Annie Chiang, DBIA
Designer, Associate
SmithGroup
San Diego, Calif.

AGE: 38

EDUCATION
Master’s, Architecture, University of Oregon

Bachelor’s, Anthropology and Environmental Studies, University of California, Los Angeles 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Moved to San Diego in 2017 to help expand SmithGroup’s Southern California presence, growing the office from its founding into a 35-person team of architects, interior designers, planners, and engineers over the past decade

Served as a core design team member on the 197,000-sf, $244 million Sharp Healthcare Chula Vista Medical Center Ocean View Tower design-build inpatient bed tower project (with Hensel Phelps and AVRP Studios) from schematic design through construction completion

Currently leads healthcare project teams on major outpatient developments, including a new 90,000-sf, three-story outpatient medical office building and a previous 100,000-sf above-grade medical office building with a 113,800-sf below-grade parking structure

Received recognition for SmithGroup’s proposal to the Green New Deal Superstudio, which reimagined aging, decommissioned hospitals as community amenities; served as a founding member of the SmithGroup Health Climate Council, which helps healthcare clients achieve climate action goals

Certified Design-Build Professional (DBIA); served on the DBIA San Diego chapter steering committee helping plan luncheon panels, owner roundtables, and the 2025 DBIA Western Pacific Region conference in San Diego

EXTRACURRICULAR
Co-Chair of the Events Committee on the inaugural Board of the Association of Medical Facility Professionals (AMFP) San Diego Chapter, organizing more than 10 events within the chapter’s first nine months

Founded and champions A&E Industry Day, connecting San Diego community college students with industry design professionals through office tours and project presentations—grown to 100+ students from five colleges in its second year

Presented research on acuity-adaptable patient rooms to The Center for Health Design and the AIA LA Healthcare Committee during the Covid pandemic

OFF THE CLOCK
Organizes her office’s annual beach clean-ups with I Love A Clean San Diego and holiday volunteering with Feeding San Diego

Loves live performances of all kinds—musicals, plays, stadium concerts, small gigs—and is a passionate supporter of local artists; can occasionally be found behind a microphone singing ’90s power ballads

SECRET LIFE
She’s the first person in her family to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in the U.S.—a first-generation American whose immigrant, working-class parents built a life for their family by running a Chinese restaurant

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“The best career advice I’ve received is a simple set of questions: Do you like what you’re doing? Do you like where you are? Do you like who you work with? If you answer ‘No’ to two or more of these questions, it’s time for a change. Growth is often uncomfortable, and the next step might not always be obvious, but that discomfort is a sign that you’re ready to embrace something new or different.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“The initiative I’m most proud to have championed is A&E Industry Day, a program that connects community college students from across the greater San Diego region with local architectural and engineering design professionals at SmithGroup. In just two years of organizing this initiative, we have hosted more than 100 students from five different colleges, and the program’s impact continues to grow.”

Alla Elmahadi, ARB/RIBA
Europe Architect, Design Manager
Procter & Gamble
Sutton, England

AGE: 35

EDUCATION
Examination in Professional Practice in Architecture Part 3, The Bartlett UCL

Master’s, Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Design, University of Nottingham

Master’s, Architecture, Real Estate Development, University of Maryland

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Built an international career spanning architecture, sustainable design, real estate, and workplace strategy across the U.K. and U.S. Over the past decade, she has progressed from architectural practice in London to working on complex institutional and aviation projects in Washington, D.C., before returning to the U.K., becoming a registered Architect, and taking on increasingly significant roles in the design and delivery of major commercial projects

Developed particular expertise in transforming and adaptively reusing existing buildings, balancing carbon reduction, heritage, commercial viability, workplace experience, and social value. In 2024, she was named BCO NextGen Rising Star for London & Southeast, with judges recognizing her contribution to the sector, research into regenerative design, and commitment to supporting the next generation. She was also named a finalist for the AJ100 New Talent: Emerging Architect award

In 2026, she joined Procter & Gamble as Europe Architect & Design Manager, expanding her focus to workplace design and architectural strategy across its European portfolio

Beyond practice, she has contributed to community development, humanitarian assistance, mentorship, and opportunities for young people through the Sudanese Diaspora Network, which has engaged thousands of young people and professionals across Sudan and internationally

EXTRACURRICULAR
Founding board member of Article 25’s NextGen Board (2025), helping shape strategy for the “More Than a Building” initiative connecting emerging and senior professionals around humanitarian architecture

In London, she was selected as a NewGen Expert Panelist for New London Architecture’s Innovation Districts program, contributing a next-generation perspective alongside senior industry leaders

She has been an Architectural Consultant to the University of Maryland’s Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development since 2019, supporting graduate students through their capstone projects

OFF THE CLOCK
Explores cities through their people, culture, food, and music—and London on foot, headphones on, always chasing a new corner and a good sunset

Recently picked up a paintbrush again after nearly a decade away, enjoying the freedom to create without a brief—or overthinking it

SECRET LIFE
Her late grandfather, Professor Mandour El Mahdi, helped shape Sudan's education system after independence and authored A Short History of the Sudan, studied by generations of Sudanese students. Though she never met him, Elmahadi studied his book during her Master's to both learn her own history and inform her thesis proposal—and she carries his belief that success means most when it serves a broader purpose.

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“Stay curious and never think you’re in the wrong room. Every opportunity is a chance to either contribute something valuable or learn something new. The best opportunities often begin by simply showing up, being willing to contribute, and being open to learning.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“My single biggest professional achievement has been establishing a meaningful voice in the built environment early in my career, recognised through the BCO NextGen Rising Star Award. What mattered most was that the recognition went beyond individual projects—it validated a belief I’ve built my career around: that architects can shape the wider profession and use design to create lasting environmental and social value.”

Naslha Espinal
Chief Marketing Officer, Executive Director of Interior Design
BASE4 — Architects, Engineers & Designers
Tarpon Springs, Fla.

AGE: 34

EDUCATION
Master’s, Interior Architecture, Universidade da Coruña (Spain)

Bachelor’s, Architecture, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (Dominican Republic)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Rose from draftsman and project assistant to executive leadership at BASE4 by age 27, advancing through Architectural Project Manager, Team Leader, and Regional Director before becoming Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Director of Interior Design

Leads both BASE4’s Interior Design department and its global marketing strategy, repositioning design as a strategic tool that helps developers reduce risk, speed approvals, and align creative decisions with measurable project outcomes

Contributed to the Latin American urban-scale project Wawa Pukllay Niños Jugando in Peru as the Dominican Republic team representative, earning 1st Place at the Latin American Landscape Architecture Biennale and the Rain Bird Award

Co-founded Lane Studio SRL, gaining hands-on entrepreneurship and design leadership experience; previously served as Urban Zoning and Processing Manager for the Department of Urban Planning in Santiago de los Caballeros

Named a Women of Influence in Architecture and Design by GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum (2022)

EXTRACURRICULAR
Served as President of ADEARQ (the architecture students’ association at her university) and was a Teaching Assistant during her studies

