SPEAKERS

Co-Chairs:

CLAUDIA ESCALA - Co-President / Carrier Johnson + CULTURE

Claudia Escala earned a Master of Architecture degree at the University of California, San Diego. With 26 years of experience, Claudia is a leader in the firm’s crafting and execution of a diverse design portfolio.

ALEX GUTIERREZ - Design Director / Carrier Johnson + CULTURE

Alex Gutierrez graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, holds a Master of Architecture and has 15 years of experience in awardwinning design for projects in the workplace, mixed-use and academic sectors. His expertise in design technology affords him the ability to transpose his designs into both visual and technical illustrations.

ALEX KACUR - Associate Principal / Carrier Johnson + CULTURE

Alex Kacur graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Architecture. During his 28 year career, Alex has specialized in residential and hospitality projects from single family homes to 42 story towers. Alex has a keen understanding of design, documentation, and construction administration, including BIM parametric modeling and digital technology.

CHRIS BETTS VP Engineering/ Vision Systems

Chris Betts brings over 35 years of experience in design, drafting, and computer programming to Vision Systems’ engineering department. Chris lives with his wife in Lakeside, and has two grown children, a daughter in El Cajon and a son in Fort Collins, Colorado. He loves cycling, backpacking and paddle boarding. He enjoys living outdoors during his annual backcountry mountain biking or wilderness backpacking trip.

ALEX FALCÓN Building Engineer / Eckersley O'Callaghan

Alex is a facade engineer at Eckersley O’Callaghan, having joined in 2019 with a background in architecture and building technology. His expertise lies in solving complex design challenges through computational analysis combined with knowledge of emerging building technologies. Alex is a project engineer on the Downtown San Diego’s IQHQ R&D District, focused on coordinating consistent facade detailing and engineering across all 5 buildings of the campus.

JAMES VON KLEMPERER President and Design Principal / KPF

James von Klemperer, President & Design Principal at KPF, leads a staff of over 600 architects in nine global offices. Jamie has led the design of projects across many typologies and scales, from city plans, to mixed-use towers and academic buildings. His work focuses on promoting social connection through creating shared spaces. In addition to his work as a designer, Jamie has lectured at universities including Harvard, Columbia, Tsinghua, and Yale.

KERSTIN KRAFT Associate / Gensler

Kerstin Kraft is a licensed architect with 15 years of experience and an expertise in façade design and execution. She is a Project Architect on Downtown San Diego’s IQHQ Research and Development District, focused on delivering a unique but harmonious façade for all 5 buildings of the 1,700,000+ sq ft mixed-use campus.

SNEH KUMAR Product Management & Marketing / Kawneer

Sneh is the Product manager for Kawneer’s Curtain wall, Window-wall, Sun-control, Finishes and Arconic Architectural Products. With 20 years in this industry, Sneh has gained deep building envelop domain expertise and helped in commercialization of 40+ highperformance building façade products. Sneh is an actively engaged externally with industry organizations, architects, and customers.

ETHAN MARTIN Director of Sustainability and Mass Timber / DCI Engineers

Ethan Martin brings a wealth of engineering design experience to the team of developers, architects, and contractors. Driven to inform his team and professionals in the AEC industries, Ethan quickly becomes an asset to any multi-discipline project team looking for answers on proformas, construction types, constructability, supply chain, and product usage. He also co-founded the International Mass Timber Conference with Forest Business Network in Portland, now one of the leading mass timber conferences in the world.

IRENE MARTIN Facade Team Leader / Arup

Irene Pau Martin is an Associate at Arup with an Environmental and Mechanical Engineering background. She leads the Building Envelope Physics subdiscipline within the Americas Region and co-leads the Los Angeles Facades team. Having worked in London and Los Angeles, Irene has 16 years of experience on international projects ranging from historic buildings to new-build museums and office towers. Her passion for environmental considerations and occupant comfort has led her to advocate for thoughtful envelope designs that balance architectural delight with responsible resource consumption, particularly that of carbon and energy.