have re-interpreted what design excellence is; how they have achieved a healthy culture where people can thrive.
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9:45 a.m.
Break
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10 a.m.
PANEL 1:
What does design excellence mean today?
Facilitated by: Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, Cameron MacAllister Group
Chandra Robinson, Principal, Lever Architecture
Paul Fast, Founder, Fast + Epp Structural Engineers
Ginger Gosnell-Myers, Fellow, Decolonization and Urban Indigenous Policy + Planning; Simon Fraser University, Wosk Centre for Dialogue
Z Smith, Ph.D., Principal, Eskew Dumez Ripple
Questions and Open Forum Discussion
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12 p.m.
Lunch
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1:15 p.m.
PANEL 2:
How is design excellence achieved?
Can a collaborative culture and process achieve design excellence?
Facilitated by: Amy Donohue, Principal, Bora Architecture & Interiors
Jennifer Devlin-Herbert, FAIA, President, EHDD Architects
Gregg Novicoff, Principal, LMS Architects
Derrick McDonald, Associate, Hacker Architects
Brad Nile, Project Executive, Andersen Construction
Open Forum Discussion
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2:45 p.m.
Break
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3 p.m.
Benchmarking Survey
Presentation of results of the benchmarking survey:
Clark Davis, FAIA, Cameron MacAllister Group
Scott Lelieur, AIA, Director of Operations, Lake|Flato
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4:00 p.m.
Sponsor interview:
Syvia Magid, Partner, Fox Rothschild
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4:20 p.m.
PechaKucha Presentations:
WHY Architecture
KPMB Architects
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4:45 p.m.
Summary and Discussion:
Discussion and Reflection on Day 1
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5:00 p.m.
Walk to Hunt & Gather Restaurant
Cocktails and dinner
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FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2023 (PDT)
8 a.m.
Breakfast
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8:30 a.m.
PANEL 3:
Developing Design Excellence Leaders
Facilitator: Mark Cameron, Cameron MacAllister Group
Shiloh Butterworth, Oregon Regional Leader/Chief People Officer, PAE Consulting Engineers
Sindu Meier, Associate Principal, William Rawn Associates
Amy Perenchio, Principal, ZGF Architects
Open forum discussion
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9:45 a.m.
Break
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10 a.m.
Sponsor Interviews
Sabina Poole, Autodesk
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10:30 a.m.
Break
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10:45 a.m.
PechaKucha Presentations:
LMN Architects
PAE
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11:15 a.m.
Facilitated Discussion:
Highlights and take-aways from the two days
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12 p.m.
Adjourn
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12:30pm
Optional Tour
:
The Portland Japanese Garden’s Cultural Crossing Expansion seeks to create a serene, pilgrimage-like journey from the city to the forest, drawing each visitor into a fully immersive experience of the traditional arts and culture of Japan. A design collaboration between Kengo Kuma and Associates, Hacker, and Walker Macy among others, the 14,675-square-foot expansion includes four modest, human-scaled new buildings designed to merge into the dramatic slopes of the Washington Park terrain in combination with the tall vertical lines of Pacific Northwest conifers. Join us for a tour led by designers from Hacker and Walker Macy Please RSVP and CMG will reserve a ticket for you ($20).
Shiloh Butterworth
Oregon Region Leader and Chief People Officer, PAE Consulting Engineers
Mark Cameron
Cameron MacAllister Group
Clark Davis, FAIA
Cameron MacAllister Group
Saskia Dennis-van Dijl
Cameron MacAllister Group
Jennifer Devlin-Herbert, FAIA
President, EHDD Architects
Amy K. Donohue, AIA, NOMA, LFA
Principal, Bora Architecture & Interiors
Paul Fast
Founder, Fast + Epp Structural Engineers
Ginger Gosnell-Myers
Fellow, Decolonization and Urban Indigenous Policy + Planning; Simon Fraser University, Wosk Centre for Diaglogue
Erin Jacobs
Mithun
Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA
Cameron MacAllister Group
Scott Lelieur, AIA
Director of Operations, Lake Flato
Sindu Maliakal Meier, AIA
Associate Principal, William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.
Derrick McDonald
Associate, Hacker Architects
Sindu Meier
Associate Principal, William Rawn Associates
Brad Nile
Project Executive, Andersen Construction
Gregg Novicoff
Principal, LMS Architects
Amy Perenchio
Principal, ZGF Architects
Chandra Robinson
Principal, LEVER Architecture
Z Smith, PhD, FAIA, LEED Fellow, WELL AP
EskewDumezRipple
Jason Steiner
Mithun
SPONSORS:
Syvia Magid
Partner, Fox Rothschild
Sabina Poole
Autodesk
PECHAKUCHA PRESENTATIONS:
WHY Architecture
KPMB Architects
LMN Architects
PAE
Click on the link below to review notes and presentations from the 2023 Design Colloquium in Portland, Oregon.