Active in the American Society of Interior Designers, International Interior Design Association, The Hospitality Industry Network, Interior Design Society, and Sociedad de Arquitectos de la República Dominicana

Mentors female team members and professionals from India, Egypt, and the Dominican Republic, helping women develop their skills and see leadership as a possibility for themselves

OFF THE CLOCK
Runs at least one organized race every month and is an avid reader of translated literature from around the world

Recently learned to sew so she could make clothes for her two-year-old daughter, calling her “easily my cutest but most demanding client”

Active Rotarian in Tarpon Springs, drawn to the motto “service above self” as a way to stay connected to her community

SECRET LIFE
At her fourth birthday party, a group of men she was told were lawyers stopped by to wish her well—one of them later became the Dominican Republic’s 36th Vice President that same year, and a photo of the two of them still sits in her parents’ house

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“‘Uplift your staff, and they will uplift you.’ Our CEO, Garry Vermaas, shared this with me in a casual conversation when I was a team leader. My grandfather shared a related lesson: being good at completing the work is not the same as being good at leading the people doing it.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“Becoming an executive at 27 was a defining milestone, but the most meaningful part has been the opportunity to help other women grow. What gives that achievement lasting meaning is the chance to make someone else’s path a little clearer.”

Kyle Kiser
Higher Education Market Leader, Senior Associate
LS3P Associates
Greenville, S.C.

AGE: 39

EDUCATION
Master’s, Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design

Bachelor’s, Architecture, Clemson University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Served as Design Architect for Clemson University’s Wilbur O. & Ann Powers College of Business, which attracted the largest single donation in Clemson’s history and earned the university’s first Three Green Globes rating

Led a team of 70+ design professionals as Senior Project Designer and Architect on the $285 million, 50+ acre Harvey S. Peeler College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson—South Carolina’s first and only professional veterinary college, opened August 2026 to address a critical statewide veterinary shortage

Engineered digitally driven fabrication workflows at LMN Architects, including a fully parametric layout and cut-file process for the 467 individually unique panels forming the Grand Avenue Park Bridge’s façade in Everett, Wash.—eliminating the need for traditional shop drawings

Founded and led LMN’s Emerging Architects Forum, whose ARE 5.0 Release Drive resulted in a 350% increase in the firm’s ARE pass rate, with 43 exams passed and six architects licensed in a single year

Led ACE Mentor Program of Washington teams to three national CIRT Design Competition honors: 2nd Place Overall, Best Board, and Honorable Mention

EXTRACURRICULAR
Design Studio Lecturer at Clemson University’s Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture since 2021, building on teaching roles dating back to 2009 at institutions including the University of Washington and Rhode Island School of Design

Served as Team Leader with the ACE Mentor Program in Washington and Rhode Island for nearly a decade, developing a charrette-style curriculum later adopted program-wide and adapted for virtual learning during Covid

Mentors through SCNOMA’s Project Pipeline and Clemson’s School of Architecture Mentor Program, and has lectured on mentorship through AIA National, AIA Seattle, and AIA Greenville chapters

OFF THE CLOCK
A devoted husband and father to his seven-year-old adopted daughter, who is autistic and lives with cerebral palsy, and serves as her steadfast advocate; the summer before her adoption, he completed a series of four increasingly long triathlons as part of his “Tri for Adoption” campaign, raising $10,000 for the adoption and the Dave Thomas Foundation

A lover of the outdoors, has completed numerous triathlons, multiple double-century cycling events, and multi-day through-hikes in the Olympic National Forest and North Cascades

SECRET LIFE
As part of a five-person team, he helped secure seven overall Grand Championship titles across an eight-year span at the annual Isshinryu Karate Hall of Fame Tournament, having earned his black belt and begun teaching at just age 14. This was part of a 20 year practice in the discipline— training alongside his father and brother—which also included earning 3rd Degree Black Belt, multiple national titles, and induction into the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame as a Youth Karateka of the Year

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“One summer I worked construction with a small design-build outfit that was led by two of my graduate school professors, From In Form in Providence, R.I. My boss/professor, Jason Wood, told me something that has always stuck with me: To succeed at the job you should be looking to put the hammer in my hand before I know I have something to nail. This taught me to proactively look ahead at what was coming next and figure out how I could contribute to those efforts before we got there. It taught me to be someone who focuses on getting things done and staying a step ahead to strategize and help others, and that their success will also be mine. This has been instrumental at many phases of my career success.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“I have been lucky to serve as Senior Project Architect and Project Designer for the new Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson University, a collaborative project of LS3P and Flad. The $285 million campus will serve as South Carolina’s first and only professional veterinary college, a much-needed intervention to address a crisis-level veterinary shortage that must be critically resolved to preserve South Carolina’s agricultural economy. This project consisted of seven buildings over a 50-acre site in Clemon’s Experimental Forest, which had to be designed and constructed for the first class of students in just three years. I led an internal design team that totaled as much as 50 architectural professionals at times from seven of LS3P’s office locations collectively working on the fast-track project, with as much as double that from the full consultant team. We successfully delivered the project through six separate permit packages over a staggered 18-month delivery schedule to complement an overlapping 24-month construction schedule–lightning fast! Students had their first day of class this fall, and I cannot describe how rewarding seeing them, their faculty, and their administration enjoying the facility has been. We are looking forward to a large celebration for the grand opening in October.”

Chaitanya Korra, Assoc. AIA, CDT, LEED Green Associate, IEEE Senior Member
Senior Design Manager, Infrastructure Engineering
Redwood Materials
Sparks, Nev.

AGE: 35

EDUCATION
Master’s, Architecture in Sustainability, University of New Mexico

Bachelor’s, Architecture in Environmental Design and Sustainability, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture & Fine Arts University (India)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Serves as infrastructure design owner for the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in the U.S., leading programs exceeding $3.5 billion in cumulative value, including pilot production facilities and advanced electrochemistry laboratories

Advanced from Project Architect in India to Design Program Manager and Startup Execution Manager at Amazon Worldwide Real Estate, where value engineering efforts reduced real estate development costs by 5%—equating to $10 million in savings—across warehouse facilities ranging from 600,000 to 4.5 million sf

Led design and construction of 500+ units of affordable multifamily housing across one million sf, exceeding $50 million in project value, while at Integrated Design & Architecture in Albuquerque, N.M.

Received the 2026 University of New Mexico Inspirational Young Alumni Award for leading the nation’s first large-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facilities

Authored 10 peer-reviewed articles drawing more than 90 independent citations worldwide, and holds a provisional patent for Poche AI, an AI-driven platform for architectural code compliance and sustainability recommendations

EXTRACURRICULAR
Chairs the Construction Specifications Institute’s (CSI) Education Committee and edits its Project Delivery Study Workbook, shaping training for more than 6,000 industry practitioners nationally

Serves as an international juror for the INSPIRELI Awards, which draws entries from 160 countries

IEEE Senior Member (a distinction held by fewer than 10% of members worldwide) and Young Professionals Chair for the Northern Nevada chapter; has reviewed 130+ technical submissions across ASHRAE, NIBS, ACSA, USGBC, and IEEE

OFF THE CLOCK
Designed an entire board game from scratch—a haunted 1920s hotel-themed game with simultaneous card programming, deck-building, and asymmetric ghost characters—taking it from concept to a full interactive prototype with a complete rulebook

Mid-project on a full backyard landscaping overhaul at his home, mapping out species selection and irrigation zones “like a mini site plan”

Enjoys kayaking, badminton, cricket, hiking, camping, and photography

SECRET LIFE
Comes from a long line of teachers, but is the first person in his family to ever cross the sea outside India—trading the classroom for the built environment and creating what he calls “a slightly unusual story for the next generation to tell.”

