About Us

Pylon is a publication by AIA Brooklyn dedicated to the advancement of architecture, design, and urbanism. Our mission is to disseminate knowledge, ideas and information to the greater design community.

Our Team

President and Editor in Chief

Marshall Shuster, AIA

Immediate Past President & Editor

Sarah G. Drake, AIA

Editor

Tom Klaber, AIA

Contact Us

MAILING
PO Box 23513, Brooklyn, NY 11202

Telephone
718.797.4242

Editorial Questions/Submissions
pylon@aiabrooklyn.org

Featured Event

BKEP “Ask Me Anything:” Parallel Pathways

Nov 13, 2025 • 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm • AIA Brooklyn + BKEP

FXCollaborative
235 Duffield Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Exploring Nontraditional Careers in Architecture
Marketing | Leadership | Medicine | Mentoring

AIA Brooklyn’s Emerging Professionals Committee invites you to join six dynamic professionals as they share how architectural training can lead to unexpected and impactful career paths – from government and medicine to construction strategy, academia, and entrepreneurship. This panel explores how design thinking, technical expertise, and curiosity can redefine what it means to “practice” architecture today.

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2025 BKDA: Brooklyn Design Awards Celebration + Holiday Gala

Dec 8, 2025 • 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm • AIA Brooklyn

501 Union
501 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

Festive and fun, the Brooklyn Design Awards Celebration and Holiday Gala is back this December.
Celebrating the high caliber of design in Brooklyn, AIA Brooklyn’s Brooklyn Design Awards recognize exceptional designs by Brooklyn architects anywhere and architecture in Brooklyn by architects from anywhere.
Projects receiving awards have been rigorously reviewed by an invited technical panel for sustainability and resilience as well as an invited design panel of leading industry professionals. Each award recipient will represent the highest standard of excellence in each category.

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Upcoming Event

November

Women in Architecture Regional Celebration: One Night, Seven AIA Chapters

Nov 10, 2025 • 6:15 pm - 8:30 pm

Cannon Design
300 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017

For the first time ever, Women in Architecture leaders and members from seven AIA New York chapters—Brooklyn, Bronx, Long Island, New York, Peconic, Queens, and Westchester + Hudson Valley—are coming together under one roof. This isn’t just another networking night. It’s the launch of a united voice for women in our profession—a chance to connect, collaborate, and shape the future we envision.

Imagine the energy of architects and designers from around New York State meeting face-to-face, sharing ideas, and building a network that spans the entire region. In one evening, you’ll meet chapter leaders from Women in Architecture Committees, exchange strategies, and take part in interactive groups designed to spark relationships that can shape your career for years to come.

Don’t just hear about this moment later—be in the room when it begins. Join us and be part of the story as we lay the foundation for the next evolution of Women in Architecture in New York State and beyond!

Speakers:
AIA Bronx WIA Co-chairs:
Sara Jazayeri, AIA
Leila Pena, AIA

Brooklyn WIA Co-chairs:
Alice Allan, AIA
Gemma Devesa Gasco, AIA

AIA Long Island WIA Co-chairs:
Graciela Carrillo, FAIA
Ebru Hunter, Assoc. AIA

AIA New York WIA Co-chairs:
Wells Megalli, AIA
Rosalind Tsang, AIA

AIA Peconic WIA Co-chairs:
Lori Beppu, AIA
Maria Fumai Dietrich, AIA

AIA Queens WIA:
Jacqueline Velez, AIA

AIA Westchester + Hudson Valley WIA:
Carol Kurth, FAIA, ASID

Organized by

AIANY Women in Architecture Committee

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Passive House Tour at 475 Building Supply

Nov 11, 2025 • 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm • AIA Brooklyn COTE

475 High Performance Building Supply
369 Warren Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Join AIA Brooklyn’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) for a guided tour of 475’s Passive House-certified HQ office in Brooklyn, offering a firsthand look at how deep energy retrofits and modern design can come together to create comfortable, beautiful, and sustainable spaces.

See firsthand how 475’s own Brooklyn workspace puts Passive House principles into practice within an existing masonry building. The space showcases continuous insulation strategies, meticulous airtight detailing, and balanced ventilation with heat recovery. Featuring Lamilux triple-pane skylights that fill the office with natural light, Pro Clima air and vapor control membranes, and Brink energy recovery ventilation, it’s a living example of high-performance design in action.

