Anahy Macias
Anahy Macias
Job Captain
Architecture
Year Joined: 2025
Education and Certifications:
- Degree in Architecture, Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil
Professional Background: Anahy’s passion for architecture began during her adolescence when, through exchanges in Italy and China, she had the opportunity to immerse herself in traditional architecture from different perspectives. She was born and raised in Ecuador and graduated with honors from the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil, where she specialized in sustainable architecture, mainly focusing on materials and their construction.
Anahy was a member of well-known sustainable design studios in Guayaquil, which allowed her to delve into innovative and environmentally friendly practices. This experience inspired her to take the next step in her career and move to New York, with the aim of expanding her knowledge both personally and professionally and continuing to evolve as an architect.
Position: In her position, Anahy designs and composes compelling graphic presentations for projects throughout the New York region. She also prepares zoning studies for potential new projects.
Personal Life: In her personal time, Anahy enjoys painting, designing spaces and interior furniture, reading self-awareness books, and traveling.
Bespoke and Luxury Lifestyle Designs
Bespoke and Luxury Lifestyle Designs
The Aurae team creates elegant designs for vibrant lifestyles, from single family homes
to entertainment and housing complex master plans.
Intern
Planning and Community Development
Year Joined: 2023
Education and Certifications:
- Degree in Architecture, City Tech (CUNY) 2026 (in progress)
Professional Background: Ziani learned about Aufgang through the class that our Director of Planning and Community Development Shiva Ghomi teaches: “Sustainability: History and Practice”. In learning about our firm, she discovered that Aufgang designed the building she lives in.
Position: As part of our Planning and Community Development team, Ziani spends a lot of time preparing zoning and feasibility studies. She has also gotten the opportunity to go on site visits and explore other departments in the office. Ziani believes that architecture is an overlooked way of helping people. She sees it as an opportunity to do a public service job and have a positive impact on people’s everyday lives.
Personal Life: In the future, Ziani wants to get a Master’s Degree in urban planning or environmental studies.
Ziani Rodriguez
Ziani Rodriguez
Intern
Planning and Community Development
Year Joined: 2023
Education and Certifications:
- Degree in Architecture, City Tech (CUNY) 2026 (in progress)
Professional Background: Ziani learned about Aufgang through the class that our Director of Planning and Community Development Shiva Ghomi teaches: “Sustainability: History and Practice”. In learning about our firm, she discovered that Aufgang designed the building she lives in.
Position: As part of our Planning and Community Development team, Ziani spends a lot of time preparing zoning and feasibility studies. She has also gotten the opportunity to go on site visits and explore other departments in the office. Ziani believes that architecture is an overlooked way of helping people. She sees it as an opportunity to do a public service job and have a positive impact on people’s everyday lives.
Personal Life: In the future, Ziani wants to get a Master’s Degree in urban planning or environmental studies.
Michael Battipaglia
Michael Battipaglia
Job Captain
Architecture
Year Joined: 2024
Education and Certifications:
- Associate’s Degree in Business Administration, SUNY Orange
- Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design, University of Buffalo
- Master’s Degree in Architecture, Tulane University
- Currently working towards obtaining full architecture license
Professional Background: Prior to Aufgang, Michael spent three years working at Paul Bennet Architecture, where he worked on high-end commercial and luxury retail. His role sent him across the country to conduct site surveys and punch lists. After that, Michael joined Rawlings Architects, a firm that focused on new construction of residential high rises and New York City school projects. There he gained experience at all phases of a project. He also produces shop drawings for a high-end metal fabricator in Baltimore, MD.
Position: Michael’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: Michael has skills in carpentry and historic home renovation and enjoys spending time outdoors with his two children.