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“The best career advice I’ve received didn’t come as a single sentence; it came from watching how my mentor Robert Hall at IDA practiced architecture. He taught me that success isn't the goal, excellence is. In this field, excellence means taking real responsibility toward the community, the environment, and the people who will live and work in what you design.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“My biggest achievement isn’t a single project, it’s the through-line across my career: I’ve spent it designing the critical infrastructure that makes sustainability operational rather than aspirational. Each step moved me closer to the infrastructure that actually has to work: not sustainability as a feature, but as the foundation.”

Travis Krimmel, AIA, PMP, GPCP, MHFI, NCARB
Project Manager, Architect, Associate
SS&A Design Collective
Opelika, Ala.

AGE: 37

EDUCATION
Master’s, Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Bachelor’s, Architecture Auburn University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Serves as Project Manager for Construction Administration on the $94 million, 100,000-sf Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Ambulatory Care Center in San Diego, a mission-critical facility processing more than 21,000 recruits annually—negotiating stakeholder and subcontractor access on a historic WWII-era base under strict post-pandemic security protocols

Served as Project Architect through 35% design on the $200 million+ Yokosuka Hospital Renovation, a complex phased project adding Emergency, Imaging, Surgery, and Laboratory suites while maintaining 24/7 hospital operations

Serves as a Major and a Logistics Officer in the Alabama Army National Guard with 14 years of service and two overseas deployments, including directing logistics across five nodes during Operation Inherent Resolve and managing $42 million in equipment accountability

Served as President of AIA Montgomery in 2023 after four consecutive years in chapter leadership roles, reengineering the chapter’s virtual/hybrid meeting model during Covid and establishing a permanent lecture partnership with Auburn University

2025 Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Huntsville Post Military Young Military Member Award

EXTRACURRICULAR
Founded and organized SS&A’s internal Architecture Mentorship Program, personally coaching colleagues on ARE study strategies and licensure pathways; also mentors architecture students through AIAS and Auburn’s Veterans Resource Center

Founding member of the Auburn Young Professionals Committee, helping integrate emerging AEC professionals into the local market

2026/2027 Member of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce 20 under 40

Presented and appeared on multiple industry platforms, including as a guest on The Young Architect Podcast and as a workshop presenter for the Young Architect Academy’s mentorship series

OFF THE CLOCK
Spent childhood summers traveling across Nebraska between construction sites with his father, grandfather, and uncles. Hearing their frustrations about architects lacking practical building knowledge shaped his career-long mission to bridge design and construction

Uses AI tools to draft SOPs and build predictive KPI dashboards, 3D prints functional and artistic objects, and builds and refurbishes furniture in his spare time

Named the first male Krimmel in his direct family line to graduate high school and attend college

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“When you do not know the answer, do not make one up. Just say that you do not know and that you will get back with them. Then get back with them. This came on my first deployment. I was a 2nd Lieutenant briefing a Major General for the first time. When I asked for advice that is what I got. And I use it to this day with clients, colleagues, and contractors.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“Getting my Architecture License is my single biggest professional achievement. Though it happened back in 2019, and I have been blessed with many other accomplishments and milestones since then, it is by far the jumping point for the rest of my career. When I initially missed Auburn University’s Architecture Summer Option cut by just six spots, I refused to change my major. I doubled down, worked as a server and bartender to cover living expenses, and earned my spot the following year. When funding ran out for my final year, an opportunity arose to continue my family’s legacy of service—my grandfather, mother, and younger brother all served. I joined the Army National Guard. I then returned to school and graduated in 2014 into the challenging job market. I landed an interview via a Facebook connection and began my career at a two-person firm. Upon returning from my first overseas deployment, I applied my trademark stubbornness to my Architectural Registration Exams. I am proud to say that I took the tests 11 times to pass the six required exams. Through all of this, I have gained my Architectural license and far more. So, you could say that my biggest professional achievement so far is falling and getting back up over and over again.”

Florim Kukaj, AIA, EDAC
Associate Principal
E4H Environments for Health Architecture
New York, N.Y.

AGE: 38

EDUCATION
Bachelor’s, Technology in Architecture, CUNY City Tech

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Advanced from intern to Associate Principal over 15 years, including 13 years focused exclusively on healthcare architecture, leading more than $550 million across 120+ healthcare capital projects for major health systems, including NYU Langone, NewYork-Presbyterian, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Northwell, and Mount Sinai

Helped secure five Master Service Agreements with healthcare systems throughout the Northeast while working across nationally recognized firms, including Perkins&Will, HDR, and E4H

Passed all six divisions of the Architect Registration Examination on the first attempt, completing the entire sequence in just nine days after 10 weeks of preparation—logging roughly 150 hours of study while leading healthcare projects full-time and raising a young child

Named Volunteer of the Year by AMFP North Central New Jersey in 2025 for sustained mentorship and program leadership contributions

Immigrated to the U.S. independently from Kosovo at age 17 and became the first member of his family to earn a college degree and professional architecture license

EXTRACURRICULAR
Serves as Co-Director of Programs for AMFP North Central New Jersey, Public Relations Chair for AMFP Greater New York, and leader of the HFMSNJ Mentorship Program, developing educational programming on healthcare construction costs, workforce shortages, and capital planning

Has formally mentored early-career professionals for three consecutive years through AMFP’s various Young Professionals Committees, guiding mentees through career transitions, ARE exam preparation, and professional development

Published writer on healthcare planning and capital trends, and is currently writing a book translating 15 years of lessons into practical guidance for emerging AEC professionals

OFF THE CLOCK
A professional architectural photographer who spends weekdays helping design buildings and weekends photographing them—drawn especially to black-and-white film photography; collects vintage cameras including a functioning 1964 Asahi Pentax Spotmatic

Organizes an annual Holiday Toy Drive and Gift Wrapping event benefiting pediatric patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Northwell Health South Oaks Hospital

Enjoys graphic design and 3D printing, designing and making functional everyday objects from scratch as a creative counterbalance to his technical work

SECRET LIFE
His family in Kosovo was convinced from a young age that he should become a cardiovascular surgeon—they even picked out the specialty—but when he chose architecture instead, it eventually came full circle as he found his way into healthcare design

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“‘Just ask.’ It was advice from a mentor that sounded almost too simple at the time, but it has opened more doors for me than almost anything else. I’ve learned that many opportunities that seem out of reach really aren’t; you just have to be willing to ask.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“After 15 years in the profession, getting my architecture license in just 10 weeks was a major personal milestone, but what I’m most proud of is what it has allowed me to do. It gave me the credibility to advocate for mentorship and a seat at the table where I can help shape decisions that create opportunities for young professionals.”

