Dattner Architects has promoted Sara Agrest AIA, IIDA, LEED AP; Steven Frankel AIA, Douglas Freeman RA, Eric Epstein AIA, and Ruth Ro AIA.
These individuals are being recognized for their demonstrated project leadership, high design and technical standards, and dedication to our firm culture.
Ruth Ro AIA is a designer and project manager.
She was a critical member of the team for The Hub, a 53-story residential tower now under construction in Downtown Brooklyn and she is leading several projects at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for Steiner Studios. Ruth has been named an associate.
With over 30 years of experience with complex urban projects, Douglas Freeman RA joined Dattner Architects two years ago.
He is the project manager for several infrastructure projects, including the Henry Hudson Bridge renovations and Marine Transfer Stations, as well as assignments for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and MTA Capital Construction. Doug has been named an Associate.
A driving force in the design of projects ranging from housing to infrastructure to education, Eric Epstein AIA seeks opportunities for architecture to make a positive impact in the lives of those who experience it.
He is the lead designer for new Head Start facility in Coney Island, and he is the project manager for two schools under construction: the addition to PS 50 in Queens and Riverside Center School in Manhattan. Eric has been promoted to Senior Associate.
Sara Agrest AIA, IIDA, LEED AP has been named director of Interiors.
She sets the design approach for healthcare, institutional and commercial interiors projects, and she also leads the design of the amenity spaces for most of our residential projects.
Trained as an architect, Agrest collaborates with project teams to develop approaches suited to the site, neighborhood and market.
Steven Frankel AIA, has been named Associate Principal.
Since joining Dattner Architects over ten years ago, his hands-on design approach, deep technical knowledge, and collaborative working style has earned him the respect of clients and coworkers alike.
He has played a critical role in projects ranging from new affordable housing in the Melrose Commons section of the Bronx for Phipps Houses and at Gateway Elton in Brooklyn for the Hudson Companies; the Bowling Green Station Canopy for New York City Transit; and new sound stages for Steiner Studios.
He is currently designing a mixed-income housing development in Queens.
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WSP has appointed Varughese Cherian, an electrical engineer with extensive experience in the aviation sector, as a senior vice president.
Cherian will be based in WSP’s Seventh Avenue New York City office. He will serve as a member of the office’s senior leadership team and also supervise building projects, with emphasis on those related to aviation.
Cherian’s previous positions include director of electrical engineering for KEO International Consultants, design director for Meinhardt Group, and principal at ARUP.
Some of his notable projects include the Muscat International Airport in Oman, Abu Dhabi International Airport, Ottawa International Airport, and terminals at JFK International Airport, among many others.
Cherian holds a BSc (Hons) in electrical and electronic engineering from Queens University of Belfast, Ireland. He is a LEED AP and a Chartered Engineer (M.I.E.E.).
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Mancini•Duffy has named Daniel Rojas to serve as its Architectural Design Director.
Rojas brings more than a decade of experience to the firm, and a background in high-profile, mixed-use, corporate, hospitality and cultural projects in the United States, Asia, South America and Europe.
Rojas has been involved in projects such as the 63,000 s/f conversion from commercial to residential at 15 Union Square West and the 75,000 s/f James Hotel, both in New York City.
Internationally, he worked on Media Corp’s 808,000 s/f commercial development in Singapore and the 540,000 s/f New Chongquing library in Chongquing, China, among other works.
He received his M. S. in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, a B.S in Architecture from Pratt Institute School of Architecture, and also participated in Pratt’s Rome Program and other Bachelor of Architecture programs in Chile and Colombia.
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Tucker Development announced that it has hired Aaron M. Tucker to serve as vice president and general counsel.
Tucker is responsible for business development, including sourcing capital and structuring deals, as well as all legal matters involving Tucker Development and its affiliates.
Prior to joining Tucker Development, Tucker held positions with Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Paul Hastings LLP.
At both firms, he focused his practice on commercial real estate including development, finance and leasing matters relating to complex real estate transactions.
Tucker received his bachelor of arts in International Affairs, with a concentration on International Economics, from The George Washington University.
He received his Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
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CetraRuddy has announced a number of promotions and new hires, responding to an expanding project list and new global opportunities in the United States, South America, the Middle East and the Far East.
Among the key changes is the elevation of Emmanuelle C. Slossberg, LEED AP, the firm’s Director of Strategic Development, to its Executive Committee, Slossberg has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of new business strategy and marketing management including branding, innovation, architecture and real estate development.
She works closely with the firm’s principals to further expand their presence in residential, hospitality, cultural, educational and international markets.
Slossberg, who joined CetraRuddy in 2009, is fluent in five languages.
Thomas E. Graul, AIA, has been named Senior Associate and Technical Director.
Graul is a seasoned senior architect with varied design and construction experience with extensive credentials in large-scale cultural, commercial, institutional and residential project development.
Prior to joining CetraRuddy he worked with Richard Meier and Partners, DMJM, Pfeiffer Partners Architects and Arquitectonica, among others.
Highlights of his work include: Serving as project director for the six million-square-foot Seoul International Finance Center /New Asia headquarters of AIG; UCLA’s Northwest Campus Student Residence Addition; and also as project architect for the 500,000 s/fJ. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Brentwood, Calif.
Michael Simon has been promoted to associate principal.
Simon is tasked with overseeing the 80-plus person firm’s business operations, including finance, human resources and administration.
Simon was formerly CFO and Managing Principal at H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, and also served as treasurer for the Society for Design Administration’s New York Chapter for 2013 and 2014.
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Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) announced that Fernando Villa, AIA, LEED AP, has been named Principal and Director of Design.
Villa is an expert with two decades of experience in all types of residential projects and a staunch advocate for sustainability, particularly for affordable housing.
With the promotion of Villa to Principal, MAP expands its design capabilities and brings the next generation of leadership to the forefront.
Since Villa joined the firm in 2007, he has designed award-winning, high-profile projects such as 22 Tarrytown Road Workforce Housing in Greenburgh, New York (LEED Silver) and Creston Avenue Residence in The Bronx (targeting LEED Platinum).
In addition to housing, he has a background in hospitality, cultural, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse projects.
Projects designed by Villa that are expected to start construction this year include St. Augustine Apartments (targeting LEED Gold) and Webster Green in The Bronx (targeting LEED Platinum), as well as Ludlow Commons and Cottage Gardens Housing Phase 3 in Yonkers.
Villa has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Pontificia Bolivariana University in Medellin.
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Karen J. Hedlund, former Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), has been named Director of Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) in the strategic consulting group of Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Hedlund was appointed Deputy Administrator of the FRA in November 2011, after serving as the agency’s Chief Counsel from June 2010.
During her tenure, she provided leadership for the administration’s $12 billion high-speed rail grant program.
Hedlund also oversaw the FRA’s Railroad Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Finance (RRIF) program,.
She served as Chief Counsel of the Federal Highway Administration in 2009-2010.
Before joining the federal government she was a partner of the law firms Nossaman, LLP; Skadden Arps; and Mayer Brown.
Hedlund led the legal advisory team on P3 projects such as the Silver Line extension of the Washington, D.C. Metrorail system; the Port of Miami Tunnel; the T-REX light rail in Denver; the Triangle Expressway in North Carolina; and the Hudson-Bergen light rail in New Jersey.
Hedlund received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.
