Speakers – Professional Practice Forum 2021
Vaki Mawema
Vaki Mawema leads Gensler’s Baltimore office as Managing Director and Principal. He also leads Gensler’s Southeast regional Mixed Use practice area which focuses on the planning and design of experiential, branded environments that include office, retail, hospitality and food & beverage. His leadership within Gensler has created an enterprising workplace culture that embodies creative passion, design excellence, exceptional client service, and promotes leadership and entrepreneurship. Within the community Vaki is known as a business leader and industry expert and was named one of the Washington Business Journal’s 40 under 40 for 2016. His colleagues admire his creative eye and rigor, and his vast array of award-winning projects speak for themselves.
David Barkin FAIA, Chief Architect – State of Connecticut, DAS | Construction Services
The Chief Architect for the State is a member of the management team overseeing design and construction of State buildings. David is responsible for developing and monitoring design and quality standards for new and renovated construction and participates in the selection of AEC consultants to the State. In addition, the Chief Architect is the State’s interface with the AEC industry. David also has served as adjunct faculty at the University of Connecticut’s Department of Public Policy in Hartford.
David graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, and from the University of Connecticut with a Master of Public Administration. Previously he worked at Cesar Pelli Associates, New Haven, and subsequently headed his own firm, Barkin Associates Architects PC, for over 14 years. Prior to joining state government in 2013, David was Principal at JCJ Architecture, Hartford, where he established and led the Science and Technology Group; in 2011 he was named Director of Architectural Practice Standards. He is noted for historic preservation expertise in the state and has been active in the architectural community both nationally and in Connecticut, serving on the American Institute of Architects’ Connecticut Board of Directors and, since 2008, on the Connecticut State Architectural Licensing Board where he was appointed Chair in 2017. He currently serves on national committees at the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and on the Industry Advisory Council for Central Connecticut State University’s construction management degree programs. Recently David received the 2019 Public Service award from AIA / Connecticut acknowledging decades of participation within his community and the broader design profession. David was awarded Fellowship in AIA in 2020
Michael Ayles
Brad Benjamin
James M. McManus, FAIA Emeritus, Retired Chairman, The S/L/A/M Collaborative and President, S/L/A/M Construction Services
Katelyn Chapin, AIA
Katelyn Chapin, AIA is a project architect and associate with Svigals + Partners, an architecture, art and advisory firm in New Haven, Connecticut. In her ten years with the firm, she has developed a passion for projects within the education sector and has been monumental in such high-profile projects as the University of New Haven’s Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation, and the new Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Conn. Building Design + Construction recognized Katelyn as an “education heavy hitter” in their 40 Under 40 Class of 2020.
Katelyn’s leadership within the Institute extends locally, regionally, and nationally. She currently chairs the mentorship subcommittee of AIA Connecticut’s Women in Architecture Committee, serves as the 2020-2021 Community Director of the Young Architects Forum, represents young architects on the AIA – Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Joint Committee, and serves of the Equity and Future of Architecture (EQFA) board committee. From 2018-2019, Katelyn represented New England as the 2018-2019 Young Architect Regional Director in addition to her role serving on the AIA New England Council. Katelyn was named a recipient of the AIA National 2021 Young Architect Award for her contributions to the Institute and profession.
Je’Nen M. Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA
Je’Nen M. Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA is trained in architecture and business management with a decade of experience working with award-winning architects. She founded Apostrophe Consulting to help architecture firms win more work, build a culture of leadership and trust within the studio, and create a pipeline for emerging leaders to grow. She is the co-host of Practice Disrupted, a podcast that addresses how technology, cultural shifts, and emerging best practices in business are prompting industry disruption and transformation.
Evelyn Lee, FAIA
Coming Soon
Phil Bernstein, AIA
Phil Bernstein is an architect, technologist and educator who has taught at the School of Architecture since 1988 and where he received his B.A (honors) and M.Arch. He was formerly a Vice President at Autodesk where he was responsible for setting the company’s future vision and strategy for BIM technology as well as cultivating and sustaining the firm’s relationships with strategic industry leaders and associations. Prior to Autodesk Phil was a principal at Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects where he managed many of the firm’s most complex commissions. He is the author of Architecture | Design | Data – Practice Competency in the Era of Computation (2018) and co-editor of Building (In) The Future: Recasting Labor in Architecture (2010 with Peggy Deamer), and consult, speaks and writes extensively on technology, practice and project delivery. He is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council and former Chair of the AIA National Contract Documents Committee.
Jeffrey Pinheiro, AIA
Jeffrey is a registered architect in the state of Connecticut and has 16 years of experience in varying roles throughout the industry. Jeffrey has designed and constructed an array of building types from small residential additions to multi-million dollar hospitals. Jeffrey began his professional career at the age of 16 working in a local architecture firm and continued gaining valuable experience at one of the largest architectural firms in the state.
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Jeffrey holds a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science (Architecture) from the University of Hartford. Additionally, he obtained associate degrees in Architecture and Construction Management from Norwalk Community College.
Jeffrey is a leader in the industry when it comes to the use of BIM (Building Information Modeling) and technology. He has spoken and taught classes at national conferences and is the creator of The Revit Kid.com (a worldwide resource on all things Revit and BIM related).
Andrew J. Swartzell, LEED AP, Associate & Director of Design Computing
Andrew Swartzell is an Associate and the Director of Design Computing at Pickard Chilton. In those roles, he enables studio members to adopt and adapt to an array of technological developments at the forefront of the AEC industry and leverages his background in computational design to address complex challenges on projects across the studio.
As a designer, Mr. Swartzell has coordinated all phases of design and construction projects for a diverse and international client base. Recently, in collaboration Uber and Arup, he led Pickard Chilton’s design efforts to help the Uber Elevate team envision the future of urban aviation. The resulting work, dubbed the “Uber Sky Tower” and “Uber Sky Loft”, has been presented and exhibited at the Uber Elevate conference, the Boston Society of Architects as part of Balancing Act: Urbanism & Emerging Technologies, and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Philadelphia Chapter.
Mr. Swartzell is also an engaged member of his community, collaborating annually with AIA CT and other residents to plan the “Box City” program for the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven. Together with Festival volunteers and industry professionals, the team assists children in the collaborative construction of a visionary, temporary, recyclable model city of the future.
Mr. Swartzell received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Penn State University and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Alison DiVenere
Kara Gruss