Hugo Subotovsky
Hugo Subotovsky
Retired Principal
Years at the Firm: 1988 to 2012
Education and Certifications:
- University of Buenos Aires, School of Architecture, 1980
- Registered Architect in New York
Professional Background: The firm was originally established in 1971 by Jacques H. Gerstenfeld A.I.A. Hugo S. Subotovsky joined the firm in 1987 and became a partner in 1997. During the time of his partnership, the firm was known as Gerstenfeld-Subotovsky Architects. In 1999, Jacques H. Gerstenfeld retired from the firm, and in 2000 the firm changed its name to Hugo S. Subotovsky A.I.A., Architects LLC. After Ariel Aufgang became a partner, the firm’s name again changed to Aufgang Subotovsky Architecture & Planning (ASAP). During his time as Principal, Hugo grew the firm’s expertise in new construction of commercial/retail structures, new residential multi-family structures, mixed use buildings, and rehabilitation of existing residential structures. His team excelled in navigating the complexities of a large project with multiple land use actions required and completed large rezonings with street mapping applications.
Sasha Hoppas
Sasha Hoppas
Job Captain
Architecture
Year Joined: 2023
Education and Certifications:
- Bachelors of Science, Architecture, University at Buffalo
- Masters of Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology
- Design Award (University at Buffalo): Bath house design involving lighting and inversion of space
- Publication of Thesis: Impact of Psychology of Children on Architecture
- Currently pursuing her architecture license.
Professional Background: Sasha has worked in architecture on a wide variety of buildings, including commercial, residential, mixed use, and universities. She expanded her expertise with three years in lighting design, a passion of hers because of its profound impact on architecture and spaces people occupy. Sasha has also implemented and trained numerous architecture and lighting design firms within BIM.
Position: Sasha brings her passion for combining technology and design to her role. Her experience and enthusiasm make her a valued member of the team at Aufgang.
Personal Life: Sasha enjoys traveling, especially to locations with medieval and gothic architecture. She also loves to garden, run, hike, and read.
Ousmane Camara
Ousmane Camara
Job Captain
Architecture
Year Joined: 2023
Education and Certifications:
- Bachelors of Architecture, New York City College of Technology
Professional Background: Ousmane previously worked at AECOM, where he was an inspector in the field. He was a scribe in the office and was also responsible for verifying accuracy on the job sites, making sure that the information reported from the field matches the images uploaded.
Position: In his role as Job Captain, Ousmane brings his A-game and strives to learn more and become better each day. Aufgang welcomes his ambitious, driven spirit and looks forward to seeing great accomplishments and unparalleled teamwork.
Personal Life: Ousmane can be found in the gym, training for his favorite pastime, boxing.
Renata Krach
Renata Krach
Director of Marketing
Year Joined: 2023
Education and Certifications:
- Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications, Writing Concentration, Ramapo College 2013
Professional Background: After graduation, she gained experience with providing marketing services in the software and technology industry. She spent six years coordinating trade shows, sales documentation, and digital content for a manufacturer of security intercom systems for building and industrial use.
Position: At Aufgang, Renata is responsible for providing exciting, up-to-date content for the website and for social media. She coordinates the creation and publication of project proposals, press releases, advertisements, interviews, print materials, and any other external marketing initiatives.
Personal Life: Renata enjoys playing board games and traveling. In her spare time, she writes scripts for films and plays.
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to your use of Aufgang’s information technology systems, networks and website www.aufgang.com (“Site”). In this Policy, references to “we”, “us” “our” and “Aufgang” are to Aufgang and its subsidiaries, and their respective directors, officers, agents, employees or contractors.
Your Information
Our server, our agent’s, or contractor’s server, and third parties in the internet infrastructure (“Servers”) log certain information, which is provided by your browser, when you use our Site, systems, and networks, such as:
- your server’s IP address (a number which is unique to the machine through which you are connected to the Internet) or your personal IP address;
- the type of browser and operating system you are using;
- the domain name of the referring site (e.g. the previous Aufgang Site that you visited); and emails between you and us.
The Servers also log:
- the date and time of your visit;
- the URL address of the pages accessed and the documents downloaded.
We use this information for a number of purposes connected with the usage of our Site, and to monitor the security of our Site, systems and networks. Among other possible uses, Aufgang may use the information, described above, to analyze certain trends and statistics, such as which parts of the Site users are visiting and how long they spend there, and to monitor the security of our Site, systems and networks.
Aufgang will not try to identify you or your browsing activities through the information set out above except, in the event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect the logs, or if your usage is causing technical issues for the Site, including an attack on a Site that may need to be resolved. Aufgang may in these circumstances identify your IP address to enable Aufgang to contact you.
