Beyond the Envelope
Date: March 26, 2025
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location:
16 W. 61 St., 11th-floor auditorium
Book Launch: Beyond the Envelope
The SoAD is pleased to host a book launch event for “Beyond the Envelope: 21 Pioneering Buildings From the Early 21st Century | 21 Interviews with their Architects”, edited by SoAD Professor Tom Verebes PhD, and published by Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers ORO (2024). This book compiles transcribed student-led interviews with the architects of 21 pioneering architectural projects, professional photos, as well as with diagrammatic analyses of these projects by 34 students in Tom Verebes’ seminar in the final year of the Master of Architecture program in the School of Architecture and Design (SoAD) at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in 2021, 2022, and 2023, “Architectural Technology in Practice: Beyond the Envelope”. The SoAD welcomes two of the contributing architects to present their work, followed by Q &A sessions with Master of Architecture graduates who had contributed to the book, and a moderated discussion amongst the architects and graduation.
Introduction and Moderation
Tom Verebes, Ph.D
Professor, School of Architecture and Design
Nader Vossoughian, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Architecture and Design
Speakers
Scott Lee
Partner, Morphosis Architects
Ung-Joo Scott Lee is a Partner at Morphosis Architects and heads the firm’s New York City office. Raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Scott began his tenure at Morphosis in 1996 and has contributed to many of the firms most significant projects, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Hall and the Bloomberg Center -the net zero, LEED Platinum main academic building for the new Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in New York.
More recently, Scott oversaw the design and delivery of Casablanca Finance City Tower, the first commercial high-rise in the Casablanca Anfa district, the new Judy Genshaft Honors College for the University of South Florida and the U.S. Land Port of Entry at Alexandria Bay.
Scott is a licensed architect registered in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Texas.
Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto
Principals, Reiser+Umemoto, RUR Architecture
Reiser+Umemoto, RUR Architecture is an internationally recognized architecture office and design atelier founded in 1986 by Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto. The firm works across continents and scales with projects ranging from large scale cultural and infrastructural projects to detailed object, furniture, and exhibition designs. Reiser+Umemoto, RUR is widely published, most recently in their sweeping monograph Projects and Their Consequences which traces thirty years of multidisciplinary investigations into form, structure, techniques and planning. Awards and honors include the Chrysler Award for Excellence in Design, the Academy Award in Architecture by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Presidential Citation and John Hejduk Award from the Cooper Union, and the USA Booth Fellowship from United States Artists for Architecture & Design.
Jesse Reiser is a Professor of Architecture at Princeton University and co-founder of Reiser+Umemoto, RUR Architecture.
Nanako Umemoto is a Professor of Architecture at Princeton University, a visting Professor at Kent State University and co-founder of Reiser+Umemoto, RUR Architecture.
Student Speakers
Adam Giannios, M.Arch 2021
Adjunct Assistant, Professor, New York Tech School of Architecture and Design
Born in Queens, NY, and raised on Kos Island, Greece, Adam Giannios possesses a diverse international background in architecture. He completed a Bachelor’s degree in Renovation and Rehabilitation of Buildings in Greece before relocating to New York City in 2018. There, he began working with John V. Dinan Associates, a century-old consulting engineering firm, and architect Stephen C. Leventis.
Adam earned a Master’s in Architecture and Design from the New York Institute of Technology, graduating Magna cum laude. Following this, he was promoted to project manager, overseeing numerous commercial and residential design-build projects across New York City, New Jersey, and Florida. In addition, he serves as an adjunct professor at NYIT, where he teaches Architectural Visual Communication and Material Tectonics, focusing on design software, materials research, and construction techniques.
Currently, he is employed at HDR, Inc., a global architecture, engineering, and construction services firm, where he contributes to the company’s construction management initiatives.
Alison Iannucci, M.Arch, 2023
Junior Architect, Gallin Beeler Design Studio
Alison recently graduated from the NYIT M.Arch program in the spring of 2023. At her commencement, she received the Gold Certificate for Excellence in Design. While at NYIT, she aided in the accreditation of the M.Arch program as a NAAB Accreditation Student Leader. Alison was also an integral part to the design and construction of the Oca Reading Pavilion for her Material Tectonics class at NYIT. This design was nominated by Arch Daily for Building of the Year Award 2023 in the Small Scale & Installations category.
Prior to NYIT, Alison graduated in 2021 from the University of Massachusetts, Amherstwith a BS in Architecture and a minor in Building Construction Technology. Alison is now an aspiring architect versed in conceptual design, 2D and 3D representation, graphic post-production, and public speaking. She is currently working full-time at Gallin Beeler Design Studio in Westchester County, New York as a Junior Architect, and will be on track to take the ARE exams beginning next fall.
Dalton Lackey, M.Arch, 2022
Architectural Designer II, AECOM
Dalton Lackey (’22) is an architectural designer, with a passion for creating functional and innovative spaces. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University ofCentral Florida (UCF) before pursuing a Master of Architecture here at the New York Institute of Technology. Dalton’s love for New York City is rooted in the incredible relationships he has built and the opportunities he has encountered, both professionally and personally.
Currently an Architectural Designer II at AECOM, Dalton has been practicing architecture for over four and a half years. He works in the transportation design studio, focusing on projects for key clients such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Amtrak, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well as the Delaware River Port Authority. His work includes designing train stations, service facilities, and implementing ADA upgrades for stations throughout the country, contributing to the enhancement of public infrastructure nationwide.
Aleksandra Zatorska, M.Arch, 2021
Founder, Artezen
Aleksandra Zatorska is an architecture project and product manager, researcher and entrepreneur dedicated to advancing the integration of wellness and design. She earned a Master’s in Architecture from NYIT and has received prestigious recognitions, including the Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research and Design and being named among the Future 100 by Metropolis Magazine in 2021.
Aleksandra has extensive experience leading cross-disciplinary projects, including her role as Head of Product, where she managed the development of software that integrated design and construction for prefabricated façade systems. Currently, as the founder of Artezen, she develops wellness-focused solutions that promote mental and physical well-being. Aleksandra’s expertise lies in combining innovation, thoughtful design, and well-being to create transformative solutions for modern living.