Empowering the Next Generation of Adaptive Reuse Innovators

In the face of an urgent and ongoing climate crisis, the future of the built environment increasingly depends on adaptive reuse. For today’s emerging architects and designers, the work of continuously transforming existing buildings—a process known globally as umbau—may indeed become the crux of professional practice for many. So what will it take to produce the next generation of umbau innovators?

This panel offers an inspiring and informative look at several influential building reuse-focused programs, studios, and workshops empowering students and recent graduates both locally and across global borders. Learning from experienced mentors, exploring creative ideas, and encountering real-world applications, participants will gain insight into how design education connects to the practical realities of implementation and ultimately grow their potential to address one of our most critical architectural and social issues. Speakers—including educators, leaders of globally recognized architecture firms, economic development practitioners, and young professionals—will share their perspectives on how mentorship, education, and collaboration can translate innovative ideas into viable projects. Their experiences offer valuable takeaways for the future.

Program Introduction:
Rosalind Tsang, Co-Chair, AIANY Women in Architecture Committee; Studio Director, gmp

Speakers:
Charles Renfro, Instructor, Rice University; Partner, Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Stephan Schutz, Founder, Academy for Architectural Culture; Executive Partner, gmp
Eva Vesmanova, Graduate student, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Kate Wittels, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia GSAPP; Partner, HR&A Advisors

Moderator:
Michelle Neary, Senior Associate, Gensler; Member, AIANY Building Science Committee

About the Speakers:
Charles Renfro works at the intersection of architecture, the performing arts, and academia. Since joining Diller Scofidio + Renfro in 1997 and becoming a partner in 2004, he has helped shape projects including the High Line, the renovation and expansion of Museum of Modern Art, and the Juilliard Schools at Lincoln Center and in Tianjin, China. He has also led academic projects for U.C. Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Brown University, while overseeing adaptive reuse initiatives such as the revitalization of the iconic PRD Montparnasse in Paris and the transformation of a former railway depot into Hungary’s Museum of Transport. Committed to education and mentorship, Renfro is an instructor at Rice University, on faculty at the School of Visual Arts, and has taught at Columbia University, and Parsons School of Design. He has mentored students through Publicolor and Friends Academy. Renfro is a National Academician, recipient of the Texas Medal of the Arts, and Chair of the William Ward Watkin Council at Rice University, where his recent project, Sarofim Hall for the visual and dramatic arts, is located. Renfro has been included on the Out 100 list and has also served on boards supporting LGBTQ and minority artists.

Stephan Schütz studied architecture at Braunschweig Technical University in Germany. Based in Berlin, he joined gmp · von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects in 1994, became Partner in 2006, and was appointed Executive Partner in 2021. His major projects include the New Tempodrom in Berlin, the Christian Church in Beijing, the Grand Theaters in Qingdao and Tianjin, the National Museum of China in Beijing, the Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen, and the Asia Financial Center & AIIB Headquarters in Beijing. His significant adaptive reuse and revitalization projects include the comprehensive renovation and restructuring of the Berlin State Library at Potsdamer Strasse, a competition-winning design that expands public access while modernizing one of Germany’s most significant research libraries; Dresden’s Kulturpalast, reconfigured as the new home of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra alongside a central library and cabaret venue; the restoration of Magdeburg’s Hyparschale, reviving Ulrich Müther’s landmark shell structure as a multifunctional cultural venue; and Munich’s Isarphilharmonie at Gasteig, delivered as the interim home for the city’s cultural center during renovation. Alongside his architectural practice, Schütz is committed to teaching and mentorship. Since 2009, he has led workshops at the Academy for Architectural Culture (aac), which he helped establish, bringing together international students to explore future-oriented architectural themes across global contexts.

Eva Vesmanova is a graduate student at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service studying City and Urban Planning, with a focus on development, zoning, and adaptive reuse in New York City. Her work explores the intersection of urban planning, infrastructure, climate resilience, and redevelopment, with a particular interest in how underutilized urban systems can be transformed into community-oriented spaces. As a participant in NYU’s Adaptive Reuse Studio, Vesmanova worked on a proposal focused on the future reuse of New York City peaker plant sites, examining how aging energy infrastructure could be reimagined through resilient design, public access, and mixed-use redevelopment strategies. Her research incorporated spatial analysis, environmental justice considerations, and emerging clean energy transitions within New York City. In addition to her academic work, Vesmanova has professional experience in GIS and urban analysis and is passionate about connecting technical analysis with inclusive and forward-thinking urban development.

Kate Wittels is a partner at HR&A Advisors, a real estate and economic development consulting firm, headquartered in NYC with seven offices across the US. Kate works at the intersection of technology and urban development, helping clients build places that spark innovation, foster resilient workforces, and deliver infrastructure that positions today's cities for tomorrow's opportunities. Wittels guides local governments, developers, and businesses in building tech ecosystems through strategic real estate development, workforce programs, and infrastructure investment—providing advisory services, impact assessments, and policy development across Pittsburgh, Houston, Brooklyn, Nashville, Providence, DC, Baltimore, Chicago, and New York. Wittels's project experience includes the adaptive reuse of underutilized buildings—from repositioning a former Sears store into an innovation hub to structuring public policy supporting office-to-residential conversions. Wittels’s work is grounded in a corporate real estate background managing over 20 million square feet of diverse properties. For close to a decade, Wittels has been an adjunct professor at the at Columbia University, teaching graduate students on tech public policy and urban disruption. This year’s class focused exclusively on AI and city building.

Michelle Neary is a Senior Associate at Gensler NY and is co-leader of the Gensler Northeast Region Envelope Group, where she leads and mentors teams in the development of the building enclosure. With 40+ years in the practice of architecture, Neary is also a former adjunct professor at Washington State University, a studio critic at Pratt and City Tech, and has presented high performance building envelope case studies at several regional façade conferences. Her passion for the thoughtful composition and detailing of the building envelope, along with her deep concern for sustainability and performance, has inspired her membership in the Building Science committee of the AIA, her Advisory Board position in Façade Tectonics, and her position as façade leader on many award winning Gensler projects. Through her participation in Gensler’s research initiatives focused on carbon reduction, façade optimization, and component detailing, Neary continues to add depth to the profession’s project delivery and to conversations about sustainable building.