Wenting Li, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Associate, Senior Sustainable Design Specialist
HOK
New York, N.Y.

AGE: 32

EDUCATION
Master’s, Design Studies, Harvard University

Bachelor’s, Architecture, Chongqing University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Rose from Senior Specialist to Associate (HOK’s corporate equivalent to Partner) within three years of joining the firm in 2023, becoming one of the youngest officers in the company while leading sustainability across HOK’s Northeast practice

Served as sole sustainability lead on the 1.3 million-sf LaGuardia Airport Terminal B, helping it become the world’s first LEED v4 Gold certified airport terminal

Leads sustainable design for the $1.7 billion Wadsworth Center Laboratory in Albany, N.Y.— the largest and most diverse state public health laboratory in the nation, leveraging innovative solar, daylighting, and façade studies to support project goals from day one through construction

Previously at KPF, led façade optimization for the 900,000-sf Pinnacle at Central Wharf mixed-use development in Boston and sustainability analysis for the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology master plan in Guangzhou, China’s first net-zero-ready campus

Serves on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Technical Advisory Group contributing to LEED v5 development, and authored an engineering research paper that ranked in the top 10% most-cited papers of 2020

EXTRACURRICULAR
Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), teaching Environments in Architecture in the M.Arch program

Previously served as Adjunct Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, teaching first-year B.Arch students environmental literacy, human comfort, and thermodynamics

Named by USGBC staff as an exemplary LEED volunteer in 2026 and spoke at Climate Week NYC 2025 on resources available to climate entrepreneurs

OFF THE CLOCK
Designed and continues to renovate her own home, a creative outlet for DIY home improvement and craft projects

Enjoys exploring emerging technologies such as vibe coding and organizing informal hackathons, often joined by furry collaborators who keep morale high

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“Run towards trouble. This advice from a mentor at HOK taught me that growth rarely comes from avoiding challenges. It continues to inspire me to embrace uncertainty, solve complex problems, and push beyond my comfort zone.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“Completing the LEED certification for LaGuardia Airport Terminal B remains my proudest professional achievement. As my first project at HOK, it became a defining moment in my career. Learning the certification process through a project of this scale and complexity transformed the way I view sustainable design and deepened my appreciation for long-term building performance.”

Alison Martin, AIA, NCARB
Senior Associate
CO Architects
Los Angeles, Calif.

AGE: 35

EDUCATION 
Master’s and Bachelor’s, Architecture, Clemson University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
Promoted to Senior Associate at CO Architects by 2022, six years after joining the firm out of graduate school; leads large-scale healthcare and institutional projects including the 288,000-sf Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center expansion and City of Hope’s Hope Plaza outpatient cancer center

Co-founded the Foothill Catalog Foundation in the immediate aftermath of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, growing it from a small volunteer group into an organization with 20 full-time staff and 40+ pre-approved, code-compliant home designs; the Foundation has helped permit more than 50 fire-rebuild homes and helped shape Los Angeles County’s broader pre-approved planset program

Played a core role on Clemson’s Department of Energy Solar Decathlon team, which placed sixth of 20 entrants with a flat-packed, fully solar-powered home using CNC-cut plywood and innovative steel zip-tie joints—the only entrant to fully assemble and disassemble its house onsite, and the team secured a patent on the home’s structural system

Co-leads CO University, the firm’s internal leadership development program for roughly 12 upwardly mobile staff members annually, designing monthly sessions on project management, design ethos, and professional growth

EXTRACURRICULAR 
Chair of AIA Los Angeles’s Architecture in Healthcare Committee; founding member of AIA|LA’s Emerging Professionals Task Force, which she helped revive into a thriving career-development group

Board Member of the Southern California Chapter of the Construction Industry Education Foundation (CIEF), leading its flagship design-build competition for high schoolers as mentor and design judge

Served an eight-year tenure as CO Architects’ organizer for the annual NOMA Summer Camp, mentoring students and facilitating job-shadowing programs for underrepresented students

OFF THE CLOCK 
Paints in oil, acrylic, and watercolor, does ornate calligraphy for friends’ wedding invitations, and takes voice lessons

Plays beach volleyball and competes on CO Architects’ softball team, which finished runner-up last year in a league of a dozen Los Angeles architecture firms

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“Never be afraid to ask for help. As a lifelong perfectionist, this has never come naturally to me. One of my career mentors, Tom Chessum, FAIA, taught me that being a leader doesn’t mean having all the answers or carrying every burden yourself. He gave me the space and confidence to come into my own as a leader while always knowing when to step in, remind me that he was on my side, and offer without hesitation to help carry whatever had become too much. He created the kind of trust that made it safe to be uncertain, make mistakes, and ask for help.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“My biggest professional achievement to date is leading the 288,000-sf Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center Bed Tower Expansion from its earliest planning stages through construction. As Project Manager, I’ve had the opportunity to bring together my varied skills and experiences to lead the most complex project of my career thus far. This years-long commitment challenged me, stretched me, and ultimately grew me into a leader I didn’t yet know I could become. Seeing this project come to life has reinforced my belief that architecture is ultimately about people. I am proud not only of the landmark project we’ve built, but especially of the relationships, team, and community we cultivated along the way. Just as this project shaped the professional I am today, I look forward to carrying the skills, confidence, and perspective I’ve gained into whatever challenges come next.”

Bruna Monzillo, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, EDAC
Principal
The Beck Group
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

AGE: 39

EDUCATION
MBA, Hospital and Healthcare System Administration, Insper & Hospital Albert Einstein (Brazil)

Bachelor’s, Architecture and Urban Planning, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (Brazil)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Became the first architect hired in The Beck Group’s South Florida office in 2023, helping grow the office by 900% while contributing to the growth of Beck’s Florida architecture team to 42 professionals; currently oversees more than $500 million in active healthcare projects

Leads major healthcare developments expanding access to care across South Florida, including two Broward Health medical office buildings totaling more than 300,000 sf and a 265,000-sf ambulatory care facility for University of Miami Health System; her Broward Health Medical Center project earned an AIA citation award

Led master planning efforts across Latin America by age 30, including 2.6 million sf of system-wide master planning for Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo, one of Latin America’s largest healthcare systems

Founded and led the Women in Healthcare Florida Chapter’s first Mentorship Program as founding board member and Mentorship Chair, running three programs that connected 48 mentees with 12 senior healthcare executive mentors over three years

Named a South Florida Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in 2025 and selected as one of 30 emerging leaders across the U.S. and Mexico for The Beck Group’s two-year Building Leadership Excellence program

EXTRACURRICULAR
Serves on the Board of the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association as its only architect member, contributing a design and construction perspective alongside C-suite healthcare executives

Founded Gals & Golf, an initiative empowering women through networking and mentorship opportunities built around golf

