Keynote Fireside Chat

Placemaking, Future Of The Profession, And Designing For A Growing Population

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  Hemanshu Parwani

  Hemanshu Parwani – or “HP” as he is called by friends and colleagues – is responsible for directing operations and finance at Olson Kundig, including the firm’s business and organizational development, human resources and finance departments, information technology, and the administrative team. In this role, HP supplements the firm’s design-first strategy with effective operational resources. HP has worked in international operations, capital markets and strategic development for over 30 years. He began his career in finance at a specialized financial advisory firm before moving to the Middle East where he worked on International Corporate Tax Advisory services. After that, he became the Chief Financial Officer of International Operations for AECOM, a multinational engineering firm. Since then, HP has gone on to hold CEO, COO and CFO roles for various international firms in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry, delivering projects on almost all continents. A true global citizen, HP has lived in Asia, the Middle East and North America. He is an avid mountaineer and has climbed some of the world’s tallest mountains, including Everest. HP often climbs to raise money for causes close to his heart, including the American Cancer Society and Autism Speaks. Mountaineering reflects HP’s larger approach to business and operations: he believes in fostering a team mentality where trust emerges as colleagues work together towards a common purpose. For him, progress is measured not so much by reaching the summit, but rather by the daily steps taken and the relationships and personal bonds created along the way.

  Olson Kundig

  CEO and Owner

  Hemanshu Parwani

  CEO and Owner

  Olson Kundig

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  Thatcher Bailey

  Thatcher, Executive Director of Friends of Waterfront Seattle, is an ardent proponent of the democratizing power of public space. He describes the new 20-acre Seattle’s central waterfront, designed by James Corner Field Operations, as a historically transformative civic project. Before joining Friends, Thatcher served as CEO of Seattle Parks Foundation, dedicated to bringing resources to communities in greatest need of green gathering and play space. In 2008 he led the Fort Worden Public Development Authority, bringing more resources to support the restoration and redeployment of the built environment of the 430-acre state park, national historic site, and center for arts and education. Over his career, Thatcher has led staff and boards of many cultural, social change, and health service organizations. He loves fundraising and is a native Seattleite.

  Friends of Waterfront Seattle

  Executive Director

  Thatcher Bailey

  Executive Director

  Friends of Waterfront Seattle

Designing a Future Holistic City

Master-Planning, Density, and Vertical Neighborhoods

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  Megan McKay

  Megan McKay, LEED AP BD+C joined Johnston Architects in 2006 as a graduate student at the University of Washington, and was promoted to Partner at the women-owned firm in 2017. Megan’s experience includes public and private projects with a focus on shared spaces that promote engagement and interaction within diverse communities. Megan has been instrumental in the design and project management of award-winning architecture libraries, mixed-use developments, commercial, and single family projects throughout the Northwest, with an emphasis on multi-family developments in the Puget Sound region.

  Johnston Architects

  Partner

  Megan McKay

  Partner

  Johnston Architects

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  Sean Canady

  Sean is a Principal with GGLO and serves as Principal-in-Charge of mixed-use high-rise projects, multi-family urban developments, and urban design, leading teams in designing tall buildings across North America and in southeast Asia. Sean sees architecture and urban design as a calling that allows us to make the world a better place, a commitment informed by his global experience living and working around the world. As part of GGLO’s Design Leadership Group, Sean developed GGLO’s design philosophy and approach, and reviews projects across the office to help refine the essential principals of our craft. Sean passionately believes in the importance of research and questioning to understand, in discovery as a path to innovation, and beauty and artistic expression as essential principals of our work. Sean is a Board member of the Seattle chapter of Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats, is active in ULI and NAIOP, and is a design instructor in the University of Washington’s Commercial Real Estate program.

  GGLO

  Principal

  Sean Canady

  Principal

  GGLO

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  Jooyeol Oh

  Jooyeol is a visionary designer with over 20 years of experience developing thoughtful, community-centered environments. Each design he delivers adapts to the shifting lifestyle needs of evolving neighborhoods. Internationally recognized for award-winning buildings and master plans.

  MG2

  Principal

  Jooyeol Oh

  Principal

  MG2

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  David Fennell

  David is the Structural Steel Specialist in the greater Seattle market for the American Institute of Steel Construction. David is committed to helping architects, engineers, general contractors and owners achieve better project outcomes by using domestically produced and fabricated structural steel on their building projects. He brings multiple years of general contracting experience with various organizations throughout the country on a wide range of project deliverables. David is a graduate of Purdue University’s Construction Engineering and Management program as well as earning his Master of Business Administration at Northwood University. The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), headquartered in Chicago, is a non-partisan, not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry in the United States.

