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LEO A DALY Architects : Architecture Practice

International architecture, planning, engineering, interior design & program management company

post updated January 4, 2025

LEO A DALY News

Mar 2, 2021
LEO A DALY promotes Kristina Crawley, AIA, to vice president, global commercial practice leader

After five years leading the Washington, D.C., studio’s commercial and workplace design team, Crawley steps into a firmwide role

(WASHINGTON – March 2, 2021) – LEO A DALY, the international planning, architecture, engineering and interiors firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Kristina Crawley, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, to vice president, global commercial practice leader. In this role, Crawley will lead firm’s commercial and workplace design practice in all matters of business strategy, client management and design delivery worldwide. She is based in Washington, D.C.

photo courtesy of architecture practice

Crawley is an architect with 17 years of experience leading complex commercial mixed-use, hospitality, retail, restaurant and workplace projects in North America, Asia and the Middle East. Since 2016, she has served as commercial market sector leader for the Washington, D.C., studio, specializing in the design of vibrant, sustainable communities that adapt well to changing social and economic conditions.

Crawley is an enthusiastic supporter of women in architecture and planning, a mentor to emerging design professionals and a respected voice in the commercial real estate industry. She is a frequent speaker and published author on topics including placemaking, architectural responses to climate change, post-disaster reconstruction, and pandemic impacts to commercial development and the workplace, sharing expertise in professional forums such as the Urban Land Institute, AIA national conferences and DesignDC.

“Kristina’s depth and breadth of knowledge in the rapidly changing commercial market make her a valuable resource to LEO A DALY design teams and our clients. She has a special ability to understand and forecast trends in the commercial sector, and a presence in the market that clients trust. I am very excited to continue to work with Kristina as we grow in this market,” said LEO A DALY President Steve Lichtenberger.

“Commercial real estate is at the cusp of an exciting transformation as developers look for innovative ways to respond to the pandemic and revitalize cities. LEO A DALY’s expertise across a wide variety of markets puts us in the perfect position to leverage the complicated mix of influences at play in this new environment. The design work we’re doing today will impact future generations,” said Crawley.

LEO A DALY is an industry leader in commercial and workplace design, ranked 16th among U.S. architecture firms by Architectural Record. Recent commercial and workplace projects from the firm include the 20 Massachusetts Avenue mixed-use development in the District of Columbia, the multiple-award-winning Capital One Café in Georgetown, PGA Headquarters in West Palm Beach Florida, and Carson Wealth Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.

Feb 26, 2021

LEO A DALY Promotion News

LEO A DALY promotes Daniel Yudchitz, AIA, to director of design

image courtesy of architecture practice

The AIA Minnesota Young Architect Award winner believes in impactful design that transcends project limitations

(MINNEAPOLIS – February 25, 2021) – LEO A DALY, the international planning, architecture, engineering and interior design firm, is pleased to announce that Daniel Yudchitz, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, has been promoted to the position of director of design of the Minneapolis studio. In this role he leads the studio in all matters of design strategy, project vision, culture and implementation.

“Service is inherent to who Dan is and how he sees his role in the world. His design sensitivity is personal, intimate and responsive to environmental, cultural and societal conditions. This resonates with our LEO A DALY value system,” said Managing Principal Cindy McCleary, AIA. “For Dan, whether through traditional design or by swinging a hammer on weekends, design responsibility and community service is his vehicle for exploring and impacting the world. In this advanced role, Dan will expand his thoughtful approach to design across our studio and be a critical voice of our design practice in the world.”

Yudchitz has 18 years of experience designing projects of all scales. His approach is rooted in the belief that architecture is about allocating resources strategically to achieve maximum impact. Creating meaningful architectural expression within the boundaries of time and budget, while discovering opportunities for design impact that transcend those limitations, is key to his philosophy.

He joined LEO A DALY in 2017 as senior design architect and has since led the design of projects for public and private clients locally and nationwide. He focuses on creating aspirational designs that reinforce a client’s mission and enhances building functionality in a sustainable, economical and impactful manner. His work has been awarded both locally and nationally.