Contributed to a Leadership Broward Class 42 project renovating a mobile trailer for Tomorrow’s Rainbow, a nonprofit supporting grieving children and families, recognized as one of the class’s best community projects

OFF THE CLOCK
Formed an all-girl rock band in high school after learning piano and flute as a child, playing drums and covering songs including No Doubt’s “Just a Girl”

Drives a golf cart to work in South Florida and loves exploring the area with her husband, whether trying new restaurants or kayaking

Enjoys crocheting as a way to slow down and calm a busy mind

SECRET LIFE
Her great-grandparents on both sides of the family emigrated from Italy to Brazil, and she grew up in São Paulo’s large Italian community—a heritage centered on strong women and gathering around the table, traditions her family keeps alive today

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“The best advice I have received is that your biggest disadvantage can also be your biggest advantage. Starting a career in a new country is one example. I learned to leverage my unique experience to bring something different and add value to my team.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“My biggest professional achievement has been realizing that we can create our own opportunities. From developing a business plan that made my move to the United States a reality to applying for awards people told me I was not ready for and winning them, those experiences showed me that if you can visualize something, you can find a way to make it happen.”

Craig O'Halloran, AIA, FCIAT
Global Professional Services Leader, Studio Director, Senior Associate
Gensler
Chicago, Ill.

AGE: 39

EDUCATION
GSD Certificate, Architectural Imagination, Harvard University

Postgraduate Certificate, Urban Design, University of Westminster

Bachelor’s, Architectural Technology, Technological University Dublin

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Advanced from Architectural Assistant in Dublin to Global Practice Area Leader for Professional Services at Gensler, overseeing the firm’s strategy for a sector that remains among its top five globally

Built an eight-year client partnership with global accounting firm BDO as Account Director, working on more than 80 projects across 50+ offices nationwide and evolving the firm’s national workplace design strategy

Key team member for the design and documentation on the award-winning Willis Tower Repositioning in Chicago, and led a major headquarters renovation for ALDI, transforming a 190,000-sf campus and delivering a new 60,000-sf amenity building

Leads Gensler Research Institute-funded research on “The Future of Management Advisory,” exploring how the accounting profession is being reshaped by demographic shifts and AI—work that has expanded into national speaking engagements and a second research phase

Named Chartered Architectural Technologist of the Year by CIAT in 2023 (the first recipient not based in the U.K.) and named to the Irish Echo 40 Under 40 list in 2026

EXTRACURRICULAR
Elevated to Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) as part of its inaugural Fellows cohort in 2021; has served as Chairperson of CIAT Americas since 2024, representing the profession across North and South America

Elected President of Ireland Network Chicago in 2024 for a two-year term, modernizing the organization’s leadership structure and CRM systems while helping raise $40,000 for charitable partners, including Irish Community Services and Concern Worldwide

Co-led RESIDE, an initiative connecting developers and communities in London, and helped develop “The London Underline,” an award-winning concept for regenerating disused Tube tunnels

OFF THE CLOCK
Nearly became a winemaker instead of an architect—worked part-time in a wine shop during university, earned his Wine & Spirit Education Trust qualification, and had plans arranged to work a harvest season in New Zealand before a last-minute call from a London architecture firm changed his path

Is working toward visiting all 50 U.S. states and 50 countries with his wife, Maren (currently at 41 states and 38 countries)

Was an Ireland National High School Basketball Champion and completed the Chicago Marathon in 2019

SECRET LIFE
Soccer has connected four generations of his family. As a child, he played in his grandfather’s garden. Later, his grandfather would save newspaper clippings about their rival teams, Manchester United and Southampton, giving them something to talk about whenever they were together. Though his grandfather passed away in 2021, Craig is looking forward to sharing the game with his son, who is due this winter

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“The best advice I’ve received is to always say yes to opportunities, especially early in your career. That mindset also taught me that if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Some of the most important opportunities in my career came from being willing to put myself forward and take a chance without knowing exactly where it would lead.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“My biggest professional achievement has been becoming a fully qualified architect in the United States and a Chartered Architectural Technologist in the United Kingdom. From starting my career in Ireland to building it in London and Chicago, I am proud to hold professional licensure in both the U.K. and the United States, bringing a global perspective to every project and client relationship.”

Megan Octaviani
Senior Designer
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
Brooklyn, N.Y.

AGE: 34

EDUCATION
Master’s, Architecture in Urban Design, Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Bachelor’s, Architecture, Parahyangan Catholic University (Indonesia)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Rose from entry-level architect in Singapore to Project Leader at BIG in New York, having led a 25+ person project team in Singapore through design, approvals, and construction of a 400,000-sf mixed-use transit district with 680 apartments

Led a $1.2 billion, 300-acre food production and community campus in New York; the vision masterplan reimagining former coffee plantations in San Salvador; and the University of Washington Tacoma Campus Master Plan

Earned Distinction (top 5-10%) on three studio projects at Harvard GSD and served as sole Research Assistant to the jury for the 14th Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design, researching more than 108 urban projects worldwide

Co-curated and designed the “Grand Paris Express” exhibition at Harvard GSD and co-edited its accompanying publication, contributing the only student-authored essay alongside faculty

Co-founded unCURB, a curb-management startup that conducted 100+ user interviews across Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto and was selected for MIT DesignX, MIT Fuse, and the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund

EXTRACURRICULAR
Served as lead instructor, studio instructor, and design critic at Harvard University Early Design Education, building a full introductory urban planning curriculum from scratch and teaching more than 80 students

Volunteered for four years with the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST) in Singapore, leading weekly English and computer-skills sessions for Indonesian domestic workers with a 95% participant pass rate

Council Member on Harvard’s Council of Student Sustainability Leaders, contributing to campus sustainability initiatives

OFF THE CLOCK
Loves walking around new cities with her camera looking for “superordinary” moments—small, easy-to-overlook details that make a place feel alive—and tries to explore every new city by bike

Enjoys trying new restaurants and doing hot yoga

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“The best advice I’ve received is simple: listen before you propose. I learned this while co-founding a mobility startup, where we conducted more than 100 interviews with people navigating curb space and city processes. Many of our assumptions changed once we understood how people actually experienced the problem.”

Jessica Orlando, AIA, NCARB, WELL AP, DBIA
Higher Education Practice Leader, Associate Principal
Perkins&Will
Pasadena, Calif.

