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Year Joined: 2022

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Licensed professional engineer in the state of New York
• Certified Energy Manager
• Certified Green Building Engineer
• LEED Certified
• Member: ASHRAE
• Member: AEE, Association of Energy Engineers

Professional Background: Sam’s first exposure to the construction industry came working at his family plumbing company. There he learned multiple facets of design and construction of various plumbing and mechanical systems. After college Sam started his career at a large firm designing mechanical systems for combined cycle power plants. From there Sam went to the NYC market where he designed MEP systems for mid and high-rise multi family dwellings, commercial office buildings, hotels, medical, and NYC schools. Throughout his 20 years in NYC he has worked in all aspects of project design and administration.

Position: As the Director of Engineering at Aufgang, Sam works with his team to explore new avenues and technologies to help create a more efficient and healthy building environment. He understands that bringing more efficient technology into everyday design will not only save the client money but also conserve valuable energy.

Personal Life: In his spare time, Sam is an avid gardener.

Year Joined: 1983

Education and Certifications:

• Master’s Degree from Temple University in Philadelphia

Professional Background: She began her career as an administrator for the Association of the Bar of New York City from 1971-1974.

Position: Elise joined our firm in 1983 and has proudly served our team since as our longest-term employee. She is responsible for all general administrative duties. Aufgang clients and staff rely on her experience, dedication, efficiency and meticulous attention to detail to keep business running smoothly.

Personal Life: Elise enjoys spending time with her three children and five grandchildren.

Year Joined: 2021

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Architecture, New Jersey Institute of Technology 2017.
• Featured: International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) at the Javits Center in New York City 2016
• Licensed architect in Ecuador

Professional Background: He has an expansive and comprehensive background in all phases of architecture and construction including commercial, residential, hospitality, retail, and development, in addition to interior design.

Position: Milton’s position includes production of construction documents, collaborating with consultants in the construction administration phase, and handling the day-to-day needs of an active project.

Personal Life: In his free time, Milton enjoys travel, designing furniture and spending time with his family.

Year Joined: 2019

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture, Virginia Tech 2000
• Master’s Degree in Architecture, University of Arizona 2004
• Licensed architect in New York and New Jersey
• LEED AP

Professional Background: His interest for architecture was secured after taking a high school drafting class followed up by his early travels visiting the architecture of Italy.

Position: In his position as Project Manager, Stefano oversees all elements of a project’s development, from schematic design through construction documents, guiding consultants, and coordinating with the owner and contractors.

Personal Life: He considers all things astronomy as his hobby.

Year Joined: 2019

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor of Architecture Degree, Tehran Azad University South Branch
• Master’s Degree in Urban Design, Tehran Azad University Science & Research Unit
• Master’s Degree Architecture and Urban & Regional Planning, New York Institute of Technology
• Member: American Institute of Certified Planners

Professional Background: Prior to joining Aufgang, Shiva co-founded SPARC—Spatial Art and Construction with offices in Brooklyn and the Netherlands. Shiva has built a career by focusing on affordable housing & responsible neighborhood planning. Of note is that, while with SPARC, Shiva won a contract from the City of NY to reconstruct over 100 single- and two-family coastal homes in New York destroyed by Hurricane Sandy and successfully completed that commission.

Position: As Director of Planning and Community Development, Shiva is heavily involved in navigating zoning regulations and leading her team in developing compliant designs to bring projects to successful completion.

Personal Life: Shiva has been teaching “Sustainability: History and Practice” course at City Tech (CUNY) since 2018.

Year Joined: 2016

Education and Certifications:

• Degree in Architecture, Bangalore University, India

Professional Background: Vidya started her career in Singapore working on school building designs. Her passion for sustainable architecture and designing multi-family housing began while she was working on senior living projects in Chicago. She was also involved in a diverse range of projects including hospitality and retail.

Position: Vidya joined Aufgang to further develop her talent, and her diverse professional background and passion for the field of architecture have made her a valuable member of our team.

Personal Life: Vidya enjoys gardening, traveling to new places and experiencing other cultures.

Year Joined: 2017

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor of Architecture, New York Institute of Technology
• Active member: American Institute of Architects
• Licensed Architect in the state of New York

Professional Background: Joseph has decades of experience working on a variety of projects in the tristate area and beyond. His diverse work includes luxury homes and apartments, churches and synagogues, high-end shopping centers, fast food restaurant chains, auto dealerships, schools and healthcare facilities. His international work also includes architectural consultancy for many luxury homes in Kerala, India.

Position: He incorporates his worldly experience into his everyday design work and brings to the table a wealth of knowledge about designs from all over the world. His vast experience, both personal and professional, comes with a considerable cultural understanding, which is an important factor in any design.

Personal Life: In addition to his dedication to architecture, Joseph holds a deep passion for world travel and has visited over 40 countries. Joseph resides in the home he completely remodeled and rehabilitated with his family in Nyack, NY.

Year Joined: 2019

Education and Certifications:

• MBA in Business Leadership, Concordia College 2015
• Bachelors in Behavioral Science Health Services Management
• Certified life coach

Professional Background: Jessika has a passion for business with over a decade of administrative experience supporting C-Level executives as well as working with law firms supporting judges, attorneys, paralegals and other large organizations in New York.

Position: She is responsible for managing the project submittal workflow, organization of shop drawings, maintaining calendars and daily day-to-day tasks.

Personal Life: Jessika has a passion for traveling the world, meeting new people and has visited many different countries in Europe in addition to being a big time foodie who enjoys tasting diverse foods from different cultures and backgrounds.

Elianna joined the firm in May 2018.

She has over 10 years of experience in the Architecture industry and is known for her meticulous attention to detail and keen eye for design.

As a graduate from Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, she has worked on numerous, notable single family and multifamily projects ranging in budget, design and project facets throughout the Tri-State area.

Elianna brings to the Aufgang team a wealth of knowledge having been mentored from some of the best in the business thus allowing her to successfully manage projects from schematic design through construction administration.

Year Joined: 2004

Education and Certifications:

• University of Belgarno, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Licensed architect in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Professional Background: Vivien was born in the United States but was raised in Buenos Aires. After graduation, she became an assistant professor at the University of Buenos Aires, where she taught undergraduate classes in drawing and design. She spent time working at Juan Carlos Recepter Architects, before becoming principal of her own architectural firm. Expanding on her passion for unique and innovative design, Vivien created her own line of housewares and furniture, which were sold in top design stores. Her work earned her a series of notable mentions, including a cover feature in the Argentinian publication “First” Magazine, an inclusion in the Central Society of Architects exhibit “El Diseño es el Objeto,” and an honorable mention in Architectural Record Magazine, as a runner-up in their annual cocktail napkin sketch contest.

Position: At Aufgang, Vivien brings her immense talent and creative vision to craft original interior and exterior designs for numerous large and small mixed-use residential buildings, commercial structures, and hotels. She approaches each project as a unique piece of art and applies her tenacious attention to detail to provide the highest quality designs for each client’s needs. Vivien is a leader in design preparation, concept development, layout design, presentations, hand sketches, and drawings. Her other skills include implementation of the latest software including AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe Illustrator, and Sketch Up, in drafting her unique designs.

Personal Life: In her spare time, Vivien paints and does indoor sculptures.