Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Plenary Session 1 | 8:00 am – 9:15 am
Opening Keynote Presentation
Industrialized Construction
Helena Lidelöw, Ph.D.SE | Chief Technology Officer, Volumetric Building Companies
Since 2010, Lidelöw worked for Lindbäcks Bygg, Sweden's leading industrial producer of apartment buildings, and arguably one of the world's most admired modular companies, as the Chief of Design, among other leadership roles during her time at the company. While at Lindbäcks, she oversaw the growth of the design department as part of the company's lean operations strategy, while playing a critical role in expansion initiatives including setting up the world's most advanced wood-frame modular factory in Sweden. Lidelöw also led the research and development team of experts that developed modular solutions in acoustics, fire, energy, moisture, structural, and life-cycle issues.
Starting her career in academia, Lidelöw has a Ph.D. in timber engineering and previously was an associate professor of industrialized construction at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. While there, she headed the architectural engineering program for master-level students in addition to teaching several subjects and working as a key leader in the Luleå research group. One of her many academic accomplishments includes writing a textbook on Industrialized Construction that continues to be used at several Swedish universities today. Lidelöw works across all VBC's locations, supporting global operations.
Plenary Session 2 | 9:15 – 10:30 am
Addressing The Housing Crisis Through Innovation
Designing a Productized Building System
Sara Pacelko, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP | Design for Building Manufacturing, Volumetric Building Companies
Sara leads a global team of inventive, passionate, and driven professionals who work together to develop full building systems for industrialized construction. Her team utilizes design thinking to develop new products with a heavy focus on design for manufacturing and assembly [DfMA].
Affordable Housing Through the Lens of Modularity and Repeatable Design Practices
Christian J. Agulles | President and CEO, PAE
For over 30 years, Christian has led teams in the design of innovative building systems for a broad range of complex building types including sports arenas, a U.S. Embassy, LEED Gold and Platinum corporate headquarters, high-rise mixed-use buildings, and affordable housing projects. Christian has been involved in the design of several grid-interactive, all-electric, net-zero carbon, resilient projects. He currently serves as the President and CEO of PAE, where he focuses on mentoring future leaders and bringing regenerative design concepts to all of PAE’s projects
Madeline Giovagnoli, PE | Mechanical Engineer, PAE
Madeline is a mechanical engineer with a deep passion for sustainable, high-performance design practices. As a graduate of The Pennsylvania State Architectural Engineering program, Maddie leverages her multi-disciplinary background to approach design challenges from an integrative perspective.
Plenary Session 3 | 10:45 am – 12:00 pm
Modular Design Panel Discussion
Forrest Flager | CEO and Cofounder, Parspec, Inc.
Forest developed a passion for sustainable design working for his father’s construction business in Santa Cruz, California. This led him to complete an engineering degree at MIT before joining Ove Arup and Partners in London, UK where he specialized in sports venue design. Forest later pursued a PhD in computational design at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Stanford’s Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) in 2013. He went on to lead software and design automation at Katerra, a technology driven off-site construction company, before co-founding Parspec in 2021. Forest currently lives in Palo Alto, California with his wife and young daughter.
Jennifer Ma, PE, CPD | Mechanical Engineer, SmithGroup
Jennifer Ma, based in San Francisco, CA, US, is currently a Mechanical Engineer at SmithGroup, bringing experience from previous roles at Glumac, Integral Group, Inc. and Ericsson. Jennifer Ma holds a 2008 - 2012 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at University of California, Berkeley. With a robust skill set that includes Solidworks, AutoCAD, Matlab, HVAC Design, Plumbing Design and more, Jennifer Ma contributes valuable insights to the industry. Jennifer Ma has 4 emails and 1 mobile phone number on RocketReach.
Vishal Turkar, AIA LEED AP BD+C | Health Principal, HDR
Vishal Turkar, a seasoned Architect, with over two decades of experience, serves as a Health Principal for HDR San Francisco. His journey in design and planning, spanning from conceptualization to construction, reflects a wealth of knowledge and expertise. His hands-on approach to projects shows dedication and ensures that strategic goals, decision-making processes, patient-centric design, community well-being, and innovation consistently rank as his top priorities.