AGE: 39

EDUCATION
Master’s, Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology

Bachelor’s, Architecture, University of Pennsylvania

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Became the youngest Practice Leader of Higher Education for the entire Southern California region at Perkins&Will at age 35, growing revenue nearly four-fold in her first two years with the firm

Won and led delivery of the $105 million Snyder Hall Replacement Building at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the largest higher ed project and largest design-build project in the office’s history

Managed the four million-sf redevelopment master plan and bridging documents for the $2 billion All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi while at AECOM, coordinating an internal team spanning 35 people across seven time zones

Founded the Design by Diversity (DxD) Committee and its Block Party event for Architecture for Communities Los Angeles, which in its fifth year raises $30,000+ annually, engages 200+ organizations, and supports 800+ students

Led AIA Pasadena & Foothill Chapter’s Eaton Fire response as Wildfire Response Lead, creating the “Ask an Architect” outreach initiative and mobilizing 200+ volunteer architects to reach 400+ community members

EXTRACURRICULAR
Currently serves as President of the AIA Pasadena & Foothill Chapter, after previously serving as Vice President and Director of Programs, where she helped grow the chapter from base accreditation requirements to nearly 30 annual events

Founded and led a new ACE Mentor team with an all-female mentor lineup for LAUSD’s all-girls GALA School, developing the curriculum and structure for its first year

Speaks and publishes widely on higher education design, with recent presentations at the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit, Tradeline Conference, and Society for College and University Planners, and writing featured in Building Design+Construction and Lab Design News

OFF THE CLOCK
Has moved 17 times across six states and 11 cities in her life—but says California and Pasadena are by far her favorite

A devoted foodie who has visited eight of LA’s 22 Michelin-starred restaurants with her husband Anthony, and loves cooking at home for her two-year-old son, a fellow “budding foodie” who recently helped her bake zucchini bread

Enjoys traveling internationally for food experiences, having sampled standout restaurants in London, Paris, Florence, Hong Kong, and Thailand

SECRET LIFE
Her family is descended from Miles Standish, who arrived on the Mayflower—though she says even more meaningful is that her grandfather was a Navy man who fought and survived on D-Day, a legacy she and her siblings honored by taking their father to visit the beaches of Normandy last year

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“My dad, Jim Butler, has a saying: ‘You make your own luck.’ My dad would say that luck finds you after you have invested your time and energy, and you are repaid for that effort.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“Winning the $105 million Snyder Hall Replacement Building at the University of Hawaii at Manoa was a huge achievement for me and the Perkins&Will Los Angeles team. As the largest higher ed project we have won from this office, and also the largest design-build our SoCal region has undertaken, it represents a significant advancement for us all.”

Stephen Parker, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, NOMA
Mental+Behavioral Health Design Leader
SAGE
Arlington, Va.

AGE: 37

EDUCATION
Master’s, Architecture, University of Maryland – College Park

Bachelor’s, Architecture, Clemson University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Built a global Mental+Behavioral Health practice at his previous firm spanning more than 65 projects valued in the billions across multiple continents, from the Arctic to Australasia

Co-authored the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Inpatient Mental Health Design Guide, researching psychiatric facilities worldwide, and publishing 500+ pages of design and planning best practices to establish evidence-based design standards for mental health

Served as Behavioral Health Planner on landmark projects, including the 2.8-million-sf Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital (Canada’s largest new hospital), Cleveland Clinic’s new $1 billion dollar Neurological Institute, and the 420-bed Southeast Psychiatric Treatment Center

Helped develop crisis design standards for a national behavioral health provider and was lead consultant planning a crisis center network from scratch worth over $1.5 billion

Has published peer-reviewed design research for behavioral design and sensory-enabled architecture (SEA), including the ZenDen, a nationwide pop-up sensory experience and a FastCo Innovation by Design Award Honoree

EXTRACURRICULAR
Practitioner and instructor with the Trauma-Informed Design Society and founding member of the Design in Mental Health Network - North America; also involved with the Intention Spaces Initiative at Johns Hopkins University’s Arts & Minds Lab

Volunteered with AEC Cares since 2017, designing and building shelters and behavioral services for underserved communities by leveraging trauma-informed design and neuroinclusive research in cities coast to coast

Volunteered as a medical planner in Kenya and India, helping design hospitals providing free or subsidized care for underserved populations at Tenwek Hospital and Adilabad Community Hospital

OFF THE CLOCK
Is building a three-generation home with his wife Carrie and young son Jack, learning to excavate with a skid steer and build gabion walls himself—hoping to accommodate his aging father-in-law, who has muscular dystrophy, in a home designed around universal accessibility

Created the “DrawnOut!” Mental Health Sketch Workshop series, presented from Honolulu to Manchester, using sketching to defy stigma around mental illness through design

Has color-deficient vision, which he says gave him a strained relationship with color theory and after being taken off ADD medications in grade school, became an honors student

SECRET LIFE
Before his father was diagnosed with several geropsychiatric conditions that changed his personality, he was a remarkably generous man—once handing the keys to his own car to four stranded strangers on the side of the road so they wouldn’t miss their beach vacation; his father was admitted to care the same week Stephen’s son Jack was born, and Stephen hopes to pass down these stories so Jack can know the kind of man his grandfather was

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“While working on the Aqqusariaq Nunavut Recovery Centre, I was reminded time and again that projects run at the speed of trust. Trust must be given to be received. It takes an act of faith in others and an aspirational outlook that together, we can accomplish something greater than ourselves.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“Since 2021, building a global Mental+Behavioral Health practice across my previous firm, with over 65 projects valued in the billions across multiple continents. The scale of impact has been humbling. By advancing evidence-based design with empathy and dignity-driven design, I’ve seen spaces transformed to be more neuroinclusive and trauma-informed.”

Emir A. Pekdemir, ASHRAE BEMP
Associate
Atelier Ten
Brooklyn, N.Y.

AGE: 39

EDUCATION
Master’s, Civil Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology

Bachelor’s, Architecture, Istanbul Technical University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Advanced from Building Energy Analyst Intern in 2011 to Assistant Vice President at WSP USA by 2021, now serving as Associate and National Energy Analysis practice co-leader at Atelier Ten

Founded and led Buro Happold’s National Façade Analytics practice and served as National Sustainable Design Analytics practice leader at WSP USA, bridging architectural design, building physics, and mechanical systems through advanced energy modeling

Delivered what he calls one of the world’s most sophisticated building energy models on his very first project, The Tower at the PNC Plaza, building a foundation of technical resilience early in his career

Serves as a voting member of ASHRAE’s Standing Standard Project Committee 209 on Building Performance Simulation Process and a non-voting member of Guideline Project Committee 49 on integrating future weather data into built environment analysis

Won 1st Place with “The Carbon Lighters” at the 2023 ASHRAE LowDown Showdown Competition, after winning the Fan Favorite award in 2020 with the same team

EXTRACURRICULAR
Holds a concurrent faculty appointment at Columbia University. Previously taught at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (lecturer across five courses), Parsons School of Design, and Pratt Institute, teaching environmental systems and building integration

Co-founded Chicago Computation, a community group advancing computational design in the built environment, and previously served on the Board of Directors for IBPSA-USA’s New York and Chicago chapters

Guest lectures widely at institutions including Columbia University, Cornell, Northeastern, and the University of Houston on daylighting, energy modeling, and sustainable design

OFF THE CLOCK
Worked as an unpaid intern on archaeological excavations across Anatolia and Mesopotamia during his undergraduate summers, drawn in by the thrill of the dig

Stays up late playing massive single-player role-playing video games once his family is asleep, deliberately avoiding anything online or competitive as a way to unwind by exploring distant fictional worlds

SECRET LIFE
When his great-grandfather and his best friend were just eight years old, they stowed away on a boat departing the Black Sea meant for Istanbul—and ended up in New York City instead, where they survived and thrived until returning to their rural hometown years later. Decades on, their grandchildren found a hidden stash of the boys’ old, out-of-circulation U.S. dollars, which they ended up burning for heat

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“Shortly after I arrived in the U.S. for graduate school, my advisor Dr. Ralph Muehleisen told me, ‘It will be the building scientists who save the world.’ At the time, I didn’t fully grasp what he meant. Today, that heavy truth and the advice behind it are the driving force behind my entire career.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“Successfully delivering what is arguably the world’s most sophisticated building energy model for my very first project, The Tower at the PNC Plaza. Having to learn everything on the fly to meet that standard built a foundation of resilience that has made every subsequent challenge in my career feel manageable.”