This page is password-protected.
Creating a Healthy Firm for Your People
Ray Calabro, FAIA
Principal, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Amy Donohue, AIA
Principal, Bora
Kevin McClurkan, AIA
Management Partner, ennead
Christiana Moss, AIA
Principal, Studio Ma
Paul Schwer
President, PAE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PDT
Creating A Healthy Firm For Your People
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Diana Nicklaus
President, SAAM Architects
Angela Watson
CEO, Shepley Bulfinch
Darryl Condon
Managing Principal, HCMA
Presentation of research on mental health and wellness
Saskia Dennis-van Dijl, Cameron MacAllister Group
Annelise Pitts, AIA
Design Strategist, Lens Strategy
Diana Nicklaus
President, SAAM Architects
Angela Watson
CEO, Shepley Bulfinch
Darryl Condon
Managing Principal, HCMA
Saskia Dennis-van Dijl,
Cameron MacAllister Group
Annelise Pitts, AIA
Design Strategist, Lens Strategy
Click on the link below to review notes and presentations from the 2022 Virtual Design Colloquium.
This page is password-protected.
Ray Calabro, FAIA
Principal, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Amy Donohue, AIA
Principal, Bora
Kevin McClurkan, AIA
Management Partner, ennead
Christiana Moss, AIA
Principal, Studio Ma
Paul Schwer
President, PAE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2022
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5– 7 p.m. PDT
Welcome Reception at Holmes
Join us for cocktails and light bites as we kick off the Design Colloquium.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022
8 a.m.
Breakfast
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8:30 a.m.
Welcome

Land and Labor Acknowledgement
Saskia Dennis-van Dijl
Review Schedule and Opening Statements
Mark Cameron, Cameron MacAllister Group
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8:45 a.m.
Keynote Speaker
Sharon Prince, Founder/CEO, Grace Farms
Design for Freedom by Grace Farms reimagines architecture by raising awareness and inspiring responses to disrupt forced labor in the building materials supply chain. Grace Farms Foundation’s interdisciplinary humanitarian mission is to pursue peace through five initiatives – nature, arts, justice, community, and faith – and at Grace Farms, a SANAA designed site for convening people across sectors.
Panelists:
COOKFOX Architects
Susie Teal, AIA, LEED AP, Partner
FX Collaborative
Ann Rolland, FAIA, LEED AP, Partner
Ennead
Amy Mielke, AIA, Director of Ennead Lab, Associate Principal
Open Forum Discussion
How can the design professions support and further the efforts that Grace Farms Foundation has started?
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10:30 a.m.
Break
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10:50 a.m.
Understanding the practice of MASS Design Group
MASS Design Group is the 2022 recipient of the AIA Architecture Firm Award. Since their founding, they have been a distinctly different architectural firm. This presentation will explore how the practice has evolved.
Katie Swenson, Senior Principal, MASS Design Group
Questions and Open Forum Discussion
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12 p.m.
Lunch
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1 p.m.
Design for a Carbon Free Resilient Future
The Design Colloquium has focused on design for sustainability and resiliency, for several years. In 2022, we are exploring how our efforts are progressing, by going deep with a single project as a case study: the story behind the PAE new Headquarters, the first developer-led Living Building.
Facilitator:
Paul Schwer, PE, LEED AP, President, PAE Consulting Engineers
Panelists:
Justin Brooks, AIA LEED AP BD+C, Principal, ZGF – the architectural design
Jill Sherman, Principal, Edlen & Company – the financial model
Katie Zabrocki, Senior Associate, PAE Consulting Engineers – the engineering innovations
Open Forum Discussion
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2:45 p.m.
Break
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3:15 p.m.
For Profit Social Enterprises
Social Purpose and Benefit Corporations
Laura Howard and Syvia Magid, Partners, Fox Rothschild
Presentation from our Sponsors followed by questions and discussion
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3:30 p.m.
PechaKucha Presentations
Transsolar KlimaEngineering
Tomasso Bitossi, Associate Director
Miller Hull
Ruth Baleiko, FAIA, Partner
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4 p.m.