Yudchitz is an active member of the American Institute of Architects Minnesota and is a 2020 recipient of the AIA Minnesota Young Architects Award. He contributes design mentorship an architecture portfolio reviewer and design studio critic at the University of Minnesota and as a design critic at the Dunwoody Institute. He has served as board member of the Summit-University Planning Council and as committee chair for the neighborhood development committee. He shares thought leadership through frequent publications, speaking engagements and participation in industry groups.
The Minneapolis studio of LEO A DALY is one of the city’s oldest and most respected architecture offices, first established in 1917, and responsible for iconic buildings such as Foshay Tower (1929) and the Minneapolis Post Office (1934). Today it is a growing practice with approximately 90 design professionals.

Current and recent projects from the studio include the Hennepin County Medical Examiners Facility; Minnesota National Guard Arden Hills Readiness Center; Allina Cancer Institute; Second Harvest Heartland; HERO Public Safety Training Center; Minnesota Historical Society’s Historic Fort Snelling Renovations and Visitors Center; and Toro Company Headquarters Expansion.

Feb 2, 2021

LEO A DALY Los Angeles

Amy Jakubowski leads LEO A DALY’s Los Angeles hospitality studio

Amy Jakubowski is an award-winning interior designer with 28 years of experience in design and business development leadership

image courtesy of architects practice

LOS ANGELES – LEO A DALY, the global planning, architecture, engineering and interiors firm, is pleased to announce the hire of interior designer Amy Jakubowski, IIDA, ISHC, LEED AP. As director of interior design, Jakubowski now leads the firm’s hospitality design studio in Los Angeles.

Jakubowski is an award-winning design executive with over 28 years of experience as a leader, designer, director and business development partner. Her diverse experience includes mixed-use developments, hotel repositionings and renovations, new builds, restaurants, residential, retail and corporate offices, including the development of brand prototypes and guidelines. She has been responsible for annual design revenues in excess of $10M, and construction project budgets ranging from $25M to $500M. She has worked successfully with major hotel brands including Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, St. Regis, Fairmont, Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton, Peninsula, Langham, Viceroy and IHG.

Jakubowski’s design work has been published in Interior Design, Boutique Design, Sleeper, Hospitality Design, Contract, Metropolis, and recognized with Gold Key and IIDA Lester Dunes Awards. She has also been named as one of Hotel Management’s Top 30 Most Influential Women in Hospitality, and been a contributing author to industry publications and a reoccurring speaker at industry conferences. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where she received a BFA in interior design.

“We are excited to welcome Amy to the talented LEO A DALY team. Amy has proven her expertise in the hospitality sector throughout her impressive career and we look forward to utilizing her design leadership to further strengthen our portfolio of awarding-winning hospitality design to better serve our clients,” said Mark Pratt, global hospitality practice leader.

LEO A DALY is an industry leader in hospitality design, ranked 5th among architects and designers by Hotel Business in 2020. The firm earned $20.9 million in fees in 2019, and completed projects for Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel (Omaha, Nebraska), Hotel del Coronado (Coronado, California) and Embassy Suites San Rafael (San Rafael, California).

24 June 2020

Chia-Lung Chang

Chia-Lung Chang joins LEO A DALY as Director of Planning and Urban Design

Chia-Lung Chang joins LEO A DALY as Director of Planning and Urban Design

The architect and planner brings 20 years of experience to lead planning for the global design firm

photo courtesy of architects

LEO A DALY, LEO A DALY, the global planning, architecture, engineering and interiors firm, is pleased to announce that Chia-Lung Chang, AIA, has joined as vice president, director of planning and urban design. In this role, he will work closely with executive and studio leadership to develop and execute strategic direction for the firm’s global planning and urban design practice. He is based out of LEO A DALY’s Washington, D.C., design studio.

Read a short interview with Chai on urban quality of life post-pandemic: https://leoadaly.com/perspectives/how-will-quality-of-life-in-cities-change-post-pandemic/

International masterplanning experience
Chia joins LEO A DALY after 20 years with Gensler, where he led the firm’s South-East Region Planning and Urban Design practice. He is an expert at managing and designing complex projects that require big picture, resource-driven solutions. His planning and urban design portfolio encompasses work across the globe, including a new resource-efficient desert city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a financial district in Malaysia that balances high-density mixed use with natural open space, and a self-sufficient community in Nigeria that blends local traditions with twenty-first-century innovation, and a climate-sensitive mixed-use development in Qatar that is walkable and activated day and night.