Caitlin Potter, AIA, ACHA, LSSYB
Senior Medical Planner, Vice President
HKS
Heartland, Texas

AGE: 36

EDUCATION
Bachelor’s, Architecture, Mississippi State University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Served as one of two lead medical planners for the Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center New Pediatric Campus in Dallas—at 4.9 million sf and 552 beds, the largest greenfield pediatric campus in the country and the largest health project in HKS history

Founded HKS’s Health Designer Training Program in 2022, developing a year-long Healthcare 101 curriculum that has trained 184 professionals over five years

Appointed HKS’s Women and Infants Subject Matter Expert, building a national network connecting research, planning expertise, and client strategy for family-centered environments

Led patient and family engagement for the New Pediatric Campus in Dallas, facilitating over 50 sessions with more than 1,000 participants that generated over 5,000 comments—work that contributed to the project’s 2026 Touchstone Gold Award from the Center for Health Design. This also led to a white paper currently under review by the Health Environments Research & Design (HERD) Journal

Presented NICU rooming model research at international conferences, including the Gravens Conference and Healthcare Design Conference + Expo—currently working on research around NICU Couplet Care models

EXTRACURRICULAR
Founded the HKS TRASHion Show in 2019, a sustainable fashion competition using at least 90% recycled materials that now engages more than 80% of HKS offices worldwide and has driven clothing donation drives exceeding 690 pounds

Helped spearhead HKS’s first Pediatric Summit in 2019, bringing together nationwide pediatric experts and healthcare executives, and is helping organize its second installment with a dedicated “women and infants” integrated workshop

Relaunched the Dallas Health Women’s Weekend in 2024, bringing together more than 50 women across architecture and interiors to build community and support

OFF THE CLOCK
An unapologetic Disney adult who is the go-to friend for planning Disney and Universal Orlando vacations

Personally designs and sews a new TRASHion garment every year—recent creations include a dress made almost entirely from water bottles

Loves CrossFit for the community of people “willing to do hard things and be imperfect and be miserable together,” and once earned a top-three finish in a competition division—out of three competitors

Is a huge Harry Potter fan, which was a small bonus when she married her husband, Bill Potter

SECRET LIFE
Because of time spent on ECMO as an infant, she has no detectable pulse on the right side of her neck—a fact she notes could be useful information in an emergency (check the left side instead)

She claims to be the reason Michael Jordan left baseball, having stood up as a four-year-old at a Birmingham Barons game and shouted “Michael Jordan, you’re no good! Get off the field!”—he returned to basketball the following season

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“Be a sponge. Early in my career, I felt pressure to choose a path within architecture. Two of my earliest mentors encouraged me to stop worrying about selecting a specialty and instead be a sponge: try a little of everything, learn as much as possible, and trust that the right path would become clear.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“My greatest professional achievement is helping patients and families meaningfully shape the design of the Moody Children’s Hospital at the Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center new Dallas pediatric campus. The most meaningful outcome was demonstrating that patient and family engagement can be more than a box to check.”

Devanshi Purohit, AICP, Assoc. AIA
Principal, Urban Design
CBT
Boston, Mass.

AGE: 38

EDUCATION
Master’s, Architecture and Urban Design, Columbia University

Bachelor’s, Architecture, M.S. University, Vadodara (India)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Advanced from Urban Designer to Principal at CBT in nine years, becoming the youngest principal in the 200-person, 56-year-old firm at age 35, and grew the firm’s urban design team from three to 15 people

Led the master planning of roughly 3,000 acres across the U.S. and internationally, including the $2 billion, 27-acre Mary Ellen McCormack redevelopment (New England’s oldest public housing community) and the 161-acre Suffolk Downs master plan, which drew on 466 community conversations over 35 months and one of the most pioneering hydraulic climate models for private development

Contributed to the Living Breakwaters competition entry as part of SCAPE team through the Rebuild by Design competition following Hurricane Sandy

Selected as one of eight under-35 global design leaders for Copenhagen Urban Lab in 2019, developing the “Kool København” urban heat resilience framework now referenced across Northern European municipalities

EXTRACURRICULAR
Serves on the boards of Architecture in Common (formerly the BSA Foundation), and Climate Beacon; Board of Advisors of Boston Harbor Now and Junior Board of Social Capital Initiatives

Leads CBT’s Women in Design initiative, curating the “Women of CBT” exhibits and co-launching “Boston Built By Women,” a crowdsourced map of city spaces designed by women

Advocates alongside grassroots organizations for a more equitable access to city’s waterfront and Public Realm

OFF THE CLOCK
A trained classical Bharatanatyam dancer since childhood, and reflects that there’s more overlap than she once realized between dance and urban design—both built on movement, rhythm, and composition

Loves exploring cities on foot, and since becoming a mother has started keeping a running journal of Boston “from a toddler’s point of view,” noting how welcoming public spaces feel from roughly 30 inches off the ground

Spends weekends with her two-year-old daughter exploring parks, playgrounds, and the Greenway

SECRET LIFE
Her mother was the first woman in their family and neighborhood in Vadodara, India, to earn a PhD, teaching all week and studying all weekend for years—a legacy Devanshi carried forward by becoming the first woman in her family to move overseas for graduate school

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“‘Your career is bigger than your job.’ I have come to think of this as building community, not building a network. A network can be about who you know. Community is about showing up, contributing, and building something together.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“My biggest professional achievement has been growing from an architect into an urban design leader while helping build a practice that can shape not just individual buildings, but neighborhoods, public spaces, and the larger systems that make cities work. What I am most proud of is the ability to connect these scales.”

Krutika Shah, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, SEED, COA
Architectural Studio Director
Sheladia Associates, Inc.
Rockville, Md.

