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William Gati has over three decades of practice and has demonstrated a genuine value of public service. His compassion to serve the public and communities in the borough of Queens and around the city goes beyond the call of duty. He advocates for the profession to raise awareness and the historical presence architecture has in our communities and how architects transform the public spaces coupled with helping buildings to work better for the public. He served as President of the AIA Queens Chapter in 2005-2006 and was on the board for eight years. He also served as director of the AIANYS Chapter, and while there he continued to be instrumental in advocating for the architecture profession through state and city legislature initiatives.
He has published many articles for the AIA Queens newsletters as well as the AIANY’s Oculus, and AIANYS. He leads AIA Queens historical walking tours committee for the past five years and has been instrumental in many of NYC’s zoning and code reforms, multiple advisory boards and public entities. Besides mentoring CCNY alumni students, he is at career day for CTEA HS in Ozone Park. He served on the Community Board 9 in Queens and is now on the Board of the Richmond Hill Historical Society. |
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Starting off as a self-employed architect, Gino spent countless hours processing applications at the New York City Department of Buildings. As such, Gino had constant interaction with others in his field, and they shared common frustrations with the department. Back then, only a handful of AIA Queens members had the privilege of meeting with the Borough Commissioner to discuss departmental issues. Gino was asked to attend one of these meetings to discuss a matter related to a filling of his. Seeking the benefit of this session, it did not take long for him to join the AIA Queens chapter. He continued to attend the monthly meetings with the Borough Commissioner and voluntarily began distributing meeting minutes to the AIA Queens Chapter. Although it was never easy to make significant changes, he could see how this advocacy helped the profession. As these meetings evolved to a standard with DOB, AIA Queens established an Industry Meeting Committee which Gino has chaired and co-chaired for over 12 years. He also organized and chaired monthly roundtable meetings for AIA Queens members to meet and discuss DOB issues.
Throughout the Years Gino has been involved in a multitude of committees and attended numerous focus groups with the NYC Department of Buildings. He also lobbied for the architectural profession at the annual AIA Grass Roots Conventions. His continued involvement has helped shape the way applicants do business with the Department of Buildings. |
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Throughout her career, Ida has demonstrated and shared her knowledge, passion, and advocacy to the profession early in her career and while as a member of the AIA Brooklyn Chapter since 2006. She has been on AIA Brooklyn’s Board for six years before becoming President for 2014-2015.As a director, she was involved in many committees and spearheaded and editing the Pylon Newsletter, AIA Brooklyn’s newsletter.
As President, she advocated and contributed to the profession in many ways; she established the first Emerging Professional Network Mixer which allowed the chapter to attract young professionals to experience involvement with the chapter successfully, established a collaboration with the AIA Queens chapter to host Hard Hat Tours which involved EPs, students, and architects. Most notable is the co-founding of the AIA Brooklyn + Queens Design Awards program in collaboration with myself and the AIA Queens Chapter. |
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In November of 1961 in Flushing, New York, Werfel & Associates opened their architectural studio. Still, in Flushing, this November 2011, Werfel & Associates will celebrate practicing architecture for 56 years. This firm has designed more than 1 billion dollars in construction value and more than 1000 buildings. Projects as far away as Brazil and as close as their home borough is in their portfolio. Winner of 9 AIA awards and numerous local design awards, their projects range from far away hotel resorts to unique residential projects.
The firm’s portfolio included shopping centers, hotels, multiple dwellings, elegant homes, interior offices, industrial facilities, public parks and office buildings. Over recent years, they began doing special projects for “not for profit” clients, serving the substance abuse treatment community and the developmentally disabled. Their original premise was to bring to this unique part of New York City, an architectural firm that believed quality contemporary design could revive a sense of design in a borough with a “builders” aesthetic sensibility. In 1962 the company became Werfel & Berg and in 1979 continued as Werfel & Associates until 2011 when the firm became Werfel, LoPinto to the present day. They’ve learned that their achievements can be measured one building at a time. Each building they’ve made a contribution to the borough and perhaps to inspire other architects to do so as well. |