About

Born in Helsinki in 1987 to a Finnish father and Russian mother.

Learned to draw before he learned to walk.

Once spent an afternoon playing violin in the streets because he didn't have enough cash for an ice cream.

Moved to New York City in 1993 and has dwelled there ever since.

Studied fine arts at LaGuardia High School, architecture at The Cooper Union, and cities & technology at The Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia.

Believes in technique, adaptability, patience, storytelling, that touching cold stone or dry wood will never cease to delight, and that no single person has the power to build a community.

Education

2017-2018
IAAC - Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Master in City & Technology

2005-2010
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art
Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture

New York, NY
B. Arch

2001-2005
LaGuardia High School of Music & Art
New York, NY
Fine Arts Major
High School Diploma

2004-2005
Saturday Program at The Cooper Union:
free art classes for NYC high school students
Classes: sculpture & portfolio preparation

1993-2005
Diller Quaile School of Music
New York, NY
Violin major

Work Experience

2020-Present
AECOM, Buildings + Places
New York
Architect, Design Manager
Global firm with governmental, corporate, and developer clients, focusing on large engineering and infrastructure projects.

2018-2020
PAU (Practice for Architecture & Urbanism)
New York
Project Designer
Versatile, diverse firm focused on cities and the public realm, weaving urban design, beautiful architecture, advocacy, research and more.

2015-2017
H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture
New York
Staff Architect
Highly reputable NYC firm focusing on performing arts projects for institutions, governments, and universities.

2014-2015
Mitchell Kurtz Architect PC
New York
Junior Architect
Firm specializing in performing arts & institutional projects.

2012-2014
Andrew Franz Architect PLLC
New York
Junior Architect
High-end residential projects.

2011-2012
Rockwell Group, LLC
New York
Junior Architectural Designer

Fall 2011
HH Building Consulting & Architecture, PC
New York
Junior Draftsman

Spring 2011
David Ling, Architect
New York
Freelance Designer

Winter 2010
Robert Biviano Architect & Global City Realty
Astoria, Queens
Freelance Draftsman

Fall 2010
James Casebere studio
Brooklyn
Freelance Model Builder

Summer 2009
Alexander Gorlin Architects
New York
Intern Architect

Summer 2006-2008
George Tsypin Opera Factory
Long Island City, Queens
Freelance Designer

Summer 2007
EPR Architects Ltd.
London, UK
Intern Architect

Summer 2006
H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture
New York
Intern Architect

Licensure

2016-Present
Registered Architect, New York State

2010-2011
Completed: Architecture Registration Exams (ARE)

2010
Assoc. AIA

Teaching

2005-2010
Saturday Program at the Cooper Union

"If you want to learn something, teach it."

The Saturday Program was founded in 1968 by Cooper undergraduates with the mission of bringing high school students suffering from deficient art curricula into a college environment and allot them a full day for intensive and thorough development of basic artistic techniques and thinking.
The seven classes: drawing, painting, sculpture, graphics, sound composition, architecture, and portfolio preparation (for seniors only), are led by undergraduates who are put in charge of everything from lesson plans to ordering materials.
The peer-to-peer relationship makes for a stronger bond between teacher and pupil. I owe a great portion of my own thought process to the years I spent teaching.

2005-2006
Office assistance

2006-2008 & 2009-2010
Architecture class

2008-2009
Sound composition class

Saturday Program @ Cooper Union website

Volunteering

January 2020
Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE)
NYC Department of Homeless Services
A one-night canvassing of NYC's public space by hundreds of participants to help establish an accurate count of people sleeping on the streets.

January 2020
A Brush With Kindness
Habitat for Humanity, Harlem, NY
Repainted the common spaces at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Community Center in Harlem.

Summers 2008-2011
Konnarock Crew
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, VA
The Konnarock Crew is the oldest and largest organization of the ATC. Each week throughout the hiking season the crew invites volunteers of every age and background to participate in a trail maintenance project in a specific location anywhere in the Appalachian mountain range.
Crew members must be prepared to get dirty and sweaty.
Tasks include: surveying existing terrain, digging new trail, rehabilitating existing trail, building steps or cribbing out of logs or rocks, building stream crossings, and using a grip hoist.
Konnarock Trail Crew Blog

Summer 2009
Washington Trails Association
North Cascades, WA
A strenuous hike into the beautiful North Cascades readied the crew for a 7-day project involving both rehabilitation and relocation of trail.
WTA.org description of the Meander Meadows / Dishpan Gap hike

Competitions

2014
Guggenheim Helsinki
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Museum for contemporary art

2013
Public Summer: 1st Street Green
SUPERFRONT
Charrette-style competition in The East Village, NYC
***Honorable Mention

2012
Public Summer: Library of Immediacy
SUPERFRONT
Charrette-style competition on Governor's Island, NYC

2011
ONEPRIZE: Water as NYC's 6th Boro
Terreform One

2010
Prospect Park 3rd St Gateway Design Competition,
Park Slope Civic Council
***Runner-Up

2008
Gillette Landmark Design Competition
A sculpture to stand in front of Gillette HQ, Boston

Awards

2005-2010
Full scholarship for Cooper Union's 5-year B.Arch program;
Estimated at $175,000

2005
The Mark Rothko Scholarship
In Memory of Gustave Harrow for Excellence in Art

2005
LaGuardia High School Department Awards
Art history, computer graphics, portfolio

Media, Press

2020
Our Streets, Our Stories (OSOS)
Brooklyn Public Library
Oral histories collected by the Brooklyn Public Library. Interview about my experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2017
¿Qué Le Dirías A Tlaloc? / What Would You Say To Tlaloc?
Wrote, produced, directed, and edited an independent documentary film about Mexico City's water infrastructure.

2017
Arts & Letters Magazine, Georgia College
The Architect Gets Grandfathered
Short Fiction

2017
CLOGxGUNS, an online periodical
Wildcat (Ballistics Report)
Short Fiction

2016
Construction Matters, by Georg Windeck; powerHouse Books
Brick; Alvar Aalto's Experimental House; Muuratsalo, Finland
Architectural Photography

2015
As Seen On [], short story competition hosted by Urban Omnibus
Lights Up, Bitches
Short Fiction

2015
Re:Public, Zagreb Rooms student workshop, Zagreb University, Croatia
Soma
Short Fiction

2013 - Present
Satellite Collective, Transmission IV & V
Web Design Director of online periodical

November 2010
Park Slope Civic Council; Civic News
Winning entries for the Prospect Park 3rd St Gateway Design Competition

May 2010
Architecture at Cooper Newsletter
"2:09-10"
Thesis synopsis

April 2009
The Pioneer, 150th Anniversary Special Edition, The Cooper Union
Based On Actual Events (The Break-In)
Short Fiction

April 29th - May 31st, 2004
Trygve Lie Gallery - Meeting Place 6 (Press Release)
The 6th Annual Art Exhibit By Scandinavian Students Living In North America

Skills

Design:
AutoCAD
Rhino 3D
Grasshopper
Revit
SketchUp
3DS Max
Adobe Creative Suite

Programming:
Python
SQL
QGIS
Arduino
Processing

Craft:
Model making
Drawing
Architectural Drafting
Photography

Languages

Native:
English, Russian, Finnish

Studied:
Spanish, French, German