Leon Rost began his collaboration with Bjarke Ingels in 2005 as a design assistant at PLOT in Copenhagen, Denmark. After completing Architectural studies at California Polytechnic University and working for renowned offices in Japan, Scandinavia and Portugal, Leon took on the role of Project Leader at BIG’s New York office in 2011. In 2015, he was named Associate. Currently, Leon is leading the design of the 3.5 million SF Google Campus Project. He has worked closely with all partners on some of BIG´s greatest projects, including the successfully completed Mountain Dwellings and Helsingør Psychiatric Hospital. He led concept design for Grove at Grand Bay in Miami. He also led the winning competition teams for both the Kimball Art Center in Park City and the Tirana Cultural Center & Museum for Religious Harmony. Prior to his current role Leon worked on a variety of cultural, residential and masterplanning projects around the globe, including the New Oslo Central Station and the Ginza Swatch Building in Tokyo.

Amir Mikhaeil is a senior designer at Bjarke Ingels Group. Amir Joined BIG’s New York office in 2015 where he is a NY registered Architect and in 2023 moved to Los Angeles to help start BIG’s West coast office. He has lead projects for BIG in Ecuador and worked on several of the office’s projects in North America including the recently completed 1 High Line towers in Manhattan. He is currently helping lead BIG’s work with Claremont McKenna College & the Robert Day Sciences Center. Amir received his Masters degree from the Yale School of Architecture where he was awarded the prestigious Feldman Prize for his advanced studio work. Prior to joining BIG, he worked at the offices of Richard Meier & Partners, Pelli Clarke Pelli, and Resolution: 4 Architecture.

Bob joined Northglass in 2012. For the first two years He worked on the technical side, then moved to project management and worked on the Apple Park project. In 2015, He came to the US and started the Northglass US office in New York, working more closely with architectural consultants and various contractors. He has worked on more than 100 projects at most of the major cities in the US and had a lot of experience with glass technology.

Kais Al-Rawi, AIA MSFE, works at the intersection of architecture, engineering and technology with expertise in solving complex building challenges through digital design. He is an Associate Director at the Los Angeles office of award-winning Structures and Facades practice Eckersley O'Callaghan. Kais was selected in Airport Business Top 40 under 40 (2022). His experience was been leveraged on world-class projects including SoFi Stadium, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, San Diego Airport T1 redevelopment, West Gates at LAX, Daily’s Place, New Orleans Airport, Orange County Museum of Art among others. He is an expert in computational design and its implementation in the AEC industry from concept to construction.

Kais holds a Master’s Degree from the Architectural Association (AA), London in Emergent Technologies and Design and is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University. His work has been published and presented internationally at conferences such as Advanced Building Skins, Facade Tectonics Institute (FTI), Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) and the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS). Kais is an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture and has taught and directed the Architectural Association Visiting School programs in Los Angeles and Jordan with a focus on space architecture. He also served as a juror to NASA's centennial challenge competition for Martian habitats.

Irene Martin is the Façades Discipline Leader for Arup’s Americas West. She also leads the Building Envelope Physics work within the Americas Region. Having previously worked in the London Arup Office, she brings international experience to the group on a range of building typologies. Irene’s main areas of focus include optimizing the operational and embodied carbon, indoor occupant comfort, and resource use minimization of buildings with expertise on building envelope performance and retrofits of existing façades, especially as they relate to a changing climate. Irene holds a Professional Engineering license in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, and she is a chartered engineer with the UK’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Mitch Albarran is a Façade Engineer for Arup’s Americas West Geography. With a background in Architectural Engineering, Mitch brings a generalist approach in his daily practice. His primary areas of focus include system detailing, strategies for minimizing carbon emissions in the built environment, and cultivating a circular economy. The latter two endeavors aim to contribute to climate targets, both internally at Arup and externally within the global community. Mitch holds a MS Structural Engineering and BS Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

John Krouse, Chairman of the Board, Boston Valley Terra Cotta, Founder – Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop

John Krouse is the COB of Boston Valley Terra Cotta in Orchard Park, NY, as well as a Ceramic Engineer by trade. Boston Valley specializes in the manufacture of architectural terra cotta for both historic restoration and new construction, emerging as a global innovator in contemporary rainscreen design and production. Krouse holds a BS in Ceramic Engineering and a minor in Ceramic Sculpture from Alfred University and has over 39 years of experience in terra cotta manufacturing. During Krouse’s tenure as President, Boston Valley successfully completed well over 3,000 building projects ranging in size and scope from the preservation of historic landmarked buildings to the construction of supertall new-build structures.