An award-winning planner and architect, Chia is widely recognized for the forward-looking leadership he brings to his work and regularly speaks and lectures on smart cities, quality of life, and long-term sustainability in the built environment.
“Chia brings the unique experience of building an international center of excellence in planning and urban design and leading multiple studios to collaborate on large, high-profile projects all over the world. His holistic view, dedication to integrated design and focus on adding value for clients makes him the perfect fit to lead our global planning and urban design practice,” said President Steven Lichtenberger, AIA.

Strategic growth for LEO A DALY
The hire is part of a strategic investment in expanding the firm’s integrated design capabilities. Under the leadership of Lichtenberger, who joined the firm in 2018, LEO A DALY has focused on aligning resources to deliver best-in-class design and thought leadership as a seamless global practice. Significant changes include an expansion of the firm’s federal design group; the appointment of firmwide leaders in sustainability, engineering, education, hospitality, and talent development; and the appointment of Global Design Principals Irena Savakova, RIBA, and Dennis McFadden, FAIA.

“A vertically oriented, integrated design approach enables LEO A DALY to deliver progressive, meaningful solutions to our clients’ needs, anywhere in the world. As we enter our second century as a firm, we’re committed to creating a design platform that will drive excellence and innovation for the next 100 years,” Lichtenberger said.

Feb 27, 2020

Ellen Mitchell-Kozack

Ellen Mitchell-Kozack joins LEO A DALY as Chief Sustainability Officer

She is a nationally recognized voice in sustainability and public interest design

LEO A DALY, the global planning, architecture, engineering and interiors firm, is pleased to announce that Ellen Mitchell-Kozack, AIA, LEED BD+C, WELL AP, SEED, has joined the firm as vice president, chief sustainability officer.

photo courtesy of architects

In this role, she leads LEO A DALY’s strategic initiatives in sustainable design worldwide, including Environmental Social & Governance, alignment with the UN Global Compact and Sustainable Development Goals, carbon footprint assessment and social impact. She is based in the firm’s Dallas, Texas, design studio.

Get to know Ellen in this short video:
Redefining design excellence | Ellen Mitchell-Kozack joins LEO A DALY from LEO A DALY on Vimeo.

Mitchell-Kozack is a nationally recognized voice in sustainability and public interest design. As senior vice president, director of sustainability at HKS, she led the firm’s DesignGreen studio and founded Citizen HKS, an impact initiative focused on leveraging sustainable design to address growing humanitarian needs of communities around the world. She has managed certification of more than 60 LEED projects worldwide, totaling $2.8 billion in construction, including 50 United Nations Plaza in San Francisco and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD.

Mitchell-Kozack is co-chair of the American Institute of Architects’ Large Firm Roundtable Sustainability Group. She was named one of several “Heroes and Mavericks” by Boutique Design in 2018, a BD+C 40 Under 40 winner in 2015 and has won Emerging Leader Awards from AIA Dallas (2012) and the Design Futures Council (2013). Her work has been featured in Dezeen, Fast Company, Architectural Digest and Designboom. She has spoken at Greenbuild (2018), NeoCon (2018), AIA National Convention (2017) and SXSW Eco (2015).

“I’m excited to welcome Ellen Mitchell-Kozack as chief sustainability officer. Ellen applies a humanitarian and environmental lens to architecture that will benefit our clients, the communities we live in and the future of our planet,” said LEO A DALY President Steven Lichtenberger, AIA.

“As designers of the built environment, we have a responsibility to address the environmental and social impacts of our work. LEO A DALY is committed to deepening our commitment to the world’s most pressing environmental and social issues. I’m excited leverage the firm’s integrated design expertise to affect positive change,” said Mitchell-Kozack.

Nov 13, 2017
Intelligence Community Campus-Bethesda, Merriweather Park, Symphony Woods, Columbia, MD, USA

image courtesy of architects
Intelligence Community Campus-Bethesda Building
The Intelligence Community Campus (ICC-B) in Bethesda, Maryland is the recipient of a 2017 Design-Build Merit Award, given by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).

Nov 21, 2016

Florida Architecture Awards News

LEO A DALY Sweeps Florida Architecture Awards

Design practice receives Firm of the Year, two design awards for architecture, and a Gold Medal for distinguished individual

(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. and MIAMI) The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Palm Beach has named LEO A DALY Firm of the Year, honored two of the firm’s South Florida projects with Design Excellence Awards, and recognized Ignacio Reyes, AIA, with a Gold Medal Award.

The AIA Firm of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement in design, community services, education, and service to the profession and the AIA by an architectural firm with projects, accomplishments and service over a period of at least 10 years.

