5 NJIT architects and designers will share panel at free upcoming talk

Five members of the faculty at NJIT's College of Architecture and Design (COAD) will share their ideas at "Think Pieces" on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. in the COAD Gallery. The public is invited to the free event which promises to provide a good insider's view into the world of architecture and design.

"This promises to be a stimulating and fascinating evening," said COAD Dean Urs Gauchat. "Students will learn more about what their teachers are thinking about, parents will learn about the caliber of the faculty, donors will appreciate the intellectual milieu, faculty will expound to their colleagues, and alumni will be exposed to the extraordinary thinking of faculty."

The faculty presenters, all architects, include associate professor Richard Garber, assistant professors Taro Naraharo, Georgeen Theodore and Andrzej Zarzycki; and university lecturer Jose Acala.

Theodore http://www.njit.edu/news/experts/theodore.php, who is also an urban designer, has participated in and led large-scale projects in the U.S. and internationally. As an associate professor in COAD's School of Architecture, she teaches design studio in both the undergraduate and Master of Infrastructure Planning programs. A key goal in Theodore's work is to bring large-scale design issues and methodologies to the forefront in both programs.

Garber http://www.njit.edu/news/experts/garber.php teaches design studios and directs a unique design and manufacturing laboratory, the FABLAB. His work uses computer simulation and computer numerically-controlled hardware to generate innovative design, construction, and assembly solutions. He is also principal of the New York City architectural firm GRO Architects.

Naraharo, a registered New York architect, teaches digital design studio and courses on gaming and physical computing at NJIT. He won the Peter Rice Prize, the Digital Design Prize, and a REAI Research Grant Award from Harvard University. He has practiced in the United States and Japan and been associated with firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Gluckman Mayner Architects. He has collaborated on award-winning projects including the Mori Arts Center, Hotel Puerta de America in Madrid, and the MoMA Store in New York City.

Zarzycki is a designer and educator who uses digital tools to create experiential architectural spaces. His research focuses on media-based environments and on validation methodologies of generative design through building performance analysis and simulation tools. He is a co-winner of SHIFTboston Ideas Competition 2010 and a co-founder of TUTS (Tremont Underground Theatre Space) (the-tuts.org), a design initiative focusing on innovative adaptations of infrastructure into contemporary public spaces and on the integration of digital technologies into urban life. He has taught at Rhode Island School of Design and received a master of science in Architecture Studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Alcala has more than 20 years experience in both the practical and theoretical areas of the design field. He has designed electronic projects, furniture, exhibitions and even buildings. He holds 10 patents and has received several awards for his architectural and product design work, and maintains a strong alliance to both disciplines. Six years ago he helped found and today still coordinates COAD's Industrial Design Department. This NJIT work relates to private companies that Alcala co-founded to serve industrial, architectural, urban and sustainable design: (Morozov Alcala Design Laboratory LLC (MADLAB), and the Renewable Energy Laboratory LLC (RELAB). He holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from NJIT and a master's degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute.

Provided by New Jersey Institute of Technology