As a Registered Architect, Vishal has demonstrated exceptional leadership, particularly in Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) projects, and a deep understanding of lean processes in construction. His proactive approach, coupled with an optimistic nature, positions him as a dynamic force in fostering innovation and team development. Vishal is a strategic thinker with an all-rounded leadership style, and stands as a forward-thinking leader, committed to shaping the future of healthcare design, with a focus on excellence, community engagement, and fostering a collaborative and innovative approach within his team.
Plenary Session 4 | 12:15 – 2:00 pm
Keynote Luncheon Panel
Approaching Mega-Projects with a Modular Mindset: How Rivian is Delivering Their First Greenbuild Production Site
Rebecca Delaney | Rivian + Design/Construction Partners
Rebecca designs inspiring spaces that prioritize human health/wellness, reduce carbon impact, and enhance resiliency. Rebecca leads a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, architects, thinkers, and climate champions developing buildings that positively impact people and communities.
MEP Engineer: Andy Koffke, PE, Mechanical Engineer, Building Infrastructure Design, Rivian
Product Sustainability: Nick Santero, Leading Sustainability Science, Rivian
Architect: Jorge Rovira, AIA, Senior Associate Principal, SOM
Building: Mark Smith, Senior Vice President, Market Leader - Automotive & Advanced Technology, Clayco
Plenary Session 5 | 2:15 – 3:30 pm
The Race to Zero
Urban Sequoia - Modular and Biogenic Towards Whole Life Carbon Zero
Shona O’Dea, BEMP, LEED AP, RESET AP | Sustainability Director, SOM
Shona ( LEED AP B+C, RESET AP, BEMP ) is the West Coast Sustainability Director for SOM. Throughout her career, Shona has been dedicated to carbon reduction and indoor environmental quality, providing innovation and technical excellence in sustainable building design and operation. She advises clients about sustainable goal-setting and uses building design analytics to help designers quantify the impact of their design decisions and understand the interactions of building design with the mechanical systems and with the environment. Beyond building simulation, Shona brings her passion to holistic building performance master planning with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint and water use of building portfolios, while also ensuring occupants can thrive in healthy spaces. Shona holds a BS in Building Services Engineering and an MS in Sustainability, Innovation and Technology from the Dublin Institute of Technology as well as an MS in Technology from Purdue University.
To Net Zero and Beyond! Electrification Strategies for Getting to Zero Operational Carbon
David Kaneda, PE, FAIA, LEED Fellow | Principal & Thought Leader, IDeAs
For over three decades, David Kaneda has collaborated on electrical system designs for many of the greenest buildings in the US. He is an internationally recognized expert on designing sustainable electrical systems, including power distribution, lighting and daylighting, renewable energy, battery storage, microgrids and EV charging. He has collaborated on the electrical design of over 40 – net zero energy buildings, including the IDeAs Z Squared Design Facility in 2005; the first net zero energy commercial office building in the United States. He has also led the electrical designs for dozens of LEED Platinum and AIA COTE Top 10 projects, including ground breaking projects such as the Packard Foundation, 435 Indio Way*, the Venter Institute and the Sonoma Academy Janet Durgin Guild and Commons*.
Plenary Session 6 | 3:45 – 5:00 pm
Productization vs Projectization
What You Need to Know About Modular: A Contractor's Perspective
Maggie Ferrenz | Director Design-Manufacture-Construct [DMC] Programs, Clark Construction
As Director of DMC Programs at Clark Construction, Maggie leads teams dedicated to the onsite construction of facilities that are primarily manufactured in offsite factories. Maggie’s team is on the cutting edge of building advancements, developing expertise in the nuances of delivering modular and volumetric buildings. Maggie firmly believes offsite construction, when utilized strategically, has the potential to unlock significant productivity improvements for wide swaths of the AEC industry.
Maggie earned B.S. and M. Eng. degrees in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia, as well as an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She spent several years working in management consulting, including with McKinsey & Company, before joining Clark Construction in 2019.
Doug Bevier | Director of Preconstruction, Facades, Clark Pacific
Doug Bevier is the Director of Preconstruction, Facades for Clark Pacific leading the sales team in evolving to meet the goals of the business unit. Doug is responsible for the execution of the sales process and the ultimate owner of the sales goals, strategy and pipeline development. He is an experienced project manager with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. He has worked for Clark Pacific in different capacities since starting as a plant laborer in 2006, then joined the project management ranks in 2014, and then Clark Pacific's facade product manager before moving to preconstruction.