Following the tour, the 475 team will dive deeper into retrofitting historic masonry buildings for high performance through a presentation that discusses lessons learned, enclosure detailing, and the evolving toolkit of products and design strategies enabling low-carbon renovations.

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On the Menu webinar: Lighting Controls 101

Nov 13, 2025 • 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm • AIA Brooklyn

ZOOM webinar

Join AIA Brooklyn for this live webinar by Crescendo Designs and Lutron.

This presentation will identify the range of lighting control options available today, from traditional switching to an array of dimming technologies and advanced smart lighting controls.

Our presenters will provide us with a clear understanding of how and where to deploy each of these technologies alongside spelling out the energy-efficiency and cost-savings of smart lighting. We will investigate the design considerations for incorporating lighting control into new builds as well as renovations, and we will learn about how these lighting control systems are integrated with other smart home systems such as HVAC, shading and security.

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BKEP “Ask Me Anything:” Parallel Pathways

Nov 13, 2025 • 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm • AIA Brooklyn + BKEP

FXCollaborative
235 Duffield Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Exploring Nontraditional Careers in Architecture
Marketing | Leadership | Medicine | Mentoring

RSVP

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Future-Proofing Housing: East vs West Coast

Nov 18, 2025 • 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm • AIA Brooklyn

Van Alen Institute, 303 Bond Street Brooklyn, NY 11231

Join AIA Brooklyn’s new Housing Committee this fall for a three-event series on social housing. Connect with experts and peers to explore how design can foster healthier, more inclusive, and affordable communities for all.

Tuesday, October 28 – What Would a Social Housing Development Authority in NYS Mean for Design? (1.5 LU|HSW)
Tuesday, November 18 – Future-Proofing Housing: East vs West Coast (1.5 LU|HSW)
Wednesday, November 19 – Rethinking the Shape of the City: Single Stair Reform in Multifamily Housing (1.5 LU|HSW)

If you are interested in being involved in the Housing Committee, please fill out this survey.

Future-Proofing Housing: East vs West Coast

What can architects learn from coast-to-coast approaches to designing housing that endures—and thrives—in the face of climate, health, social and affordability challenges? This conversation brings together leading voices advancing high- performance multifamily projects centered on resiliency, passive survivability, healthy
materials, and community well-being.

Hear from Michael Eliason (Larch Lab, Seattle), Sophie Nahrmann (Studio Luz Architects, Boston), and Heather McKinstry (Dattner Architects, NYC) as they share insights on prefabrication, Passive building innovation, and the creation of vibrant, climate-adaptive housing. We will cross-compare government agencies’ efforts and policy incentives in their respective cities and states to address affordability and the housing crisis.

Moderated by Julie Torres Moskovitz, AIA

Tuesday, November 18
6:30 – 8:30 PM
Van Alen Institute
303 Bond St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
1.5 AIA LU|HSW

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Rethinking the Shape of the City: SingleStair Reform in Multifamily Housing

Nov 19, 2025 • 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm • AIA Brooklyn and CityTech

CityTech Voorhees Hall
186 Jay Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Tuesday, October 28 – What Would a Social Housing Development Authority in NYS Mean for Design? (1.5 LU|HSW)
Tuesday, November 18 – Future-Proofing Housing: East vs West Coast (1.5 LU|HSW)
Wednesday, November 19 – Rethinking the Shape of the City: Single Stair Reform in Multifamily Housing (1.5 LU|HSW)

If you are interested in being involved in the Housing Committee, please fill out this survey.

Rethinking the Shape of the City: Single Stair Reform in Multifamily Housing

What if a simple change to the building code could transform how we design and experience housing in New York? This timely conversation examines how single-stair reform could enable more livable, light-filled multifamily buildings—reshaping urban density while enhancing community and design quality.

Hear from Michael Eliason (Larch Lab, Seattle), a national voice on single-stair reform and author of Building for People; Jonathan Molloy (So–IL, Brooklyn), whose work with Tankhaus explores innovative housing typologies; and Stephen Smith (Center for Building in North America), leading zoning initiatives around single-stair, elevators, and more.

Moderated by Julie Torres Moskovitz, AIA

Wednesday, November 19
6:30 – 8:30 PM
City Tech Vorhees Hall
186 Jay Street, Brooklyn
1.5 AIA LU|HSW

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December

2025 BKDA: Brooklyn Design Awards Celebration + Holiday Gala

Dec 8, 2025 • 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm • AIA Brooklyn

501 Union
501 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

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