About this Event
How does an energy-efficient, resilient built environment improve the health, safety, and quality of life of the people who use them?
Five professionals from NYSERDA, NYC HPD, NYS HCR, private practice and a former MTA chief architect share strategies from their work for making New York's built environment more equitable and resilient. They discuss what is working, where the obstacles are, and how agencies, designers and communities can build a better city for everyone.
The evening is a working conversation. Short talks and a moderated discussion are followed by roundtables. Each panelist hosts a table to brainstorm and answer questions about programs and projects, how they built their careers, and what paths are open to students and professionals.
Open to architects, engineers, public-sector professionals, students and anyone who wants to help shape New York's future.
Light refreshments and networking to follow.
Speakers:
- Giulia Luci (HPD)
- Sophie Cardona (NYSERDA)
- Nadine Berger, AIA
- Samantha Pearce (HCR)
- Porie Saikia, FAIA
Moderator:
- Patricia Semmler, Assoc. AIA
Speaker Bios:
Giulia Luci is the Director of Sustainability at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), where she manages and advances sustainability strategies across affordable housing development projects. Her work focuses on reducing operational and embodied carbon, improving building and resident health, and integrating equity and resilience into HPD’s design standards, policies, and capital programs. In this role, she works closely with agency leadership and cross-functional teams to translate citywide climate goals into practical requirements for new construction and preservation. Prior to joining HPD, Giulia worked as a sustainability consultant at Steven Winter Associates, supporting multifamily affordable housing projects from design through construction, including on-site inspections and performance verification for high-performance building standards.
Sophie Cardona is a Program Manager at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), where she advances building decarbonization and clean energy initiatives. She has led efforts supporting low-carbon retrofit strategies and has worked closely with building owners, design teams, and public agencies to accelerate the transition to high-performance buildings. Throughout her career at NYSERDA, she has focused on developing practical pathways to reduce energy use, improve building performance, and support New York State's climate goals.
Nadine Berger, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, has practiced architecture for over two decades with renowned New York design firms. Driven by environmental and social responsibility, she focuses on creating an inclusive, sustainable, healthy, and just built environment. Nadine currently co-chairs the AIANY Social Science and Architecture committee and passionately advocates for a circular economy, adaptive reuse, forced-labor-free supply chains, and digital innovation to advance climate solutions. Previously, she served as Sustainability Director and Global Associate at AECOM’s Innovation Laboratory (iLab), where she spearheaded global research initiatives and led the development of scalable digital tools and workflows for decarbonization. Her experience in the field of Architecture includes roles as Project Director and Associate Principal at SHoP Architects, designing and building projects internationally over a decade and a half. Nadine received an MArch from Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. An active educator, she previously led AECOM’s Buildings+Places Global Technical Academy, frequently serves as a university guest critic, and lectures at design conferences nationwide.
Samantha Pearce is the Vice President of Sustainability at NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), where she oversees the States affordable housing Sustainability programs and initiatives, including the Weatherization Assistance Program, the Clean Energy Initiative program, the Climate Friendly Homes Fund, the All-electric Multifamily Program, and aligns and implements agency sustainability standards with the New York State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. She has over fifteen years of experience in the public and private sectors supporting housing, building operators, and owners to reduce utility and stabilize operational costs. Samantha is a LEED AP and has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering.
Porie Saikia, FAIA
A Fellow of AIA and a Fellow of CIOB, Porie Saikia is a Registered Architect in NY, a RIBA Chartered Architect in the UK, and a CIOB Chartered Construction Manager in the UK. Porie is also the International Ambassador of the CIOB—the world's largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership. She has held many positions as president, vice president, advisor, and board member throughout her career both nationally and internationally.
In her 40+ year career in both public and private sectors, locally and globally, Porie has successfully navigated through designing, programming, and managing projects in the built environment and has earned a place at the top level of the industry. She has held professional roles as Managing Director of PRIA Global Inc., Business Vice President of CH2M Hill, USA, and Executive Director of the Asian University of Women Support Foundation. Until 2023, Porie headed MTA NY’s Environmental Sustainability department, where under her leadership in 2020, MTA NY became the first US public transportation organization to have developed and received approval for its climate change targets and the pathway to achieve them by 2050 from the Paris Agreement’s Science Based Target Initiative. In 2024, Porie joined the global consultancy of the MACE Group as its Principal Sustainable Strategist for the Americas.
In addition to mentoring young professionals at AIA, RIBA, CMAA, CIOB, and various educational institutions around the globe, Porie teaches Construction Management in both bachelor's and master's programs at the Pratt Institute of New York as an Associate Professor.
Patricia Semmler, Assoc. AIA is an architectural designer, educator, and founder of PEM Studio, a Brooklyn-based sustainable architectural design practice. She teaches design and building technology at New York City College of Technology (CUNY City Tech). Her work focuses on sustainable design, climate resilience, and the integration of emerging technologies into architectural education. Through practice, teaching, and community engagement, she explores how the built environment can be designed to support a more resilient and equitable future.
Event venue & nearby stays
Voorhees Hall, 186 Jay Street, Brooklyn, United States
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