  American Institute of Steel Construction

  Structural Steel Specialist

  David Fennell

  Structural Steel Specialist

  American Institute of Steel Construction

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  Lindsey Pflugrath

  Lindsey has devoted her career to understanding the legal risks her clients face in the construction industry. Her clients include developers, owners, owner’s representatives, contractors, international multidisciplinary design firms, and local engineering and architecture firms. She takes great pride in offering an integrated suite of services to her clients, providing advice on risk management, contract negotiation, and conflict resolution, as well as defending her clients from claims. Lindsey’s practice spans Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Arizona and she considers it an honor to counsel her clients as they change the way people live, work and travel in the Pacific Northwest. Lindsey is deeply engaged with organizations in the field of construction and she holds numerous leadership positions as well as being recognized as an honorary American Institute of Architects (AIA) member. She is a respected leader in her field and a frequent presenter to industry organizations and professionals on a range of construction law topics.

  Cairncross & Hempelmann

  Attorney

  Moderator

  Lindsey Pflugrath

  Attorney

  Cairncross & Hempelmann

Healthy Buildings

Interiors, Wellness, and Work Force Retention

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  Kelly Griffin

  Every organization is unique. Kelly is convinced that their workplace should be too. With 30 years of leading corporate workplace projects as a designer and project manager, Kelly launched NBBJ’s Workplace Strategies Group in 2014. A thoughtful facilitator, Kelly is focused on building alignment across leadership teams and learning from the “everyday experts” in each organization to craft a complete workplace experience. Fascinated by what connects us as humans, Kelly uses social science methodologies to uncover what makes each organization tick and creates strategies to ensure everyone has a great day at work.

  NBBJ

  Principal

  F5, Inc. Tower

  Kelly Griffin

  Principal

  NBBJ

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  Michael Stueve

  As an architect, interior designer, and user experience strategist and as a leader on Ankrom Moisan’s Workplace Team, Michael’s wide-ranging background in workplace design awakens creative, culturally rich spaces. A recent cross-section of his work ranges from corporate headquarters for fast-growing tech companies and re-envisioning the workplace experience for a biotech campus to extensive community wayfinding packages and interactive large-scale digital installations. Michael is also deeply committed to wellness in the workplace; he consults regularly with businesses to strategize their mission to provide a healthful and engaging work environment. His end goal: Enrich the user experience through culture, brand, wellbeing, and storytelling.

  Ankrom Moisan

  Principal / UX Strategy

  Aspect on 6th / Amenity Space / Portland OR

  Michael Stueve

  Principal / UX Strategy

  Ankrom Moisan

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  Steve Erickson

  Steve Erickson is an Architect and founding principal and workplace strategy expert at SABArchitects in Seattle, Washington. He grew up in Port Angeles and has spent three decades executing design projects in the Pacific Northwest. He believes in architecture as a fundamental expression of a city’s biography and values, a physical expression of continuity in time. He is an advocate for the revitalization of historic neighborhoods and the adaptation of buildings to reduce waste and preserve their urban soul. By assaying the intrinsic architectural value of a building, a new space can be derived meeting modern standards for the incorporation of workspace, technology, and public-facing amenities which honor the history of the space.

  SABArchitects

  Founding Principal

  Steve Erickson

  Founding Principal

  SABArchitects

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  Jill Lee

  Jill Lee, a ray of sunshine hailing from Seattle, is a Senior Interior Designer, Sustainable Interiors at Cushing Terrell. With 16 years of experience, Jill has had the opportunity to deliver projects both locally and globally, across markets, from higher education to healthcare to retail, residential, and commercial. But through this varied experience, she has developed an acute focus on creating and innovating workplace environments. Jill applies her interior design expertise and an in-depth knowledge of sustainable design to influence how we work, how we learn, how we heal, and how we live, to push us toward wellbeing and quality of life in our offices and beyond. Outside of project work, Jill is a passionate advocate for the interior design profession and was a board member for the IIDA Northern Pacific chapter for seven years, serving as President from 2017-2018.

  Cushing Terrell

  Senior Interior Designer, Associate

  Jill Lee

  Senior Interior Designer, Associate

  Cushing Terrell

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  Carole Kassir-Garcia

  Carole has spent her career crafting environments rooted in strong conceptual ideas. She has a unique understanding of the connection between people and place and brings an exceptional story-telling and brand imaging perspective to her work. The common thread tying all her projects together is a passion for designing innovative environments with deep contextual meaning; her intuition and an emphasis on the human experience make spaces memorable. Carole believes that meaningful experiences can differentiate brands, drive business, and build community. Carole has worked across market sectors, including commercial, workplace, healthcare, multi-family residential, and aviation. She recently led Well Health and Safety Certification for the One Workplace offices across Northern California and Washington. Carole is committed to supporting sustainability, resiliency, and human wellness. She encourages safe, healthy, and quality materials with a life-cycle analysis. Carole’s work has received numerous design awards and has been featured in multiple publications, including Interior Design, Contract, Healthcare Design, and IIDA Northern Pacific Chapter INawards.

  OpenSquare

  Director, Design

  Moderator

  Carole Kassir-Garcia

  Director, Design

  OpenSquare