Cookies
The Site uses cookies. A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. The Site uses cookies to help Aufgang identify and track visitors, their usage of the Site, and their Site access preferences. Aufgang may use cookies to tailor our services to meet your needs. Visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using the Site, with the drawback that certain features of the Site may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
Registering for Email Updates
Provide Details: If you submit the contact form on the Aufgang website, you will be asked to provide your name and email address. Aufgang will not be able to send you updates by email if you do not provide these details.
Email Updates: By providing Aufgang with your name and email address you consent to receive emails from Aufgang. Aufgang may tailor the information we send you based on information you provide to us about your position and industry.
If you no longer wish to receive correspondence from Aufgang, please unsubscribe using the link in the email.
Personal Information
Aufgang collects and holds personal information about you through your use of the Site, including your form submission details and information relating to your use of the Site and the content you access.
Aufgang collects this information for the purposes of conducting market research surveys, conducting statistical analysis of usage of our Site, determining advertising content, marketing, monitoring the security of our Site, our IT systems and our networks and tailoring our services to match your needs and to improve the Site generally.
Aufgang does not collect sensitive information such as your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions or religious beliefs.
The personal information collected by Aufgang will be held in third party data centers, and may be shared with third party organizations for security purposes.
Aufgang will only use such personal information for the purpose for which you have provided it, unless you consent otherwise or Aufgang is required by law to disclose it or Aufgang is otherwise permitted to use it under U.S. law.
Aufgang will not sell your personal information to, or share it with, any other company outside of the company or third party agency other than as set out in this Privacy Policy, except as permitted by law. Aufgang will disclose such personal information about you only to those employees of Aufgang who have a need to know.
You can access or request a correction to your personal information by writing to Aufgang at:
Aufgang
74 Lafayette Ave, Suite 301
Suffern, NY 10901
or by sending an email to info@aufgang.com. Aufgang will correct personal information if we are satisfied that it is incorrect and will otherwise comply with our obligations under U.S. law.
For more information please contact Aufgang at (845) 368-0004 or email Aufgang at info@aufgang.com
April 2023
How We Rethink Our Approach To Daily Commitments
Many years ago, I worked for my parents who own a video production company. Because it is a family business, you inevitably end up wearing many hats and being the czar of many different jobs. I mainly managed projects and worked as a video editor. On production, there were times that I was called on to work as an audio tech and was made to wear headphones on long production days. In those days, having a really good set of headphones that picked up every nuance of sound was essential to making sure the client got what they needed. Naturally, my first impression of these headphones is based off of the look of them. They have a classic over-the-ear style that is highlighted by a blue light that indicates the power for the noise canceling. The padding on the ear pieces seems adequate for extended usage periods.
They are wired headphones, but the stereo mini-plug cable is detachable. Something else I noticed right of the bat was the very nice carrying case that comes with them. It has a hard plastic exterior with a soft cloth interior that helps to protect the surface of the headphones from scratches. I never truly appreciated cases for headphones until I started carrying them from place-to-place. Now I can’t imagine not having a case. Once I gave the headphones a thorough once-over exam, I tried them on. As I mentioned, they have a classic over-the-ear style and just looking at them, the padding on the ear pieces seem adequate and the peak of the headband seemed to be a bit lacking, but you don’t really know comfort unless you try on the product. So, I slipped the headphones on and found them to be exquisitely comfortable.
If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough.
Oprah Winfrey
Now that I had the headphones on my head, I was finally ready to plug and play some music. I plugged the provided cable into the jack on the headphones and then the one on my iPhone. Then I called up Pandora. I tend to have a very eclectic music purview and have many stations set up for different moods. the sound quality of these headphones was remarkable. There is an amazing depth of sound and incredible highs and lows that make listening to music a truly breathtaking experience. In order to test how voices sounded, and the overall art of mixing, I pulled up Netflix on my iPad Air and watched a few minutes of a movie to hear all the nuances of the film.
None of them were lost. In fact, I ended up hearing sounds that I hadn’t heard before. Echoes…birds chirping…wind blowing through trees…breathing of the characters…it was very impressive what the headphones ended up bringing out for me.