Carlo Ratti

MIT SENSEable City Lab

An architect and engineer by training, Professor Carlo Ratti teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he directs the Senseable City Lab, and is a founding part- ner of the international design and innovation office Carlo Ratti Associati. He graduated from the Politecnico di Torino and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, and later earned his MPhil and PhD at the University of Cambridge, UK.

A leading voice in the debate on new technologies’ impact on urban life and design, Car- lo has co-authored over 500 publications, including “The City of Tomorrow” (Yale University Press, with Matthew Claudel), and holds several technical patents. His articles and interviews have appeared on international media including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Scientific American, BBC, Project Syn- dicate, Corriere della Sera, Il Sole 24 Ore, Domus. His work has been exhibited worldwide at venues such as the Venice Biennale, the Design Museum Barcelona, the Science Museum in London, MAXXI in Rome, and MoMA in New York City.

Carlo has been featured in Esquire Magazine’s ‘Best & Brightest’ list and in Thames & Hud- son’s selection of ‘60 innovators’ shaping our creative future. Blueprint Magazine included him as one of the ‘25 People Who Will Change the World of Design’, Forbes listed him as one of the ‘Names You Need To Know’ and Fast Company named him as one of the ’50 Most Influen-tial Designers in America’. He was also featured in Wired Magazine’s ‘Smart List: 50 people who will change the world’. Three of his projects – the Digital Water Pavilion, the Copenhagen Wheel and Scribit – have been included by TIME Magazine in the list of the ‘Best Inventions of the Year’.

Carlo has been a presenter at TED (in 2011 and 2015), program director at the Strelka Insti- tute for Media, Architecture and Design in Moscow, curator of the BMW Guggenheim Pavilion in Berlin, and was named Inaugural Innovator in Residence by the Queensland Government. He was the curator of the Future Food District pavilion for the 2015 World Expo in Milan and chief curator of the “”Eyes of the City”” section at the 2019 UABB Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism of Shenzhen. He is currently serving as co- chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization.

Bradford J. Prestbo

Director – Studio NYL

Studio NYL

An exceptional leader, Bradford J. Prestbo, FAIA, is advancing the profession through his practice, advocacy, and educational efforts in the use of cutting-edge design technologies, high-performance design, and the incorporation of maker culture into the design process.

At Studio NYL, he is the Director of the Boston office, and leads many amazingly innovative groups of technical specialists developing revolutionary products and services. These range from developing generative design scripts, increasing building performance with high-performance design, and building highly sustainable structures.

Bradford also finds time to share his knowledge of advanced design technologies, high-performance design, and how maker culture is transforming our practice with the industry. He has practiced internationally, is a sought-after speaker, is frequently interviewed by publishers, and is an educator via his detailing workshops, higher-education classes, design juries, and mentorship of emerging professionals.

Bradford is actively involved in the AIA, and has been elevated to the College of Fellows for his notable contributions to the advancement of the profession of architecture. He is part of the leadership group in the AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community, and founded the Boston Society of Architect’s MakeTANK Knowledge Community, where he currently serves as the National Director.

Lola Ben-Alon

Director

GSAPP Natural Materials Lab

Lola Ben-Alon is an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture at Columbia University, where she also serves as Director of the Building Technology sequence. She is focused on research in building materials and energy performance. She brings expertise in natural and bio-based materials, Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), and exhibitions.

Nick Cameron

Director—Digital Practice

Perkins&Will

As Perkins&Will’s Director of Digital Practice, Nick Cameron, AIA, LEED AP takes a big-picture approach to his work, and employs a thorough understanding of how the digital practice enhances and completes the design process. Having spent the first part of his career as a designer, he now views his work as an opportunity to work alongside design teams to put the finishing touches on projects. He loves the fact that while so much of a firm’s process relies on technology, the output is analog. The product is ultimately a space that betters a child’s education, improves the wellness of patients, or enhances the functionality of an office. Nick’s passion lies in perfecting the digital process to maximize these outcomes.

Efrie Escott

Principal

KieranTimberlake

Efrie Escott investigates materials, ecosystems, and digital technologies as a Principal in the KieranTimberlake Research Group, translating data-driven research into building design. She was a core member of the development team for Tally, the founder of Philadelphia’s Dynamo User Group, and a member of the USGBC Materials and Resources Technical Advisory Group. She lectures internationally about environmental research and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Schroeder

Partner

SGA

When Fast Company selected SGA as one of the Most Innovative Companies in 2018, the publication identified the firm’s capabilities in Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) as a key differentiator in scheduling and cost certainty. Michael Schroeder, CCM played an instrumental role in attaining this honor:  He has led the growth and development of the practice since 2014.

VDC is an ideal fit for Michael, who loves to discover and invent new technologies that enhance project outcomes.  BIM underpins the programs he oversees, but he supplements the virtual world with face-to-face interactions to promote collaboration.  At the beginning of every commission, he onboards the project team and hosts an Execution Success Planning session, during which participants determine the most effective methods of delivery. Other pillars of his methodology include co-location of the development, design, and construction partners; bespoke project dashboards; and a variety of teambuilding initiatives.

Before joining SGA, Michael served as president, CEO, and principal implementer at BIM Jet INC. in Boston for seven years.  In this capacity, he led strategic consulting engagements for C-level BIM technology.  Previously Michael held the role of director of design technology at Moshe Safdie and Associates in Somerville, MA, where he established the firm’s vision and future direction of BIM and other technology platforms.

Michael received a Master of Design Studies with distinction from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from Montana State University.  He often lectures about BIM and integrated design at prominent industry organizations and institutions.  In his spare time, Michael enjoys traveling with his wife and their four children.