Doug received his Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Architectural Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) since 2016 in California. Doug is a husband, father, professional engineer, and precast/GFRC envelope specialist.
Greg Otto | Vice President of Product, Agorus
As Agorus’ Vice President of Product, Greg is charged to position and advance Agorus' housing product line. With a deep understanding of the many voices of the customer, Greg is keen to unlock untapped value within the construction ecosystem and deliver truly transformational (price, quality and performance) housing. Greg has had the opportunity to work with several prominent industry innovators where he has successfully led teams in all areas of the construction value chain. Educated as both architect and engineer, he has been focused on collaborative work across the spectrum of technical disciplines key to construction, and opening up the potential for innovation. His educational journey concluded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering.
Reed Walker | President, iMod Systems
Reed has over 30 years of experience as a general contractor and project manager specializing in modular manufacturing and prefabricated buildings. As a pioneer in the new modern modular pre-fab construction industry, he cofounded M4 Structures, a factory based producer of homes and schools, proving that new techniques offer a more efficient and faster alternative to site-built construction. Prior to founding M4 Structures, he worked with Modtech Holdings to launch and grow their new modular residential group, selling to companies such as Michelle Kaufman Designs and LivingHomes.
He built two of the modern modular industry’s most acclaimed projects: a LivingHome by Ray Kappe (Wired Magazine’s Home of the Year) and a LivingHome by Kerian Timberlake (Builder Magazine’s International Builder’s Show Home in the Las Vegas convention center). Reed served as President of Intermodal Structures for 10 years and was instrumental in the design, development, and refinements to the iMod Building System used at iMod Systems today. He continues to be immersed in ways to extend the system with new technologies making iMod System classrooms the safest, most flexible available.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Plenary Session 7 | 8:30 – 10:00 am
Construction Speed and Building Componentization
Speedcore: Advancements in Efficiency and Resilience of the Modular Shear Wall System
Christopher Raebel, SE, PE, PhD | American Institute of Steel Construction
Raebel served as chair of the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), where he was also director of the Architectural Engineering Program. His areas of expertise include structural engineering, structural mechanics, structural steel design, steel connection analysis and design, robustness in steel-framed structures, floor vibrations due to occupant activities, and engineering education. In 2016, he was one of the first recipients of AISC's (Terry Peshia) Early Career Faculty Award.
Raebel holds a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), a master's in architectural engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and a doctorate in civil engineering from Marquette University. Before he became a teaching professor and applied researcher, Raebel spent 12 years practicing at firms specializing in the design of commercial, residential, and industrial structures.
He's licensed as a professional engineer in Wisconsin, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, and is a licensed structural engineer in Illinois. Raebel is currently the Vice President of Engineering and Research at the American Institute of Steel Construction.
Jeremy Hasselbauer | Senior Associate, Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Jeremy is a Senior Associate who offers a broad range of experience designing mixed-use towers as tall as 80 stories and as large as 2.3 million square feet. As a member of four MKA Technical Specialist Teams-High Rise Structures, Analysis, Wind, and Performance-Based Design-Jeremy offers an enhanced understanding of state-of-the-art design methodologies and technologies related to seismicity and wind, including the real-world application of supplemental damping and Composite Plate Shear Wall (SpeedCore) systems. In addition, he is a member of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, which aims to promote diversity in the global AEC industry.
From Mass Timber to Whole Building Componentization
Lisa Podesto, PE | Construction Innovation Strategist, Black Oak Group
Lisa offers 15 years of market development and construction management experience focused on prefab and modular buildings. She spent the last 7 years with a publicly traded multinational real estate company serving as a nationwide resource for both development and construction operations supporting project scoping, design, and construction phases with the goal of streamlining large scale residential and commercial pipelines and developing a robust supply chain of off-site construction technologies. Prior to that, she spent over a decade supporting the wood industry with design and code expertise on fire/life safety, blast resistance, embodied carbon, life-cycle assessment, and other growing areas of wood innovation. As one of the leading experts in the US on Mass Timber and Industrialized Construction, she sits on several industry and professional advisory boards supporting research and organizations.