Hear from Hong Kong-born Bill Hung, AIA; Senegal native Aby Mariani, Associate AIA; and Iranian-born Suzan Borazjani about their paths to the profession and how their international backgrounds shape their perspectives and how they practice, as well as the realities, risk and rewards of a career in design and architecture today, particularly for immigrants and expat practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The panel will also share best practices for each career stage including, licensure, advanced education, networking, community involvement, advocacy, mentorship, leadership coaching and others. This candid, cross-generational conversation on shared experiences, challenges overcome and lessons learned will appeal to anyone with an entrepreneurial approach, a success mindset and a pioneering spirit.

German-American Elisabeth Sporer, an architect, business strategy consultant and leadership coach will moderate.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion, participant will be able to

1. feel engaged and empowered to help shape future practice
2. either create or refine their career roadmap
3. identify best practices as well as resources for professional development
4. implement short-term tactics for personal growth and development

About the Moderator

Elisabeth Sporer, AIA, LEED AP, CIC
Principal
SO-arch

Elisabeth is an architect, business strategy consultant and leadership coach. Her multi-faceted professional experience spans design and architecture to business strategy, business operations and practice management in her native Germany and in the US for firms such as EHDD, SMWM and STUDIOS, among others. She holds a Master of Science in Advanced Architecture Design from Columbia University in New York, as well as a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Architecture, both from TU Berlin and is an Adjunct Professor [Professional Practice] at the California College of Arts in San Francisco.

About the Presenters

Suzan Borazjani
Designer
EHDD

Suzan is a designer at EHDD, well-known for sustainable design advocacy. She previously worked at Studios Architecture on workspace projects that emphasized sustainability and the human + nature relationship. Projects include Marin Country Day School extension, North America’s first zero-energy classroom building; Da Vinci Science City masterplan; and UC San Diego’s Design and Innovation Building. Suzan received her Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture from University of Arizona with a design and energy conservation focus. Her thesis combined emerging strategies for incorporating environmentally responsive architecture, innovative material use, and the deformation processes embedded within Salton Sea.

Bill S.Y. Hung, AIA
Project Manager
Ballast Investment / Halyard Inc.

Bill’s curiosity keeps leading him down entrepreneurial paths. He has a passion for the idea of being a designer / builder / developer that connects people with beautiful environments and spaces. Born in Hong Kong he came to study abroad in the US and in Scandinavia and obtained a bachelor’s degree in architecture from CAL. Bill started his career in the Bay Area in a large firm [HOK], followed by an in-depth career development in mid-sized firms and as of recently a design-build-investment start-up firm while at the same time acting as designer-builder on his own projects backed by a top financial institution. Bill has exceptional skills in leading and managing teams. Throughout his career, he has overseen numerous complex residential, institutional and mixed-use projects including Lifelong Pinole Medical Clinic and Sunnyvale Town Center.

Aby Mariani, Associate AIA
Designer
Pyatok Architects

Aby is an architectural associate based in the Bay Area. Originally from Dakar, Senegal, Aby obtained her B-Arch from California College of the Arts, and she is working at Pyatok mostly on mixed-use housing projects. Elements of her job and profession she enjoys the most include problem solving through design and space planning. In addition, she loves the opportunity to positively impact others’ lives with architecture. She is particularly interested in understanding and approaching Building Design from an interior architecture and design perspective.