Congratulations to Lena Andrews, AICP, for her new role of Director of Real Estate Development at ACTION-Housing. Lena joined the AIA Pittsburgh Board of Directors in 2020 as a Public Director.
Congratulations to Ernest Bellamy, Assoc. AIA, of Ae7, for his new role of Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Ernest will be co-teaching an introductory architecture studio course.
Anthony J. Lucarelli, AIA, has joined Pittsburgh-based DLA+ Architecture and Interior Design (DLA+) as vice president, Higher Education. Lucarelli, a veteran expert in architecture for higher education who brings significant expertise and a national perspective to DLA+, will also oversee the firm’s marketing and business development initiatives.
Congratulations to Anastasia Markiw, AIA, NCARB, of DesignGroup, on becoming the 2020 Chair for the AIA Pittsburgh Young Architect Forum.
GBBN recently recognized the leadership an employee who tirelessly pushed himself, advance the work of GBBN, supported his colleagues, and drove positive change in our communities. Congratulations to AIA Pittsburgh member, Matthew Plecity, AIA, for becoming an Associate Principal.
Hayes Design Group Architects (HDG) is broadening the firm’s ownership from one owner, Kevin Hayes, AIA, founder and president, who has led the firm since its inception in 1992, to add three additional shareholders of the company, expanding the firm’s senior leadership team to four members. The move is part of HDG’s leadership transition plan, that calls for Kevin Hayes to continue as Principal of the firm during a 5- to 7-year transition period. The new shareholders of the firm include Mark Duane, AIA, HDG Principal, and Robert Rensi, AIA, and Andrew Campanaro, AIA, HDG Project Managers, who have also been named Associates of the firm.
Ryan Gorscak, AIA, LEED AP, recently joined the HDG as Project Architect. In this role, Ryan will manage development of project documents from schematic design through construction documents, serve as point of contact for coordination efforts with consultants, and coordinate bidding and construction activities. Ryan is an experienced architect with over 15 years of experience, specializing in institutional design with an emphasis on healthcare projects for clients such as UPMC, Allegheny Health Network, WVU Medicine, and St. Clair Hospital.
mossArchitects is proud to welcome a new Architect, Jim Bischoff, AIA, and two new designers, Emily Rice and Michael Johnson to its team. mossArchitects would also like to announce the promotion of its Interior Designer, Gina Konopack, to Associate.
Jim Bischoff has a diverse background in the building industry, originating in engineering and construction before turning to architecture and design. His interests are in high-performance buildings with a focus on using the latest building science in the design of building envelopes and systems as part of modern architectural design projects. Jim is a licensed Architect in Pennsylvania and Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD), as well as an active board member of PHWPA (Passive House of Western Pennsylvania) and a Passive House Trainer, seeking to pass along his passion for high-performance buildings to local industry, building owners, and anyone interested in listening and learning.
Michael Johnson received his Bachelor of Architecture from Florida Atlantic University in 2019 where he received the top design award for thesis of the year for his intergenerational housing design. After graduation Michael spent the summer studying abroad at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany. While studying in Germany, Michael collaborated with umschichten studio on the design of multiple installations including one for the opening of the new Bauhaus Museum. After the summer, Michael relocated to Pittsburgh to further develop his skills and knowledge in architecture, design, and construction at mossArchitects.
Emily Rice is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Architecture, where she developed a strong interest in the built environment of Pittsburgh while working on speculative urban design projects in Hazelwood and the North Side. After beginning her career working for architecture firms, Emily initiated the in-house exhibition design program at Carnegie Museum of Art. After years in the museum world, Emily joined mossArchitects for the opportunity to make an impact on the built environment of Pittsburgh. Emily finds opportunities to volunteer with art and design organizations in Pittsburgh, and was a founding board member of Assemble, an innovative Garfield-based arts non-profit.
Gina Konopack joined mossArchitects in 2017 and has transformed the firm’s interior design capabilities and services provided to its clients. As a firm that values the interiors component of its practice as being integral to every project, Gina has helped focus this design effort through all aspects of project delivery. She is involved in and influences nearly every project the firm produces.
Gina brings over twenty years of experience in the interior design field. Her design experience includes a collection of Residential, K-12, Higher Education, Healthcare, Corporate, and Hospitality design. This broad range of design experience has allowed for a concrete fluency in design requirements for a variety of spaces and continually serves as a basis for a comprehensive design approach. Her experience as an interior designer and project manager has enriched her design acumen and provided her with an intimate view of the architectural and interior design industry – from both hands-on and managerial perspective.
NEXT architecture welcomed a new teammate and architect, Vince DeFazio.
Rothschild Doyno Collaborative is proud to announce that Melanie Buzgan Dower, AIA, has become an owner at the architecture and urban design firm. She joins principals Dan Rothschild, AIA, Ken Doyno, AIA, Geoff Campbell, AIA, Mike Gwin, AIA, and Kate Tunney, Assoc, AIA, as part of the ownership team.
Melanie, a registered architect, is the Director of Culture at RDC, where she has guided the open and supportive culture of the firm. She has helped to grow a supportive network within the office that allows each individual to flourish and thrive, prioritizing mentorship and collaboration. As a Project Manager and Project Architect, Melanie focuses on the experience of the end user to create meaningful places that respond to a client’s individual and unique needs.