Summary and Discussion
Summary and reflections on Day 1. Free time to get re-acquainted, meet new colleagues, and walk and talk outside
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5 p.m.
Walk to Sessions Restaurant
Cocktails and dinner
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FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022 (PDT)
8 a.m.
Breakfast
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8:30 a.m.
Benchmarking Survey
Presentation of results of benchmarking survey
Clark Davis, FAIA, Cameron MacAllister Group
Scott Lelieur, AIA, Director of Operations Lake|Flato
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8:50 a.m.
PechaKucha Presentations
MJMA - Ted Watson, Managing Partner
Holmes - Megan Stringer, Associate Principal
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9:20 a.m.
Lessons Learned from working during the pandemic
Panelists to share what they learned that they will take into the future: e.g.How their work processes have changed; Whether they have altered their recruitment efforts; How their culture has been affected
Panelists:
Studio MA
Tim Keil, RA, Principal
Lake|Flato
Tenna Florian, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Partner
Payette
Sarah Lindenfeld, AIA, Managing Principal
hcma architecture + design
Darryl Condon, Managing Principal
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10 a.m.
Break Out Groups
Each group discusses what they learned from working during the pandemic, that they will take into the future.
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10:50 a.m.
Break
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11 a.m.
Reports from the break-out groups
Facilitator: Mark Cameron
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11:40 a.m.
Update on the GDA/DC Book Club
Amy Donohue, AIA, NOMA, LFA, BORA
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11:45 a.m.
Facilitated Discussion
Highlights and take-aways from the two days
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Noon
Adjourn
PANEL 1
Keynote Speaker:
Sharon Prince
CEO and Founder, Grace Farms Foundation
Susie Teal, AIA, LEED AP
Partner, COOKFOX
Ann Rolland, FAIA, LEED AP
Partner, FXCollaborative
Amy Mielke, AIA
Director of ENNEAD LAB; Associate Principal, ENNEAD ARCHITECTS
PANEL 2: UNDERSTANDING THE PRACTICE OF MASS DESIGN GROUP
Katie Swenson
Senior Principal, MASS Design Group
Harvard University GSD, Loeb Fellow
University of Virginia, M. Arch
U.C. Berkeley, B.A.
PANEL 3: DESIGN FOR A CARBON FREE RESILIENT FUTURE
Paul Schwer, President, PE, LEEP AP
Justin Brooks, AIA, LEED AP
B. Arch, Syracuse University
Jill Sherman
Co-founder of Edlen & Co.
Katie Zabrocki, Senior Associate, PE
PECHAKUCHA PRESENTATIONS
Tommaso Bitossi
Associate Director, Transsolar KilmaEngineering
Ruth Baleiko, FAIA, Partner
Miller Hull
Ted Watson
Partner, MJMA Architecture & Design Toronto
Megan Stringer
Associate Principal, Holmes
PANEL 4: LESSONS LEARNED FROM WORKING DURING THE PANDEMIC
Tim Kell, RA, Principal
Studio Ma
Tenna Florian, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Lake|Flato Architects
Sarah N. Lindenfield, AIA, Managing Principal
Payette
Darryl Condon, Managing Principal
hcma architecture + design
Click on the link below to review notes and presentations from the 2022 Design Colloquium in San Francisco, California.
2022 SPRING RESOURCES
This page is password-protected.
October 2021
Community in Action:
Exploring Young Black Professionals Workforce Housing Initiative
March 2021
The New Design Excellence:
Embracing Sustainability + Equity in Design First Work
March 2020
Climatic Crisis and Practice Evolution
April 2019
Responding to a Change in Climate
April 2018
Disruption: Game Changes in Design
April 2017
Stretching the Boundaries of Design
April 2016
New Developments in Design Thinking, Recruitment,
Retention and Communication
April 2015
Leadership, Growth and Innovation:
How Design-First Firms are Framing Their Future
November 2014
Growth Strategies, Global Practice, Re-invention:
New Directions for Large Design Firms
October 2013
The Changing Relevance of Design-First Firms
June 2012
Exploring the Future of Mid-size Design Firms
November 2011
Exploring the Future for the Design Professions
May 2010
Design-First Firm Practice in a Time of Great Change
November 2009
Large Firms Respond to a Challenging Economy
October 2008
Large Firm Practice in a Time of Great Change
April 2008
Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Design
September 2006
Exploring the Special Concerns of Large, Multi-office Firms:
Growth, Recruitment and Retention, Design Quality
2005
Forum on Issues Shared by Large Multi-office Design Firms
2024
DESIGN
COLLOQUIUM
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