With a background as an architect, have been in the Glass Industry for the last 30 years.

Started at Cricursa, a highly specialized company on curved and difficult dimensional shapes. Opened the world market and have participated on a long list of exciting project. Among them have collaborated on Prada, Tokyo (Herzog & de Meuron),

Joined Interpane 12 years ago and put a foot on the US and Canada market. With a good market and great knowledge, backed by an excellent high-end quality product. We have been able to supply the largest high rise Buildings. Among a long list, we can highlight, Hudson Yards, 66 Hudson Boulevard, both in New York, 110 North Wacker, St. Regis both in Chicago or Block 16,in Austin,TX.

Willing to find new products with an unlimited curiosity. Researching the market to find new exciting projects that allow Interpane to go beyond the limits.

Kathleen Hetrick is an Associate at Buro Happold and is a Bloomberg Fellow at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. As the California Sustainability Lead for Buro Happold, Kathleen combines her passion for regenerative design with a technical background in Architectural Engineering. She leads the sustainable design process on a wide range of cutting-edge projects including LEED Platinum, ILFI Zero Carbon and Living Building Challenge buildings, portfolio-wide scope 3 emissions reduction plans, social impact studies, resiliency analysis and corporate sustainability implementation workshops. She also facilitates Buro Happold’s regional outreach initiatives to encourage local K-12 students to pursue sustainability-focused careers in STEM. She is currently a board member of USGBC-LA and is one of the founding instigators of Carbon Leadership Forum – Los Angeles.

Megumi Hironaka brings over 20 years of experience in the planning, design, and construction of higher education, civic, and mixed-use developments throughout California. She brings a technical expertise in managing and producing all architectural project documentation with a focus on designing and developing highly sustainable and healthy buildings. As a LEED and WELL Accredited Professional, Megumi is dedicated to improving working and living environments through design solutions that promote creativity, well-being, and community. Megumi is currently serving as a Past Chair in AIA Los Angeles Committee On The Environment (COTE).

Seth Strongin is the Building Decarbonization Planning Director for HDR. Based in Los Angeles, and serving North America, he develops strategies for achieving net zero carbon in the built environment. Seth's areas of practice span decarbonization masterplanning and roadmapping, high performance design, existing building performance improvement, and urban energy infrastructure, including renewable energy, microgrids and zero emission vehicle infrastructure.

Seth was recognized as one of the Top 40 Under 40 by Consulting Specifying Engineer and is a frequent public speaker. He actively participates in many professional organizations, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the USGBC-Los Angeles.

Heidi Creighton is a passionate advocate and pioneer in the green building industry. She identifies solutions that improve asset performance, carbon reductions, community engagement, and user experience while furthering clients’ ESG strategies. Heidi is FAIA, a LEED Fellow, WELL AP, a Fitwel Ambassador, and creator of the Collective ImpactTM speaker series. Previously, Heidi served on the USGBC-LA Board of Directors from 2013 to 2019. She was VP of Sustainability at Skanska and Principal at Buro Happold. Heidi also served on the AIA California Committee on the Environment (COTE) steering committee from 2020 to 2022 which was charged with elevating AIA California’s position as a global leader addressing the challenges of climate change and natural resource depletion. Recent accolades include recognition by Globe Street for the Women of Influence Award in 2022, the World Architecture News for the Female Frontiers Award for Social Change in 2022, USGBC-LA's 2021 Heart of the Chapter Award, and elevation to AIA's College of Fellows in 2021.

Isaac is an award-winning designer in The Buildings and Places practice at AECOM’s Los Angeles Studio. His work is focused on large-scale mixed-use projects with an emphasis on design, the urban context, and user experience. Isaac’s portfolio of work includes super-tall buildings in Asia, Master planning, campus infrastructure, and most-recently, the design of the Los Angeles Clippers’ new arena and training facility. Isaac’s built work can be found in Asia and North America. Isaac is a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Architecture and has held academic positions at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago and Roger Williams University and has taken part in various exhibitions, juries, and lectures.

With 38 years of diverse architectural experience--the last 27 years being collaborative in the design and execution of all Yazdani Studio projects--Craig Booth establishes a clear design vision and is capable of project execution from conceptual design through project completion. His work combines experimental design with a mature resolution of pragmatic requirements, along with a high degree of technical expertise.

