Reflecting its global design leadership in tall building design and urban housing solutions, the award-winning architecture and interior design firm CetraRuddy has announced a number of high-profile speaking engagements for its cofounding principal, John Cetra, FAIA. The talks highlight the firm’s work on ARO, a new 62-story high-rise tower in New York City.

Recognized as an expert in all aspects of high-rise architecture, Cetra will present on ARO this spring at a series of prestigious annual events, beginning with The Architect’s Newspaper’s Facades+ conference in New York City on April 2^nd, where he also serves as co-chair of the full program. Later this spring, Cetra will address the American Institute of Architects (AIA) national Conference on Architecture in Los Angeles on May 16^th, known as A’20. Cetra has also been invited to present at a global event hosted by the Council on Tall Buildings & Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

The talks will cover a range of cutting-edge topics including innovative building design concepts, creative approaches to zoning in urban settings, and technologically advanced solutions for sustainable facades and building systems. A frequent speaker at national and international events alike, Cetra will also lay out a range of new trends that enhance livability in urban multifamily and mixed-use settings.

About the Panel Events:

•   In the first talk, “Optimizing the Form,” on April 2^nd at the Facades+ conference in New York City, Cetra will join architect Weston Walker, a partner at Studio Gang, and façade engineers Markus Schulte and Manan Raval to discuss innovative urban projects at a variety of scales. This case-study session, focused on CetraRuddy’s ARO tower and Studio Gang’s Solar Carve office building, will explore how zoning and site constraints provide opportunities for creative optimizations of building massing and geometry. Specific topics of discussion include design strategies for increasing views, reining in sunlight, and ensuring a positive impact on the project site and surrounding neighborhood.

•   On May 16^th in Los Angeles, Cetra will reprise his highly successful 2018 and 2019 presentations on innovations in urban housing at the 2020 AIA Conference on Architecture (A’20). The new talk, “Trends in Urban Living: New Approaches for Dense Multifamily,” brings together CetraRuddy with noted landscape architect and founding principal of Terrain Work, Theodore Hoerr, along with the journalist Patrick Sisson, senior reporter at Curbed, as moderator. Addressing issues of affordability, land constraints, and livability, the panel discussion will highlight ARO’s use of a pioneering tower-podium form that introduces multilevel green and public space while maximizing livable square footage.

“As cities around the world face new challenges and opportunities related to growth and livability, urban high-rise architecture will be instrumental in creating better housing solutions,” says John Cetra, who in addition to ARO led the design teams for such high-profile towers as One Madison and Rose Hill in Manhattan. “These talks illuminate the most forward-thinking planning, design, and engineering solutions for tall buildings, and stimulate conversation among global building industry leaders. This kind of knowledge sharing is more essential than ever.”