Why do clients for different building typologies approach the value of design and research differently? Join the AIANY Social Science and Architecture Committee for a myth-busting roundtable discussion about why some sectors believe in design excellence and research more than others. Guest speakers will share their experiences in designing healthcare, parks, housing, school and research facilities, and explore the powers that fund, facilitate and flummox researchers and designers. This program will be formatted as an intimate discussion that covers the themes of standard processes, political power, desired outcomes and the media.
This program is the first part of series called “Hesitations and Constraints,” organized by the AIANY Social Science and Architecture Committee.
Speakers:
James Berge, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Regional Leader of Science and Technology, HOK
Enrico Cullen, Director, Strategy, a.i.r. nyc
Jacob Dugopolski, AIA, AICP, LEED AP, Associate, WXY architecture + urban design
Alex O’Briant, Associate Partner, Ennead Architects
Stephen Yablon, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Stephen Yablon Architecture
Moderator: Eve Klein, Assoc. AIA, Co-founder and Co-chair, AIANY Social Science and Architecture Committee
James Berge, AIA, brings a unique perspective to the design of science facilities. His understanding of science and the specific space requirements that foster research and development create a valuable dialogue throughout the design process. Berge’s in-depth experience of the entire delivery process from concept development through regulatory approvals and occupancy, provide for a turnkey client solution. Berge’s holistic competency in architecture and engineering make him an asset to every team.
Enrico Cullen has pushed for innovation and transformation in a variety of sectors, including health care, education, and post-incarceration programs. He currently works with a.i.r. nyc, a data-driven and tech-savvy asthma program based in the Bronx. He also envisioned, designed, and founded the Academy of Urban Planning High School in Bushwick, Brooklyn. For five years, he produced the Media That Matters Film Festival, an annual festival of short films on social issues that travelled the globe. Cullen also produced six feature documentaries on social issues including the war in Congo, human-tower building on three continents, salt-mine treatment centers for asthma, and more. Cullen has spoken at Harvard University, Swarthmore College, and The New School. He holds degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Jacob Dugopolski, AIA, is an Associate at WXY architecture + urban design, focusing on innovation in the design and planning of buildings, public spaces, and cities. He manages projects at all scales from cultural renovations to zoning and masterplan studies. Recent projects include the Brooklyn Strand, Brooklyn Cultural District streetscape, and the Spofford mixed-use development in the Bronx. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Yale University with the Parsons Award for excellence in urban design, and has taught studios at the City College of New York and Cornell University.
Alex O’Briant is an architect at Ennead Architects in New York City. His creative approach is driven by the belief that design and institutional culture can merge to create intellectual communities that prioritize learning over teaching and teamwork over individual achievement. His projects include a new high school for Seoul Foreign School, the Engineering Flex Lab for Purdue University, the Natural History Museum of Utah, and multiple projects at the University of Texas at Austin.
Stephen Yablon, AIA, established Stephen Yablon Architect in 1995 to create contemporary architecture that creates place, identity, and change. Yablon’s projects include a wide range of academic, cultural, health care, commercial, and residential projects for institutional, non-profit, public, corporate, and individual clients. Recent clients include the City of New York, Brooklyn Museum, Angelo Gordon, Columbia University, The City University of New York, Mt. Sinai Health System, and Planned Parenthood of NYC. Yablon has been widely recognized for design excellence through numerous awards, publications, and exhibits. His work has been published extensively in Architectural Record, Metropolis, The New York Times, Interior Design magazine, Oculus, and The Architect’s Newspaper, among others. Earlier, Yablon was recognized as an important emerging architect by Interior Design and in NEXT, an exhibition presented by AIA New York. In 2012, he was a recipient of Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Art and Design Alumni Award of Distinction. Yablon received a Bachelor of Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University School of Architecture.
Eve Klein, Assoc. AIA, is an architect and facilities planner with expertise in the social and psychological impact of built environments in higher education and cultural institutions. She is currently a doctoral student in Environmental Psychology at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She is the co-founder of the AIANY Social Science and Architecture Committee and the User Design Information Group, a research group in the Center for Human Environments at the Graduate Center of CUNY. She played a key role in NYU’s Office of Strategic Assessment, Planning & Design, overseeing strategic facilities planning, space management and creation/approval of the university’s Master Plan.
