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Life Science and Innovation

The next generation of life science projects at CBT are being conceived as integral to the environments and communities surrounding them, no longer islands unto themselves. CBT’s life science designs provide not only a wide range of design flexibility to accommodate today’s most cutting-edge R&D innovations and therapies, but do so with the community in mind. This enables us to apply unique and thoughtful placemaking principles into our projects, integrating the life sciences deep within the fabric of urban communities and meeting the significant demands for talent within the industry. CBT’s life sciences and innovation practice focuses on curating holistically successful and expertly designed buildings to support the innovative activities within. We place great emphasis on putting research on display and leveraging the character and composition of the surrounding context throughout all of our planning and design for future-ready life science projects.

Hee Park, RA, NCARB
Associate Principal
Joe Pucci, AIA
Associate Principal
Michael Liporto, AIA
Associate Principal
Laura Rushfeldt, AIA, LEED AP
Associate Principal
Vickie Alani, AIA
Principal
David Nagahiro, AIA, LEED AP
Principal
Kishore Varanasi, AICP
Principal, Director of Urban Design
Phil Casey, AIA, LEED AP
Principal
Ariel Brain, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Principal
Mitchell Bush, AIA
Principal
Sae Kim, AIA
Principal
Adam Cuomo
Associate Principal
José Polanco, LEED AP BD+C
Laboratory/Life Science Designer
Michael Liporto, AIA
Senior Associate, Senior Project Architect
Hee Park, RA, NCARB
Associate Principal

Senior designer Hee Park is a mainstay of CBT’s master planning and architectural design successes nationally and globally. Hee’s work encompasses large-scale urban master plans to mid- and high-rise life sciences projects, to multifamily residential towers, in locations from Boston to Taiwan, to the Middle East.

Hee’s portfolio includes design for mixed-use commercial developments, academic institutions, multifamily residences, hospitality, and retail environments. With a Bachelor in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University, award-winning work includes Masdar City’s Eco-Residences, CBT’s sustainably and resiliently designed new urban district in the United Arab Emirates.

Joe Pucci, AIA
Associate Principal

Project designer Joe Pucci is a linchpin in CBT’s design of complex, mixed-use urban developments, consistently delivering inspired integrations of life science, innovation, and multifamily uses within pedestrian-friendly, human-scaled environments. 

Expert at synthesizing the vision of commercial developers into cohesive, comprehensive master plans and strategically implementable designs, Joe is equally adept in developing successful design approaches for urban in-fill developments in some of Boston’s densest neighborhoods as he is developing large scale master plans for multi-acre, multi-building sites. 

Joe’s design insight consistently challenges the status quo, paving the way to the best city-building. With a Master and a Bachelor of Architecture from Northeastern University, Joe’s portfolio spans CBT’s design of the multifamily Gables Seaport to the Metro Boston area innovation industry campus, CityPoint South.

Michael Liporto, AIA
Associate Principal

Life science building specialist Michael Liporto is a guiding light in CBT’s Life Science and Innovation Design Group. A senior project architect, Michael understands the multi-layered complexities of these most technical of facilities, assuring that CBT’s architecture provides both the infrastructure and the flexibility to accommodate today’s leading R&D work. Bringing meticulous detailing and expert building system coordination to CBT’s research and innovation building projects, Michael’s portfolio features some of CBT’s most dynamic mixed-use life science developments, including Cambridge’s 585 Kendall, and the Greater Boston area's newest innovation campus, CityPoint South. With a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, Michael’s project work also includes life science and cultural facilities for client’s including the University of Connecticut, Amherst College, The Penn State University, and Harvard University.

Laura Rushfeldt, AIA, LEED AP
Associate Principal

Senior project architect Laura Rushfeldt’s work is dedicated to shaping the built environment in ecologically transformative, community-centered ways. Her work focuses on the planning and programming for complex cultural and commercial projects that seek to improve urban life, from resiliency to equitable human experience. From these central concerns, her portfolio spans building types, project scales, and geographic settings, from small-scale residential and commercial buildings to large scale mixed-use master planning efforts. A rising expert on design for life science and innovation, Laura presents trend research to industry organizations including the Urban Land Institute (ULI). A talented facilitator and momentum builder, Laura is co-chair of CBT’s Women in Design Group and chairs the Policy Working Group within CBT’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force, propelling programming, conversation, and energizing engagement at CBT, as well as in Boston’s larger design communities. An active member of ULI and the Boston Society of Architecture, Laura has a Master of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and B.S. Architecture from The Ohio State University.

Vickie Alani, AIA
Principal

Vickie Alani is a Principal at CBT with 30 years of experience in architecture and interior design for projects nationally and internationally. An expert in multi-family residential and hospitality design, Vickie approaches her work with the fluidity and interconnectivity with which people live today. Regarded internationally for her forward-thinking approach and lifestyle expertise, Vickie is a frequent contributor to the larger discourse on changing residential trends and how to design for an evolving culture. She is a prominent voice in the industry, and has been featured internationally at conferences and in interviews for her industry-leading insight. Augmenting Vickie’s work is her passion for mentorship, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and for elevating Women in Design both at CBT and in the greater design community. She received her Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design.
 

David Nagahiro, AIA, LEED AP
Principal

David Nagahiro, Principal and President of CBT, is the driving force and inspiration behind CBT’s vision, design ethos and advancement of practice into the next generation. He leads the firm’s most ground-breaking projects, often resulting in the revitalization of undeveloped and underutilized urban sites which create places and buildings that enrich urban and community life.

