On October 17 , 2022, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee hosted an extraordinary panel discussion on NYU’s 181 Mercer Street Façade Design, Technology and Delivery, as part of our ongoing series highlighting the achievements of women in the allied professions. We were honored to have Marielys De Leon-Minaya, Project Manager, Turner Construction Company; Samantha Leung, AIA, Associate, Heintges; Mayine Yu, AIA, Associate Partner, Davis Brody Bond; and Zinat Yusufzai, AIA, Principal, Kieran Timberlake as our speakers, and Jessica Young, RA, Principal, Heintges, as our moderator.

The panelists described the design process, from concept through multiple iterations, to arrive at the final massing, and the various factors that informed the final design including regulatory restrictions, neighborhood context, complex program, thermal drivers, and logistics. We absolutely loved all the technical details, energy modeling, and mock-up examples they shared. The challenges of execution, tracking fabrication and supply chain and installation, all through COVID, and maintaining the schedule is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the team.

Marielys, Samantha, Mayine, Zinat and Jessica also shared their personal stories and career paths, and provided thoughtful answers to the audience questions. We are grateful to each of our speakers for being a role model to the next generation of women architects, and those who are considering pursuing allied professions.

A special thank you to Areta Pawlynsky, AIA, Senior Principal, Heintges for proposing this relevant topic to the WIA Committee. We appreciate all the time and effort that went into making this panel a successful event. Thank you to our audience for your support and interest, and for your challenging questions. We look forward to seeing everyone at the next WIA event!