Where are they now? 40 Under 40 alumni make their mark in D.C.

Every month we’ll be touching base with past 40 Under 40 honorees to see what’s been happening in their professional and personal lives since winning the award. This month, we feature two outstanding professionals: HKS's Shannon Kraus and Roger Chang from Westlake Reed Leskosky.

ROGER CHANG
PE, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, ASHRAE BEMP

Principal, Director of Mechanical Engineering and Sustainability

Westlake Reed Leskosky,

Washington, D.C.

Class of 2011

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Sustainable engineering for cultural, historic preservation, higher ed, and healthcare clients. Recently led mechanical design for the modernization of the Smithsonian Institution’s Renwick Gallery.

Lead developer for recool.com, a new WRL-sponsored Internet platform for the discussion of high-performance building systems to address climate change. “While we see a plethora of resources available for consumers to evaluate products, such as Consumer Reports, Yelp, Angie’s List, or Amazon.com reviews, there wasn’t a good resource to find information on systems tied to specific projects. We are now looking to integrate the thinking behind recool with other commercial building transparency platforms over the next year.”

EXTRACURRICULAR

Helped get the International Green Construction Code adopted in D.C.

Developed a one-day summit on sustainability standards for museums as part of the American Alliance of Museums’ 2013 Annual Meeting.

Adjunct professor at Catholic University of America; collaborated on development of new Facilities Management program.

OFF THE CLOCK

An accomplished cellist, Chang still plays, “although not as much as I used to.” A two-year-old son keeps him busy. Favorite hobbies: weekend gardening and biking around D.C. with his family.

SHANNON KRAUS
FAIA, ACHA, MBA

Principal, Managing Director D.C.

HKS, Washington, D.C.

Class of 2009

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

A specialist in healthcare design, Kraus has been promoted to Senior VP and Principal of the firm since his U40 recognition.

Promoted to Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Director, then to Managing Director of the D.C. office.

Named a Fellow of the AIA this year at age 40; currently the Institute’s youngest fellow.

EXTRACURRICULAR

Authored and published a chapter for the AIA’s “Handbook to Professional Practice.”

Elected to the National Architectural Accrediting Board of Directors.

Faculty member, American Hospital Association.

OFF THE CLOCK

Ran three marathons in the past two years, including Boston 2013. Had run 25.86 miles and was fighting a calf cramp, which had slowed his pace, when the bombs exploded. “I think I am not alone in believing most runners would re-race Boston tomorrow if we could, simply to send a message that America won’t be stopped or intimidated. That we are strong as a group, that we rally round each other. Completing the race has more value than it ever did before, for unity and determination. I now run for those who can’t.”

ALSO CATCH UP WITH: NATALIE PETZOLDT, Principal and Central Region Health Leader, Cannon Design, and LARRY LONGMAN, Senior Vice President, Preconstruction, Lauth Property Group. READ

DON’T MISS THIS YEAR’S U40 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Join our 40 Under 40 alumni and other outstanding young AEC professionals nominated by their firms at the 3rd Annual Under 40 Leadership Summit (Hyatt Regency San Francisco, October 9-11). For information about this inspiring, AIA-accredited opportunity for learning and networking, visit: http://www.bdcnetwork.com/Under40Summit/index.html.

Architects play a critical role in designing school environments that support students with learning differences, particularly dyslexia, by enhancing social and emotional competence and physical comfort. Effective design principles not only benefit students with dyslexia but also improve the learning experience for all students and faculty. This article explores how key design strategies at the campus, classroom, and individual levels can foster confidence, comfort, and resilience, thereby optimizing educational outcomes for students with dyslexia and other learning differences.

Museums | Aug 29, 2024

Bjarke Ingels' Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art conceived as village of 12 pavilions

The 60,000-sm Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China recently topped out. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the museum is conceived as a village of 12 pavilions, offering a modern interpretation of the elements that have defined the city’s urbanism, architecture, and landscape for centuries.

Adaptive Reuse | Aug 28, 2024

Cities in Washington State will offer tax breaks for office-to-residential conversions

A law passed earlier this year by the Washington State Legislature allows developers to defer sales and use taxes if they convert existing structures, including office buildings, into affordable housing.

Industrial Facilities | Aug 28, 2024

UK-based tire company plans to build the first carbon-neutral tire factory in the U.S.

ENSO, a U.K.-based company that makes tires for electric vehicles, has announced plans to build the first carbon-neutral tire factory in the U.S. The $500 million ENSO technology campus will be powered entirely by renewable energy. The first-of-its-kind tire factory aims to be carbon neutral without purchased offsets, using carbon-neutral raw materials and building materials.

The recently completed Deco 969 is the newest luxury high rise designed by GDA and the first tower of its kind to rise in Fort Worth in over 30 years. Photo courtesy KTGY/GDA

Architects | Aug 28, 2024

KTGY acquires residential high-rise specialist GDA Architects

KTGY, an award-winning design firm focused on architecture, interior design, branded environments and urban design, announced that it has acquired GDA Architects, a Dallas-based architectural firm specializing in high rise residential, hospitality and industrial design.

K-12 classroom with interior and exterior windows

K-12 Schools | Aug 26, 2024

Windows in K-12 classrooms provide opportunities, not distractions

On a knee-jerk level, a window seems like a built-in distraction, guaranteed to promote wandering minds in any classroom or workspace. Yet, a steady stream of studies has found the opposite to be true.

Top-down construction: The need for efficient construction in urban areas Photo by Anthony Fomin from Unsplash

Building Technology | Aug 23, 2024

Top-down construction: Streamlining the building process | BD+C

Learn why top-down construction is becoming popular again for urban projects and how it can benefit your construction process in this comprehensive blog.

Airports | Aug 22, 2024

Portland opens $2 billion mass timber expansion and renovation to its international airport

This month, the Portland International Airport (PDX) main terminal expansion opened to passengers. Designed by ZGF for the Port of Portland, the 1 million-sf project doubles the capacity of PDX and enables the airport to welcome 35 million passengers per year by 2045.

Adaptive Reuse | Aug 22, 2024

6 key fire and life safety considerations for office-to-residential conversions

Office-to-residential conversions may be fraught with fire and life safety challenges, from egress requirements to fire protection system gaps. Here are six important considerations to consider.

Caldwell County Evacuation Center FEMA-operated evacuation shelter in the Greater Austin metropolitan area Rendering courtesy Method Architecture

Resiliency | Aug 22, 2024

Austin area evacuation center will double as events venue

A new 45,000 sf FEMA-operated evacuation shelter in the Greater Austin metropolitan area will begin construction this fall. The center will be available to house people in the event of a disaster such as a major hurricane and double as an events venue when not needed for emergency shelter.

Currently Reading

Where are they now? 40 Under 40 alumni make their mark in D.C.

ROGER CHANG PE, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, ASHRAE BEMP

SHANNON KRAUS FAIA, ACHA, MBA

Tags

K-12 Schools | Aug 29, 2024