Erik Verboon, a senior principal at design firm Walter P Moore and director of its Enclosure Engineering practice based in New York City, died Sept. 21 at age 46. No cause of death was disclosed, but he died "unexpectedly," according to a Go-Fund-Me post by his wife, Michelle Verboon. His death was also announced by the firm and in obituary notices.

Verboon co-founded Walter P Moore’s New York office and helped build the company’s national enclosure practice, where he was widely known for advancing design and delivery of complex, high-performance building envelopes, said the firm, which described him as a “dynamic leader, mentor and creative force” whose portfolio spanned multiple sectors and geographies.

Trained in both architecture and engineering, Verboon specialized in high-performance, double-skin and other custom unitized systems, as well as geometrically complex composite facades used on new buildings and retrofits. 

   

Projects associated with Erik Verboon’s enclosure engineering leadership included, from left, the new Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport terminal, Allianz Field in St. Paul and the Chase Center in San Francisco. Images courtesy of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Allianz Life and Mortenson    

Before joining Walter P Moore, he led facade engineering teams at Buro Happold in New York and also taught enclosure design at Pratt Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and Stevens Institute of Technology, according to the firm.

Verboon’s name is attached to several high-profile projects. He was listed as a project team leader on the new Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport terminal in Kenner, La., overseeing its curtain wall and enclosure engineering and was identified in The Architect’s Newspaper as a key voice in the design of Allianz Field in St. Paul, where Walter P Moore engineered the stadium’s PTFE façade. The firm's New York office further contributed to major venues such as Chase Center in San Francisco, a project he personally highlighted in industry forums. While with Buro Happold, Verboon also co-presented on the Abu Dhabi Media Zone’s double-skin podium façades  

Verboon earned a B.A. in Architecture from the University of Cincinnati in 2003 and a Master of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2007, according to the family obituary. Early in his career, he worked with Michael McInturf Architect.

News outlets have described Verboon as a leading figure at the intersection of architecture and engineering, noting his impact on mentoring younger practitioners through conference programming and workshops. Recent listings show him chairing a stadium-development panel at the New York Build Expo in March.

Walter P. Moore said his “expertise, creativity, and visionary approach” guided teams and clients for more than two decades. 

A celebration of life is planned, with details to be announced by the family, according to a notice on Legacy.com.