Design Tech Meetup: Empowering Women in BIM: Collaborative Partnerships within a Global Company
<< All Events
Design Tech Meetup: Empowering Women in BIM: Collaborative Partnerships within a Global Company
Presenters
Angela Bachetti
Southwest Regional Design Technology Manager / Gensler
Professional with over 15+ years of experience using CAD and BIM software as well as 12 years experience on projects of various practice areas. Holds a Master's degree in Architecture and Bachelor of Education and has taught at the post secondary level for 5+ years. Brings passion for software, architecture and teaching to her role here at Gensler. She is currently part of the Regional Design Technology Team in the Southwest region of the U.S., where she uses her talents and passions to train and mentor users throughout the region. She first started as a BIM Manager for the Northeast region. She supports the SW region on software and implementation of settings and standards. Organizes, implements and facilitates Design Technology presentations on a weekly basis, as well as onboarding new hires.
Argelia Barcena
Northwest Regional Design Technology Manager / Gensler
Argelia Bárcena holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and an Executive Education Certificate from Harvard Graduate School of Design. She is a Regional Design Technology Manager at Gensler, where her role covers the Northwest Region (US and Canada). Leading process, people, and technology throughout the region while driving digital transformation of project delivery practices.  With 20+ years of experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction field, she has worked for several architecture firms throughout her career, including global firms. She has also served as adjunct faculty for three colleges/universities in San Francisco and has authored two books on the topic of Building Information Modeling. Argelia has been a speaker for the AIA San Francisco Chapter, USC BIM Symposium, and Autodesk University for which she earned a Top Speaker Award in 2022. She has also served as an exam writer for Autodesk's Revit Certified Professional Exam. An architecture graduate, her career started off in a typical path of designing spaces and buildings and halfway through her career it pivoted towards design technology given her highly technical skills and interests.
Dolly Haardt
Southeast Regional Design Technology Manager / Gensler
Dolly Haardt holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of Art and Design, Alfred University and a Master of Architecture degree from Rhode Island School of Design. Currently, Dolly serves as a Regional Design Technology Manager for the Southeast Region at Gensler, a leading global architecture and design firm. In this role, she brings her skills to teams, focusing on data capture using scanners and drones, BIM health and task automation, and most importantly, design resilience. She works closely with project teams to provide analysis tools that streamline project processes and improve efficiency. Dolly's 20+ years of experience took off when she moved to New York City after graduation and worked with renowned firms such as the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Acconci Studio, and Gruzen-Sampton Architects, where she was involved in all aspects of project development, from concept to construction. Her experience working with these firms helped her develop a keen interest in the impact technology makes in the field of architecture. Dolly subsequently took a significant step in her career, working directly with an Autodesk reseller to teach technology solutions to architects and engineers, focusing on BIM, energy analysis, and 3D printing. This experience sparked her interest in gaining a deeper understanding of building and fabrication. She seized the opportunity to become a Production Manager in a Metal Fabrication shop, where she implemented ERP software and cobots for automation. This experience gave her a better understanding of the impact of technology in dynamic workflows. Dolly's expertise and experience continue to make her an invaluable asset to the architecture and design industry.
Moderator
Dave Alpert, FAIA
CEO and Co-Founder, Geopogo AR+
Dave is an award-winning architect now leading the development of Geopogo’s AR Instantly software for design and construction.  In his career as an architect, Dave worked on project design teams for major commercial and institutional buildings in the Bay Area for the local offices of SOM, Gensler, and other firms. After earning an MBA mid-career, he worked on the owner’s side coaching design and construction teams on $10 billion of projects around the country for Kaiser Permanente. Dave leads the monthly meetings for the AIASF Design Tech Knowledge Community.
