COVID & RESILIENCE: WELLNESS DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
How will lessons learned from COVID-19 inform design strategies that contribute to long term resilience?  Changing tenant needs, response to public health and climate challenges, and building system technologies are all evolving, and creating a shift in design strategies for promoting wellness. This panel discussion will consider the particular needs of affordable housing from the perspectives of an Architect, Mechanical Engineer and Developer. An affordable multifamily project under construction in Mountain View will be used as a case study to reflect on both immediate opportunities and long-term design considerations. See below for panelist biographies.

Laura Shagalov - Moderator
Associate Principal – Van Meter Williams Pollack
Laura leads VMWP’s Minneapolis newest office which opened in 2019. She is an Architect committed to creating sustainable, healthy and beautiful communities for people of all incomes and abilities. She brings her expertise in housing, universal design and green building to a range of affordable multi-family and mixed-use projects, from feasibility through construction. Laura holds an M.Arch from UC Berkeley and a B.S. in Urban and Regional Studies from Cornell University.

Fred Pollack
Partner – Van Meter Williams Pollack
As a founding partner of Van Meter Williams Pollack, Fred has worked at the forefront of mixed-use and transit-oriented urban design for three decades. His focus as a leader in sustainable architecture includes urban infill design on a scale that ranges from individual buildings to mixed-use communities, adaptive re-use and multifamily affordable housing. Fred has led many of the firm’s larger and award-winning projects through the entire design and development process. 

Diane Harvey Dittmar
Project Manager – Alta Housing
Diane has worked in affordable housing for over 5 years. At Alta Housing, she develops family, work force and special needs housing on the expensive and challenging mid-peninsula. Prior to joining Alta Housing, Diane worked at Abode Services providing supportive housing for formerly homeless households in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Her particular passion is to improve the lives of residents through innovative, functional design and to provide homes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Before becoming a “houser,” Diane worked as a software product manager, and ran her own property management business. She holds a M.S and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. When not deep in a proforma or walking a job site, you can find her sculling on the Bay with friends, skiing with family, or paddle boarding across a high Sierra lake with her dog Cassie.

Jorlyn Le Garrec
Project Engineer – Point Energy Innovations
Jorlyn Le Garrec is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. As a project engineer at Point Energy Innovations, she uses her experience in mechanical design to prioritize energy efficiency and sustainable design.