Architects Explained

Leon Rost is an architect, and a partner at BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and leads the Los Angeles office. After completing his architectural studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he gained work experience at numerous international practices, including at Space Group in Oslo, Kjellander + Sjöberg in Stockholm, Klein Dytham Architecture and Shigeru Ban in Tokyo, as well as BIG, where he interned in the C...

Peter Ferretto is an architect and Director of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Architecture. He obtained his Bachelor of Science from the University of Liverpool, and Master’s degree at the University of Cambridge.  He gained work experience at numerous international practices including Odile Decq & Benoit Cornette Architects, Eric Parry’s office, and at Herzog & de Meuron...

James Von Klemperer is President and Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), leading more than 750 people spread across 7 global offices. He obtained his Bachelor of History and Literature from Harvard University, Master of Arts from Cambridge University, and Master of Architecture from Princeton University. He continues to stay involved in the academic realm lecturing regularly at universities, and...

 Hugh Trumbull is an architect and design Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox KPF. He obtained his B.Arch and M.Arch from Cornell University’s AAP program and continues to stay involved in the academic realm teaching studios and participating in design juries. At KPF, Mr. Trumbull’s designed and built portfolio ranges from new build projects like the Time Tower and HONY Center in Shenzhen, and several...

Eui-Sung Yi is a Partner at Morphosis Architects and the Director of The NOW Institute, a research center for urban strategy and sustainability with which he co-authored the bestselling 100 Buildings and the 730 page visual almanac HAITI NOW. He first obtained his B.Arch from Cornell University AAP program and his M.Arch II from the GSD.  Currently, he is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Univ...

Ismael Soto is an associate at Foster + Partners. He completed his undergraduate architectural studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he currently teaches with their LA Metro program and has also completed a master's in architecture from UCLA.  As a practicing architect, Ismael has had experiences globally starting with Coop Himmelb(l)au in Vienna, followed by Zaha Hadid Architects in Lon...

Julia Sulzer graduated with a Master's in Architecture from ETH Zurich and continued taking an educating role as a design instructor for the Master of Advanced Studies in Urban Design. She has also been pivotal in Zurich’s Office of Urban Planning as the lead director of the Architecture and Urban Space division, successfully overseeing numerous public projects. Currently, Julia is a member o...

Brett Steele is the Dean of the USC School of Architecture. Dean Steele completed his architecture studies at the University of Oregon, the San Francisco Art Institute, and the Architectural Association and has been working as director of architecture schools since 2005. In this episode, we learn more about his prior experiences as a student, educator, architect, and director, his new role at USCA...

Julia Gamolina is the founder and editor-in-chief of digital magazine, Madame Architect that she began in 2018.  Madame Architect has been dedicated to celebrating the extraordinary women in architecture and demonstrating their unique paths as inspiration for young women entering the industry. She is currently working as an Associate Principal and Director of Business Development at architecture f...

Hana Kassem is an architect and principal at architecture firm KPF. Hana completed her architecture studies at Rhode Island School of Design and has been working at KPF for over 20 years. She continues to explore the user and human dialogue with the built environment in her projects around the world.  Hana has developed the design for the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, which provides space...

Elie Gamburg is an architect and partner at architecture firm KPF. Some of the designs he has worked on include the Songdo Master Plan, the Boston Seaport Square Master Plan, and Boston Channel Side. Elie has been dedicated to creating innovative designs and has channeled his focus on urban context and sustainability in each project. In this episode, we focus on the user and planning aspects of ar...

Alfonso Femia est un architecte et urbaniste Italien. Il a travaillé sur le réaménagement de zones urbaines et de bâtiments importants dans les principales villes italiennes et étrangères :  Milan, Rome, Turin, Venise, Florence, Gênes,  Alger, Istanbul et Le Caire. Il est le créateur et co-fondateur du studio  5+1  en 1995, devenu  5+ 1 AA en 2005 puis Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia en 2017. Monsieur Fe...

Micheal Tomlan is the director of the graduate program in historic preservation planning at Cornell University. Tomlan  serves as a project director for the National Council for Preservation Education; and president of Historic Urban Plans and as chair to the Senior Board of Advisers to the Global Heritage Fund focusing on projects in Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America. He has al...

Craig Dykers is a founding partner and managing director at the international architecture firm, Snøhetta. Snøhetta was founded in 1989 and Mr. Dykers  has led many unique projects such as the Alexandria Library in Egypt, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo as well as in more recent years such as the Calgary Public Library and San Francisco Moma.  Send us Fan Mail