AGE: 38

EDUCATION
Master’s, Urban Design, Carnegie Mellon University

Bachelor’s, Architecture, Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai (India)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Leads a 10-member multidisciplinary architecture team at Sheladia Associates, Inc., overseeing the successful delivery of civic and institutional projects throughout the U.S. and internationally, with experience spanning libraries, senior centers, and Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) facilities

Served as Project Manager/Project Architect for the award-winning St. Elizabeths Shelter in Washington, D.C.—a $56 million, 365-bed LEED Gold homeless shelter integrating job training, wellness spaces, and community support, recognized with a 2023 Best in Show & Merit Award from AIA Potomac Valley and Community Leader Award from USGBC NCR

Currently serves as Project Director for a MDB regional campus modernization in Pretoria, South Africa

Led Construction Administration for Sheridan Senior Living, a 118-unit, 102-bed assisted living and memory care community, and managed design for Kenilworth Recreation Center, a LEED Gold historic renovation transforming a building into a multigenerational community hub

Selected for the AIA Young Architects Forum’s 2026 Align Mentorship Cohort, Scholar at 2020 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, and honored as part of AIA Northern Virginia’s “30 Women in 30 Days” initiative in 2024

EXTRACURRICULAR
Serves as Secretary of American Institute of Architect Potomac Valley (2026-present) after serving on its Board of Directors (2024-2025)

Co-founded Wellness Reset, a program combining yoga and design thinking for senior communities, and mentors emerging professionals through AIA DC’s Emerging Architects Committee, AIA International, and USGBC’s Community Mentor Program

Volunteers teaching architecture concepts to elementary school students through Washington Architectural Foundation programs and local elementary schools

OFF THE CLOCK
Runs an Instagram account, @Toddlering_Architect, where she designs and shares sensory, hands-on learning activities for young children built around architecture, math, and art concepts—inspired by activities she created for her own kids

Speaks English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and basic German, coming from a family where fluidly switching between multiple languages mid-sentence is completely normal

Completed two residential interior design projects—including a 5,000-sf, three-story penthouse in Mumbai—before she’d even finished her Bachelor of Architecture degree

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“‘Don’t compare your journey to someone else’s.’ As a young architect, it was easy to compare myself to peers and wonder whether I was advancing enough. That advice changed my perspective. Instead of chasing someone else’s definition of success, I focused on creating my own path.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“My biggest achievement has been having the opportunity to dedicate my career to advancing social equity through design. What makes this my greatest achievement is not any single project, award, or title. It is the cumulative opportunity to align my profession with my values and to use architecture as a tool for equity, inclusion, and community impact.”

Caroline Souza, AIA, LEED GA
Principal
David Baker Architects
Oakland, Calif.

AGE: 39

EDUCATION
Master’s, Architecture, University of Michigan

Bachelor’s, Architecture, University of Idaho

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Advanced from Project Manager to Principal at David Baker Architects by age 33, now serving as Principal in Charge overseeing a project portfolio representing $2.2 million in annual revenue; her buildings account for 527 apartments built in San Francisco, with hundreds more under way statewide

Currently leading three affordable housing projects—including the largest affordable project in the Mission District in two decades, and educator housing for SFUSD teachers—set to house 335 families within the next six months

Delivered 200 units of affordable housing on her first DBA project, Five88, while pioneering a signature corten metal panel and sunshade design that became a recurring thread in the firm’s work; also delivered La Fénix at 1950 Mission’s 157 apartments alongside a childcare center, arts alley, and mural wall, later returning pro bono to design youth arts spaces including a darkroom

Built the operational systems supporting DBA’s growth from one office to four locations over eight years, including the firm’s staffing and project-tracking system, expanded hiring processes, and oversight of communications and business development

Organized hands-on trainings—including a construction drawing scavenger hunt—for nonprofit housing project managers through the Emerging Leaders Peer Network (ELPN) Steering Committee, many of whom now lead development arms shaping hundreds of millions of dollars in housing investment

EXTRACURRICULAR
Serves as Director at Large for AIA San Francisco and sits on award juries for AIA and the American Society of Landscape Architects

Speaks widely on housing design and practice at venues ranging from AIA chapters in Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Kansas City, Mo., to universities including the University of Idaho, California College of the Arts, and IIT

Volunteered every other Friday from 2021 to 2023 at a food kitchen near DBA’s Oakland office, slicing onions and packing lunches for 400 neighbors in need

OFF THE CLOCK
Explores the Bay Area on weekends with her husband and three kids via every form of public transit they can find, conducting detailed “comparative analyses” of Muni trains versus cable cars with her oldest child

An avid reader of science fiction and fantasy who once hit 100 books in a year (closer to one a week these days), and loves Martha Wells’s Murderbot series and T. Kingfisher’s novels

Helped build three houses with Habitat for Humanity in rural Ohio at age 23, in the aftermath of the Great Recession

SECRET LIFE
Her parents are both professional wheat breeders—spending their careers making the staple crop more delicious, nutritious, and resistant to disease, drought, and bad weather, splitting their time between cutting-edge lab science and driving tractors

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“You become more like the people you spend time with—so don’t optimize for money or prestige. Find people you like and admire, and the rest will follow. My other good advice: Watch out for nail guns.” (She was once accidentally shot in the leg with a nail gun while framing a Habitat for Humanity house.)

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“In the next six months, 335 families will move into homes in three affordable housing buildings—the first buildings where I’ve led the team as Principal in Charge. I’m always a little surprised and delighted that ideas we scribbled become actual places.”

Matt Toddy, AIA, NCARB
Founder, Principal
Elevation Studio
Columbus, Ohio

AGE: 37

EDUCATION
Master’s and Bachelor’s, Architecture, Ohio State University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Founded Elevation Studio in 2023, growing it to $1 million in annual revenue and delivering more than 200 projects for over 100 Central Ohio businesses—many of them first-time entrepreneurs—within three years

Elected to serve on the AIA National Board of Directors (2025-2027), where he now chairs the Government Advocacy Committee, helping increase engagement in the 2026 AIA Federal Advocacy Day by 30% and generating 20,000+ Congressional letters

Co-founded the ARCHway Mentorship Program in 2018, building a structured leadership pipeline that has directly impacted more than 70 emerging professionals, 65% of whom now hold AIA leadership roles

Created the Future Forward Grant in 2022, a $10,000 annual award developed with the AIA Young Architects Forum and Large Firm Roundtable that has distributed $50,000 to support innovative architectural practice ideas since inception

Co-created the “I Am An Architect” YouTube series, introducing architecture to broader audiences, drawing more than 2.2 million views since 2013

EXTRACURRICULAR
Served as President of AIA Columbus (2022) and Chair of the AIA Young Architects Forum (2023), expanding YAF representation from 30 to 54 members

Leads an annual fundraiser supporting architecture students at Ohio State’s Knowlton School, raising more than $200,000 since 2014

Mentors high school, community college, and university students, having impacted more than 300 students and served on design juries across all levels of education

OFF THE CLOCK
Has played golf since he was old enough to walk and says if he had a different career, he’d want to design golf courses

Is working with his family to visit all 63 U.S. National Parks, having checked off 11 in a single year so far

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER OR BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“The best advice I’ve received is something I learned in kindergarten: Treat others the way you want to be treated. I believe that the way we treat the people we work with and for is just as important as the work we do.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
“I’m really proud of the practice I’ve built over the last three years. We’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible clients in our community and across the country. Doing great work for great people, and having fun doing it has been very rewarding.”