Member & Firm Updates
Staff Promotions at AE Works
AE Works is excited to announce the promotion of Dawn Cindric, AIA, Manager, Architecture to Pittsburgh Office Operations Leader. In this role, Dawn will be responsible for setting the operational culture in AE Works’ Pittsburgh office. A Registered Architect and experienced project leader, Dawn will be focused on attracting and retaining top talent and strengthening collaboration across offices.
Bringing over 20 years of progressive building design experience, Dawn has provided leadership and management on high-profile private and public sector projects throughout the country. Her leadership has been critical to supporting staff development across disciplines at AE Works. Dawn has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Kent State.
AE Works is also excited to announce the appointment of Kevin Brown, SPHR to the role of Chief People Officer. A leading human resources executive in the A/E/C industry, Kevin brings over 20 years of experience at large national and global organizations. This appointment underscores AE Works’ commitment to attracting and retaining top talent, solidifying its position as a growing and award-winning firm. Kevin will play a key role in enhancing AE Works’ ability to attract top-tier professionals, cultivate a positive and productive work environment, and drive business success.
DLA+ Hires Michele Kunkel as Architectural Designer
DLA+ Architecture and Interior Design is pleased to announce that Michele Kunkel has joined the firm as Architectural Designer. Michele has over 10 years of experience in interior architecture, healthcare projects (focusing on women’s and children’s design), and food service design/coordination. She is a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. In her role, Michele assists the firm’s project architects with all aspects of projects from programming through construction administration. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, DLA+ is a full-service architecture and interior design firm providing clients with a collaborative partnership and integrated approach through its Strategic ArchitectureSM solutions. Clients partner with DLA+ to solve unique objectives and support their overall mission, vision, and strategy.
GBBN Hosts ULI Panel on Adaptive Reuse
Leonard Klehr, an executive for the company that executed one of downtown Pittsburgh’s largest and most successful residential conversions, the Kauffman’s building was joined in a panel discussion assembled by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Urban Land Institute on the subject of office to residential conversions, a hot topic given the challenges facing the urban core of Pittsburgh and most cities.
Hosted by the Pittsburgh office of GBBN in Garfield, Klehr was joined by Lena Andrews, vice president of real estate development for Action Housing, Inc., Anthony Trapuzzano, the vice president of business development for Franjo Construction Corp. and Amanda Markovic, AIA, a principal of the Pittsburgh office of GBBN.
Markovic pointed out the basic task at hand given the market realities in which so much office space has been drained of life by the pandemic, noting a huge need for affordable housing as well as high office vacancies. “Do the math,” she said, pointing to the market opportunity.
How developers tackle new adaptive reuse projects for residential will be a key issue for downtown Pittsburgh in the years to come, with the leadership of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership signaling it hopes to see in the range of 4 million square feet of office space converted to residential in the golden triangle. Full article here.
HDG Architects Announces Changes to Its Leadership Team and Rebrands
HDG Architects announces changes to its leadership and ownership team as well as a rebrand. Kevin Hayes, AIA, after leading and managing the firm he founded in late 1992, has stepped down from his role as President and will continue as a Principal. He will assist with client projects and be focused on mentoring the new leadership team and pursuing strategic marketing opportunities.
Mark Duane, AIA has been named President of HDG. He has been an industry leader and with the firm for two decades. He will be joined by new HDG officers and shareholders Rob Rensi, AIA and Andrew Campanaro, AIA on the leadership team. Rob and Andrew have been with HDG for more than 12 years each and have been integral to almost every project on which the firm has worked.
From a branding perspective, the firm will no longer use The Hayes Design Group name but instead employ HDG Architects.
According to Duane, “The leadership and branding changes will position us for continued growth and success in the future. Our new branding better represents the firm we are today with multiple owners. It also focuses on our team and culture and less on one person.”
Hayes added, “it’s time for Mark, Rob and Andrew to be recognized for everything they have done over many years and allow them to lead us forward into the future. I look forward to working with the new leadership team in serving our clients as we always have for many more years to come.”
The firm is celebrating its 30th anniversary and was started as The Hayes Design Group – Architects, a one-person enterprise that has grown to almost 20 employees.
NEXT architecture Celebrates 20th Anniversary
NEXT architecture is proud to announce that 2023 marks 20 years in business. In 2003 Dan Delisio, AIA founded NEXT architecture on the idea that an architecture firm could produce a consistently high level of design while remaining true to its core values. The journey the firm has taken has been influenced not only by a constantly expanding body of work but by the design talent the firm has attracted. Since its beginnings, NEXT has always been about people. “It was important for me to find really good people and provide the freedom and guidance to be professionals, that has translated into fantastic work”, says Delisio. That focus on people and core values has attracted a wide client base and talented group of architects and designers.
The firm began with the work of a small portfolio of developers whom Dan forged a personal relationship with, that has blossomed into a diverse market base of developer and real estate professional work and a reputation for creative design solutions. “We’re not looking to do one project with a client we’re looking to build a relationship with a client so that we can continue to do many projects with them. If we do our job right it helps them be a better company and we take a lot of pride in that.” says Chris Pless, AIA, Principal at NEXT architecture.
NEXT also has an equal focus on architecture and interior design, distinguishing them from traditional firms where interior designers are secondary to architects. “What’s nice about the way we work is that, it is a collaborative effort and there’s no separation between the architecture and interior design. We really do all work together. And we do best, when we work at the beginning with our client all the way through the process. And developing that relationship and understanding what they want in the project. So it’s successful in the end.” Says Tracy Delisio, Director of Interior Design and Principal at NEXT. Removing the separation between architects and designers yields interiors that are more thoroughly developed, and exteriors conceived with a focus on the building’s purpose. “We all work together evenly throughout the process which I think creates a better team atmosphere when you know we’re all working and we’re all drawing, there is not one person sitting there drafting, we all do the work together.”
NEXT is known for their workplace design, something that has been challenged from the pandemic. “It all depends on your perspective; challenges to us are design opportunities to solve in a unique and different way” says Delisio. NEXT has responded through research and a shift in their approach to workplace strategy and programming. “Even though the future of how we work is unknown, we know that people will continue to work. We are seeing more Pittsburgh clients interested in testing the conventional office model with a hybrid-distributed workforce.” says Rachel Pless.
“I’m often surprised that there are people that believe what I believe and we all work in the same place, it’s gratifying to see that means something to people. It was just an idea, it was really an idea that I think is fairly simple but is now working and we are excited to see where that takes us”, says Delisio.
Firms on the Move
NEXT architecture expands presence to Southwest Florida
NEXT architecture has seen consistent growth in the Pittsburgh region. To mark this milestone of their 20th anniversary and continue growth projections, senior leadership has developed strategic plans for expansion and to build upon existing client relationships. With the addition of Wesley Osborne, a Florida native and architect with extensive experience in the Florida market, Tampa Florida made perfect sense for the first regional office location.