IDA Winter Educational Series | Sustainable Materials 

Presenter: Shafraaz Kaba

Integrated Project Delivery Facilitator, EcoAmmo Sustainable Consulting

Shafraaz Kaba is a registered architect working at EcoAmmo Sustainable Consulting as a Senior Integrated Project Delivery specialist. Prior to EcoAmmo, Shafraaz was a partner at Manasc Isaac Architects where he worked in designing carbon neutral and net zero energy building for two decades.
And over the last 20 years, he has made significant contributions to the design and cultural landscape of western Canada. Shafraaz is a founder of Media, Architecture, Design Edmonton (M.A.D.E.) – an organization that stimulates design discussion within the community and specifically creates a public forum for design debate. Through M.A.D.E., he helped organize lectures, symposia and exhibitions, including a exhibition, symposium and book themed Capital Modern, which highlighted Edmonton’s modern architectural legacy

Presenter: Leila D. Behjat

Architect & Senior Researcher in Design and Practice, Parsons Healthy Materials Lab, NYC

Leila D. Behjat is a creative solution finder with a high sense for design and aesthetics. With a Diplom-Ingenieur (Masters) in Architecture from Hafencity Universitaet, Hamburg, Germany, she has worked globally in interior and lighting design fields on both residential and commercial projects. In recent years, she has focused on renovation with healthier building materials. Her current role as Senior Researcher in Practice and Design with Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design deepens her motivation and expertise to create healthier and more joyful spaces for humans and the planet. Leila is a 2022 Maintainers Movement Fellow with Sam Bennett.

Presenter: Alison Mears 

AIA, LEED AP

Associate Professor of Architecture, Director and Co-Founder, Healthy Materials Lab, Parsons School of Design, New York

As Director of the Healthy Materials Lab, Alison leverages her practice-based experience as an architect and her knowledge and experience as a long-term academic leader to confront one of the more serious and often overlooked environmental challenges of our time: the health of the built environment. How do we make profound and long-term change to everyday design practice to create healthy buildings especially for those in the most need in affordable housing?  HML creates resources, educational programming, and prototypical innovative housing models for a new post petroleum world.  Alison is co-Principal Investigator of the Healthy Affordable Materials Project (HAMP). The Project is a long-term coalition of four organizations who work together to remove harmful chemicals from the built environment.

Her work draws from the long tradition at The New School University’s commitment to promoting community-based sustainability, social engagement, and environmental justice.