Holly St. Clair views technology as a tool for innovation. As the Chief Digital Officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, she developed the Digital Service and Data Office and repositioned the state’s website. Now, she is leading a team of 16 architects, programmers, and product developers as Sasaki’s first Chief Technology Officer, responsible for that Boston-based firm’s advancements in technology through the design process.
She brings to her new job 13 years’ experience working for Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council, first with its MetroData Center and then as Director of Data Services. St. Clair was recognized recently by American Business Journals as one of the country’s “100 Influencers to Watch.”
St. Clair tells BD+C that there is a “mentality shift” at Sasaki that prioritizes computational design as well as Virtual and Augmented Reality tools that “add value” to projects.
Ellen Mitchell-Kozack is LEO A DALY's Chief Sustainability Officer, a new position for that firm. Image: LEO A DALY.
LEO A DALY has chosen as its first Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Mitchell-Kozack, AIA, LEED BD+C, WELL AP, SEED, where she is also a Vice President. Mitchell-Kovack will be based in Dallas.
Previously, Mitchell-Kozack was Senior VP and Director of Sustainability for HKS, where she founded Citizen HKS, an initiative that levered sustainable design to address humanitarian needs. She also managed the certifications of more than 60 LEED projects worldwide.
In 2015, BD+C recognized Mitchell-Kozack as one of its 40 under 40 leaders. Three years later, Boutique Design named her as one of its “Heroes and Mavericks.”
“As designers of the built environment, we have a responsibility to address the environmental and social impacts of our work. LEO A DALY is committed to deepening our commitment to the world’s most pressing environmental and social issues. I’m excited to be involved in leveraging the firm’s integrated design expertise to affect positive change,” she said in a prepared statement.
Related Stories
Engineers | Feb 20, 2024
An engineering firm traces its DEI journey
Top-to-bottom buy-in has been a key factor in SSOE Group’s efforts to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive in its hiring, mentoring, and benefits.
Building Tech | Feb 20, 2024
Construction method featuring LEGO-like bricks wins global innovation award
A new construction method featuring LEGO-like bricks made from a renewable composite material took first place for building innovations at the 2024 JEC Composites Innovation Awards in Paris, France.
Codes and Standards | Feb 20, 2024
AISC, AIA release second part of design assist guidelines for the structural steel industry
The American Institute of Steel Construction and AIA Contract Documents have released the second part of a document intended to provide guidance for three common collaboration strategies.
Student Housing | Feb 19, 2024
UC Law San Francisco’s newest building provides student housing at below-market rental rates
Located in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and Civic Center neighborhoods, UC Law SF’s newest building helps address the city’s housing crisis by providing student housing at below-market rental rates. The $282 million, 365,000-sf facility at 198 McAllister Street enables students to live on campus while also helping to regenerate the neighborhood.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
UL Solutions launches indoor environmental quality verification designation for building construction projects
UL Solutions recently launched UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for New Construction, an indoor environmental quality verification designation for building construction projects.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
Nine states pledge to transition to heat pumps for residential HVAC and water heating
Nine states have signed a joint agreement to accelerate the transition to residential building electrification by significantly expanding heat pump sales to meet heating, cooling, and water heating demand. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by directors of environmental agencies from California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
Oregon, California, Maine among states enacting policies to spur construction of missing middle housing
Although the number of new apartment building units recently reached the highest point in nearly 50 years, construction of duplexes, triplexes, and other buildings of from two to nine units made up just 1% of new housing units built in 2022. A few states have recently enacted new laws to spur more construction of these missing middle housing options.
Green | Feb 15, 2024
FEMA issues guidance on funding for net zero buildings
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently unveiled new guidance on additional assistance funding for net zero buildings. The funding is available for implementing net-zero energy projects with a tie to disaster recovery or mitigation.
Hospital Design Trends | Feb 14, 2024
Plans for a massive research hospital in Dallas anticipates need for child healthcare
Children’s Health and the UT Southwestern Medical Center have unveiled their plans for a new $5 billion pediatric health campus and research hospital on more than 33 acres within Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District.
Architects | Feb 13, 2024
Pierluca Maffey joins Carrier Johnson + Culture as new Firmwide Head of Design
Carrier Johnson + Culture (CJ+C) has hired Pierluca “Luca” Maffey, International Assoc. AIA, as the firm's new Firmwide Head of Design and Design Principal.
