Holly St. Clair views technology as a tool for innovation. As the Chief Digital Officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, she developed the Digital Service and Data Office and repositioned the state’s website. Now, she is leading a team of 16 architects, programmers, and product developers as Sasaki’s first Chief Technology Officer, responsible for that Boston-based firm’s advancements in technology through the design process.
She brings to her new job 13 years’ experience working for Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council, first with its MetroData Center and then as Director of Data Services. St. Clair was recognized recently by American Business Journals as one of the country’s “100 Influencers to Watch.”
St. Clair tells BD+C that there is a “mentality shift” at Sasaki that prioritizes computational design as well as Virtual and Augmented Reality tools that “add value” to projects.
Ellen Mitchell-Kozack is LEO A DALY's Chief Sustainability Officer, a new position for that firm. Image: LEO A DALY.
LEO A DALY has chosen as its first Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Mitchell-Kozack, AIA, LEED BD+C, WELL AP, SEED, where she is also a Vice President. Mitchell-Kovack will be based in Dallas.
Previously, Mitchell-Kozack was Senior VP and Director of Sustainability for HKS, where she founded Citizen HKS, an initiative that levered sustainable design to address humanitarian needs. She also managed the certifications of more than 60 LEED projects worldwide.
In 2015, BD+C recognized Mitchell-Kozack as one of its 40 under 40 leaders. Three years later, Boutique Design named her as one of its “Heroes and Mavericks.”
“As designers of the built environment, we have a responsibility to address the environmental and social impacts of our work. LEO A DALY is committed to deepening our commitment to the world’s most pressing environmental and social issues. I’m excited to be involved in leveraging the firm’s integrated design expertise to affect positive change,” she said in a prepared statement.
Related Stories
Contractors | May 26, 2023
Enhanced use of data is crucial for improving construction job site safety
Executives with major construction companies say new digital tools are allowing them to use data more effectively to reduce serious safety incidents and improve job site safety.
AEC Tech Innovation | May 12, 2023
Meet Diverge, Hensel Phelps' new ConTech investment company
Thai Nguyen, Director of Innovation with Hensel Phelps, discusses the construction giant's new startup investment platform, Diverge.
AEC Tech | May 9, 2023
4 insights on building product manufacturers getting ‘smart’
Overall, half of building product manufacturers plan to invest in one or more areas of technology in the next three years.
Sustainability | May 1, 2023
Increased focus on sustainability is good for business and attracting employees
A recent study, 2023 State of Design & Make by software developer Autodesk, contains some interesting takeaways for the design and construction industry. Respondents to a survey of industry leaders from the architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, and entertainment spheres strongly support the idea that improving their organization’s sustainability practices is good for business.
AEC Tech | May 1, 2023
Utilizing computer vision, AI technology for visual jobsite tasks
Burns & McDonnell breaks down three ways computer vision can effectively assist workers on the job site, from project progress to safety measures.
AEC Tech Innovation | Apr 27, 2023
Does your firm use ChatGPT?
Is your firm having success utilizing ChatGPT (or other AI chat tools) on your building projects or as part of your business operations? If so, we want to hear from you.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
HDR uses artificial intelligence tools to help design a vital health clinic in India
Architects from HDR worked pro bono with iKure, a technology-centric healthcare provider, to build a healthcare clinic in rural India.
Resiliency | Apr 18, 2023
AI-simulated hurricanes could aid in designing more resilient buildings
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a new method of digitally simulating hurricanes in an effort to create more resilient buildings. A recent study asserts that the simulations can accurately represent the trajectory and wind speeds of a collection of actual storms.
3D Printing | Apr 11, 2023
University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory unveils Shell Wall—a concrete wall that’s lightweight and freeform 3D printed
The University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory’s research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete.
Smart Buildings | Apr 7, 2023
Carnegie Mellon University's research on advanced building sensors provokes heated controversy
A research project to test next-generation building sensors at Carnegie Mellon University provoked intense debate over the privacy implications of widespread deployment of the devices in a new 90,000-sf building. The light-switch-size devices, capable of measuring 12 types of data including motion and sound, were mounted in more than 300 locations throughout the building.