LEO A DALY, an international firm with offices in Miami and West Palm Beach, has been a significant contributor to the culture and identity of South Florida for almost 50 years. Recent notable projects including Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering, Palm Beach State College Public Safety, and the Palm Beach County convention center.

“We are grateful to the AIA for the honor of being named as the Firm of the Year. It serves as recognition of our dedicated staff of professionals and their commitment to excellence built upon our culture of service and quality,” said Bill Hanser, AIA, Managing Principal of the West Palm Beach office.

Two architectural projects heavy on innovation received Design & Honor awards shared by the West Palm Beach and Miami offices.

The recently completed Emergent Technologies Institute (ETI) at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers earned the Design Excellence Award of Merit – Civic Institutional. The first completed project in a master-planned Innovation Hub development, ETI pairs university students and and private-sector researchers in the incubation of green technologies.

“ETI marries cutting-edge lab design with modern creative pedagogy, encouraging the cross-pollination of diverse perspectives that is crucial for new ideas to grow,” said Ron Wiendl, AIA, Director of Design for LEO A DALY West Palm Beach.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Innovation Center, currently under construction in Miami, received an Unbuilt Award of Merit – Non-Residential. The Innovation Center is designed to increase the velocity of design for the cruise giant through virtual reality simulation and a collaborative workplace design.

“This is truly a state-of-the-art facility. A three-story virtual-reality simulator will allow Royal Caribbean’s New Build group to rapidly innovate by studying a virtual 3D model of their cruise-ships in an immersive, 360-degree environment,” said Rafael Sixto, AIA, Managing Principal for LEO A DALY Miami.

Jury comments said, “The clarity and strength of the initial design sketch was riveting. The interior is striking and contemporary, and the design of the refueling area is particularly noteworthy.”

The Gold Medal Award for Ignacio Reyes, AIA, Director of Business Development, recognizes his profound impact on the profession over an extended period of time. It is the highest award that AIA Palm Beach can bestow on a member.

14 Jun 2016
LEO A DALY Appoints Global Education Practice Leader

Stephen Wright, AIA, vice president, has been appointed to lead LEO A DALY’s global Education design practice. Rick Thompson Jr., AIA, has joined the firm as vice president, stepping in for Wright as managing principal for the Washington D.C. office.

Stephen Wright, AIA:

Rick Thompson Jr., AIA:

As education practice leader, design principal, Wright will direct LEO A DALY’s continuum of education planning and design services, which supports higher-education and K-12 institutions in solving complex programming, planning, architectural, and interiors challenges in support of improved student outcomes and enhanced campus life. He will continue to be based in the Washington D.C. office, which has been named as the firm’s Center of Excellence for Education.

Thompson joins the firm from AECOM, where he was national director of project performance for the Buildings and Places practice. He will direct strategy, staffing, and business development for LEO A DALY’s Washington D.C. studio, an office of 35 architects, planners and interior designers with a strong presence in corporate/commercial, aviation, federal, and education design.

“Stephen Wright has long been the driving force behind developing LEO A DALY in the Education market,” said John Kraskiewicz, AIA, chief operations officer. “His passion, strategic vision, and creativity have enlivened thought-leadership across the firm and inspired great projects like the Wilson School in Arlington, VA, and the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design in DC. We look forward to seeing growth in this sector as Stephen focuses himself exclusively on Education.”

“We couldn’t have a better person than Rick stepping in to take over as managing principal. His expertise in large office, mixed-use, airport, and government projects will build on our DC office’s reputation for culturally significant, timeless architecture and workplace environments that improve productivity, wellness, operational processes, and technological integration,” he added.

About Stephen Wright

Stephen Wright applies 30 years of experience in creating educational environments that solve the complex programmatic needs of colleges, universities, and K-12 schools. He is, first and foremost, a design architect focused on creating pedagogically-rich design that improves learning and brings life to campuses. His portfolio of work includes many award-winning performing arts, library, dining, and residential projects for top-tier institutions.

About Rick Thompson

Rick Thompson is an architect and MBA with a doctorate in engineering and 25 years of experience as a multi-disciplinary practice leader. He most recently served as AECOM’s vice president, national director of project performance for Buildings and Places. Rick balances a passion for design excellence with an expertise in performance improvement, risk management, and delivery of multi-billion dollar projects, and has more than two dozen major design awards.

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