Ben Juckes is an Associate Vice President with the Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign, a Los Angeles based interdisciplinary architecture and design practice which is a laboratory for exploration and experimentation. Before relocating to California, Ben taught parametric modeling and design studios at the University of Western Australia where he also received his Master Degree from the School of Architecture. Whilst at UWA, Ben represented Australia at the Venice Biennale, collaborating with Felix on a retrospective pavilion that brought unbuilt projects to life through a series of augmentations and animations. Since joining the Yazdani Studio he has worked on a wide range of typologies, from the award winning hybrid student “maker space” and housing building – Lassonde Studios at the University of Utah, to cultural projects in Los Angeles and Jerusalem, and significant high end residential developments in Dubai. Ben is embedded in and provides design leadership in both the studios research initiatives and active projects, and is instrumental in developing a variety of DIY tools and custom workflows that challenge conventional practice and change the way we think about architecture.

As NBBJ’s Firmwide Design Leader, Jonathan’s hallmark is visionary design that challenges commonly held assumptions about program, space and human experience to deliver highly creative built environments. Over the past three decades, Jonathan has led the design and delivery of a variety of progressive buildings for innovative global clients. His work has taken him to the Americas, Europe and Asia, and his breadth of experience continues to help him bring new thinking to any building type.

His global experience includes work across multiple typologies on some of NBBJ’s most notable and award-winning buildings, such as headquarters projects for Tencent, Samsung and BlackRock’s. He has also been a part of several pioneering science buildings for Wellcome Trust, and UC San Diego’s Viterbi Family Vision Research Center, as well as new and renovated sports facilities for the City of Hangzhou, UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, UK’s Rupp Arena and more.

Vincent is an award-winning designer and digital computational leader at NBBJ, dedicated to pushing the limits of architectural innovation. His diverse expertise spans complex facade design, form-finding, simulation, digital fabrication, and interoperability workflows. His work exemplifies a seamless fusion of technology and design, creating spaces that inspire and captivate.

Vincent's remarkable portfolio at NBBJ includes Swire Two Taikoo Place, that features the world’s tallest prestressed rod full-height glass facade in Hong Kong. He has also been a part of an experimental architecture - ZCB Bamboo Pavilion in Hong Kong, a project celebrated with fifteen international and local awards, including the Small Project of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in 2016.

Lawrence Scarpa has garnered international acclaim for the creative use of conventional materials in unique and unexpected ways. He is also considered a pioneer and leader in the field of sustainable design.

In 2022 Larry received the National AIA Gold Medal, the institute’s most prestigious honor. He has received more than 200 major design awards including 29 National AIA Awards, Architect Magazine’s Progressive Architecture and R+D awards, the HIVE 50 Innovator Award, National AIA Collaborative Achievement Award, AIA Los Angeles Chapter Gold Medal, Architect Magazine’s Top 50 Architecture Firms, AIA California Council Lifetime Achievement Award, Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, Record Houses, Record Interiors, Rudy Bruner Prize, six AIA COTE “Top Ten Green Building” Awards and was a finalist for the World Habitat Award, one of ten firms selected worldwide. His work has been exhibited internationally including the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, MOCA Los Angeles, A+D Museum and the Smithsonian Museum. He has been featured in Newsweek and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Leonardo Di Caprio. In addition, Interior Design Magazine honored him with their Lifetime Achievement Award. Brooks + Scarpa was awarded the National and State of California Architecture Firm Award from the AIA.

International Business Development Manager at EJOT SE & Co. KG in the Market Unit Construction, specializing in rainscreen façade industry. Armed with a civil engineering background, I've dedicated over 12 years to the façade industry. My expertise lies in the intricate details of designing and engineering both standard and non-standard attachment system solutions for rainscreen facades. Proficient in façade planning, problem-solving, and spearheading R&D and innovations, I bring a well-rounded skill set to the table.

Laura Karnath is a registered architect and Senior Enclosure Technical Designer at Walter P Moore's LA office. She is a leader in computational design and holds global experience in the organizational models and technical challenges involved in the delivery of international projects. Having overseen the delivery of highly complex building envelopes on four continents, Laura applies her knowledge and experience to the burning question of embodied carbon in the built environment. An impassioned advocate for computationally driven building data management and for high-performance facades, she believes both to be central in the ultimate decarbonization of the built environment.

