elizabeth gray, faia | managing principal
Lisa Gray is principal and founding partner of Gray Organschi Architecture. Lisa demonstrates a consistent commitment to design excellence, clear and achievable project goals, and the timely delivery of buildings of the highest quality. Her professional work is characterized by careful project research, frank and open conversation, and the clear presentation of options and opportunities. Lisa’s longtime service and leadership in local community education contributes to her effectiveness and continued achievements in collaborating with all involved organizations and stakeholders: she has provided volunteer and pro-bono services to local programs in need as well as served as Head of the Board of Directors at New Haven Reads, a literacy program serving the city’s children, and on the Board of Directors at the Foote School in New Haven. As the Louis I. Kahn Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture at Yale University she conducted a graduate studio and seminar in timber technologies and their application to urban districts. Throughout her career, she has taught at Yale and other universities and lectured widely on her work across the United States. In 2012, Lisa was honored for her work with an Arts and Letters Award in Architecture by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
anthony thistleton | project principal
Anthony Thistleton is a founding director of Waugh Thistleton Architects and a committed believer that timber construction can significantly contribute to slowing global warming. Having established a cross industry communication and collaboration vehicle to promote the adoption and wider use of engineered timber in the UK, the CLT Hub, Anthony is linking up a global network, spearheading the research and development of engineered timber across the world. Recognizing that simply growing more trees can help reduce atmospheric carbon, Anthony is a champion of forestry. He is a founding member of the EU wide Forest Economy Coalition and works closely with the UK Forestry Commission, The Nature Conservancy and Coiltte in Ireland. Anthony has led the design of a number of high profile innovative projects including the world’s first container shopping center, Boxpark, and the UK’s first multi-story modular CLT building at Watts Grove. He is a CABE Built Environment Expert and the lead author of the practice’s written research work.
alan organschi | design principal
Alan Organschi is a principal and partner at Gray Organschi Architecture. Alan is recognized internationally for work that integrates design, construction, and environmental research. He is the founder of the fabrication and construction management firm JIG Design Build. As a member of the Senior Design and Technology Faculty at the Yale School of Architecture for nearly two decades, Alan served as the coordinator of Yale’s graduate design build program, the Jim Vlock Building Project. He currently directs the school’s advanced research program in building technology, the newly inaugurated Yale Building Project LAB. In addition to teaching at Yale, he is the Portman Critic for the 2019 and 2020 academic years as at the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Architecture, where he leads graduate research studios exploring mass timber and circular economic construction techniques. His interdisciplinary research initiative, Timber City, examines the application of emerging structural wood fiber technologies and carbon sequestration strategies in the construction of global cities. He is a co-author of the upcoming book The Carbon Guidebook: A Field Manual For Building Designers and the online educational series Decarbonize Design. In 2012, Alan was honored for his work with an Arts and Letters Award in Architecture by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Andrew Waugh | Design Principal
Andrew is a founding director of Waugh Thistleton Architects, a practice dedicated to designing buildings and places of the highest architectural quality that acknowledge their impact on the environment. He is a world renowned spokesman for low-impact materials and methods in architecture. Fusing sustainability and design, Andrew is a passionate proponent of low carbon construction and the benefits of innovative technologies. A pivotal player in the global uptake of engineered timber, he was responsible for the design and delivery of Murray Grove, the project that spearheaded the international movement in tall timber. Andrew is known for his research and leadership on sustainability. Believing that engineered timber on a global scale can make a vital difference to our planet, Andrew lobbies and lectures internationally, communicating the urgent need for change to mitigate the climate crisis. He has previously been a guest critic at Yale, Harvard, Parsons and The University of Cambridge, and is currently visiting Professor of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. Andrew was awarded the RIBA President’s Award for Research for his work on pioneering CLT and has contributed to numerous acclaimed research papers and articles.