Laura is co-founder of the LA chapter of the Carbon Leadership Forum. She holds a Master's degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University at Buffalo.

Miles Fujiki is a Design Manager at Swinerton with a special focus on building façades. He is a licensed architect and has worked on high-profile buildings including the Mandarin Oriental Residences and Rosewood in Beverly Hills, Dior flagship on Rodeo, Mirabel Tower on Miracle Mile, Weingart Tower 1 in Skid Row, 30 Hudson Yards and the NYU John Paulson Center in NYC, and Glenstone Museum in Potomac. He is versed in a wide range of façade systems and materials, from pre-engineered to bespoke. At Swinerton, Miles leads façade management efforts in preconstruction and supports construction project teams to deliver high-quality projects that achieve client goals and architect design visions.

Rich Cowie is the Division 7 Southwest Regional Lead at DPR Construction, with more than 15 years in the industry focused on building envelope trade disciplines. Rich works closely with project teams across Southern California and Arizona providing subject matter expertise on constructability, product selection, value engineering and identifying solutions that keep projects on time and on budget. He has worked on a variety of project types including high-rise superstructures, commercial, healthcare, K-12 and higher education, federal and military, stadiums and sports venues, aviation and civil transportation.

Mike Rable is Preconstruction Director at W.E. O’Neil Construction, an industry leader with more than 35 years of experience with priority on building envelope trade disciplines. Mike collaborates with project teams across California and National Offices leveraging his expertise on constructability, value engineering, product selection, and identifying solutions that improve asset performance to keep projects on time and within budget. His extensive experience spans various project types, including high-rise hotels, casinos, mega retail centers, senior living facilities, higher education institutions, multi-family residences, and aviation facilities.

Mike’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s of Science in Architecture from The Ohio State University. This interdisciplinary education has equipped him with a unique perspective that allows him to effectively bridge the gap between architectural vision and practical construction realities.

Jeff Heymann is Vice President of Giroux Glass, a leading facade and glazing contractor in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. In his role at Giroux, Jeff heads up the sales, estimating and marketing efforts. Jeff's career has spanned forty years throughout the US and internationally with leading glass and curtainwall manufacturers and contractors. His expertise in leading preconstruction efforts has put him at the nexus of a number of high-profile building facades including The New York Times Building, WTC 1 and 3, UN Secretariat Building, The Portland Building Re-clad, and the Google Headquarters. His passion is consulting with clients to find the right building envelope solution, balancing design, performance and budget aspirations. Jeff is well versed in multiple curtainwall and rainscreen systems, materials and supply chain manufacturing, and on the operational side, logistics and installation methods.

Kristen Fraumeni is an award-winning Architect with 14 years of experience in hospitality and commercial mixed-use architecture. Kristen currently serves as the Past Chair for the Women in Architecture Committee of the AIA Los Angeles and uses her platform to empower and promote positive change for women in the industry. Kristen’s creativity is embedded in a pursuit to create spaces that elevate and enrich the human experience. She believes utility in architecture is not its sole purpose: aesthetics and the production of beauty are paramount in her work. She is a licensed Architect in California and a LEED GA with an M Arch I from SCI-Arc and a B.S in Architectural Engineering from UT Austin. She thrives in a collaborative atmosphere and embraces evolutions in digital design. Kristen serves as the Commercial Mixed Use design leader for the America West region of HKS; in this role she is responsible for advancing design excellence by elevating the quality of design and achieving recognition for clients across the region.

Brandon Andow is the Facades Studio Practice Leader and a Principal at HKS. He leads the development, analysis and implementation of performance facades and building enclosure systems across sectors. Brandon is committed to creating cost-effective, transformative, low-carbon facades that improve occupant health and experience.

Tim Ellis is the Business Development Manager-Commercial Steel for Simpson Strong-Tie. Previously during Tim’s 23 year career at Simpson he has managed the roll-out of new products and systems including Anchor Tie-Down® System, Strong-Frame® moment frames and Yield-Link® Moment Connection. Recently Tim managed the development of the Yield-Link Brace Connection, a replaceable fuse for connecting braced frames into a structural steel structure that will be an economical alternative to buckling restrained brace frames. Tim has nearly 40 years in the construction industry including a wood framer and general contractor specializing in complex hillside construction in Southern California. Tim also lived and worked in Japan following the Great Hanshin Earthquake where he exported and built houses and taught North American platform construction.