David is intimately involved in all aspects of design and is recognized for his tireless pursuit of innovation in professional practice, his insistence on design excellence, and his passion for building strong, sustainable, and resilient places and communities. His passion for the profession is matched by his commitment to the advancement of individuals around him, which makes him an extraordinary agent of change both through his projects and his collaboration with others.

A stalwart supporter of the civic fabric of the community, David serves on the Board of Artists for Humanity, the Board of the Boston Preservation Alliance, and the Editorial Board of Architecture Boston. He is an active collaborator in HubWeek, Boston’s annual innovation festival, and is a leader in pushing the limits of innovation in art, science, and technology.

David holds a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Washington State University and attended the Architectural Studies Program at the AA / Architectural Association School of Architecture, London. He has been the recipient of the National AIA Young Architects Award, and is a past Rotch Traveling Scholar.

 

 

Kishore Varanasi, AICP
Principal, Director of Urban Design

Kishore Varanasi is an urban designer, strategist, and educator who specializes in developing authentic design solutions for cities at all scales that address human connection, social equity, and climate resilience. 

For 25 years, Kishore has worked to shape cities and communities globally through sustainable and holistic solutions in both the public and private sectors. Kishore’s innovative contributions to communities stem from his ability to inspire creative collaborations among individuals, governments, and businesses while simultaneously creating fresh perspectives and approaches to sustainable city-building and living. As a principal and Director of Urban Design at Boston-based CBT, his recent work includes the Masdar City Master Plan, Lincoln Yards in Chicago, the Blueway at the New England Aquarium, Cambridge Crossing, Boston University Master Plan, Suffolk Downs Master Plan, Hudayriyat Island Master Plan, Bhavani Islands Master Plan, The Riverline in Buffalo, NY, and Ghadan21 Climate Interventions. 

Kishore is a regular critic and teacher at various institutions including MIT, Harvard University, Yale University and the Boston Architectural College (BAC). He serves on the Van Alen Institute Climate Council, BAC’s Board of Trustees, and Boston Harbor Now and Emerald Network Board of Advisors. Kishore's work has been recognized by various awards and organizations including the American Institute of Architects, Rethinking the Future, World Architecture News and Urban Land Institute. He holds a Master of Science in Urbanism from MIT; a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and received his Bachelor of Architecture from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, India. 

Phil Casey, AIA, LEED AP
Principal

Phil Casey is a Principal at CBT with over 20 years of professional experience leading a wide range of projects spanning large-scale multi-family residential and commercial mixed-use developments, and future-forward life science and laboratory projects. Most recently, these have included several urban and ex-urban life science master plans and buildings in and around Boston; the award-winning, LEED-Platinum 121 Seaport; multiple high-rise residential buildings, and Boston's first LEED-Platinum skyscraper ― the award-winning Atlantic Wharf.  Phil leads many of the firm’s most complex mixed-use projects that have recently reshaped urban skylines thanks to their distinctive, sustainable, complex design solutions. Phil is an active supporter of the United Way and the Citizen’s School, and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University.

Ariel Brain, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Principal

Ariel is a senior laboratory architect with over 25 years of professional experience in this field. He has been a key contributor to projects requiring a high level of integration from multiple disciplines, and is adept at interpreting a wide range of design imperatives. His innate problem-solving skills allow him - and enable the project team - to expertly address complex structural and technical design needs without sacrificing either form or function.

Mitchell Bush, AIA
Principal

Mitchell Bush is a Principal and Senior Designer with particular expertise in urban design/planning and architecture, and the interplay between the two practices. Since joining CBT, Mitch’s professional experience has been devoted to large-scale and complex urban projects, namely the new and highly-sustainable elliptical tower at 121 Seaport Boulevard in Boston’s Innovation District and the redevelopment of the Government Center Garage into Bulfinch Crossing (the latter involves the complete redevelopment of a centrally-located urban parcel into a 2.4-million-square-foot mixed-use destination at the convergence of five significant Boston neighborhoods). Mitch is known for developing pragmatic and elegant solutions, as well as his advancement of the greater discussion around urban development and design. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Florida and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University.

Sae Kim, AIA
Principal

Sae Kim is an Associate Principal at CBT, with over 10 years of experience as an architect and designer focusing on multi-scaled and experiential design and concepts. With particularly keen understanding of creative processes on both national and international levels, Sae is deeply involved in complex, award-winning projects from large urban master plans to architecture and exhibition design. His creative process is founded on the generation and evaluation of multiple design solutions through the lens of problem-solving, storytelling, and value-creation. Recently, he was honored as the 2022 recipient of the Boston Society for Architecture's prestigious Earl R. Flansburgh Young Designers Award, which recognizes design excellence by an architect under 40. Sae holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Adam Cuomo
Associate Principal

Adam is a senior architectural designer with strong professional experience working on complex residential projects in the Boston and globally. Adam’s depth of experience with multi-family residential environments extends beyond the building perimeter to encompass site planning and exterior/public realm developments for a number of large urban sites. A designer dedicated to environmental responsibility in all of his work, Adam is a Certified Passive House Consultant and LEED-accredited professional for Building Design and Construction.

José Polanco, LEED AP BD+C
Laboratory/Life Science Designer

José Polanco is an Architectural Designer for laboratory and life science projects at CBT with extensive experience creating future-forward scientific research and discovery environments, mixed-use, and academic projects. José has an analytical approach to design and his solicitous consideration of program, stakeholder, and regulatory requirements throughout the creative process produce inspiring and pragmatic design solutions.

Michael Liporto, AIA
Senior Associate, Senior Project Architect

Michael Liporto is a Senior Project Architect at CBT with over 25 years of experience. He has played a central role in the design, detailing, and execution of complex building types focusing on lab and life science facilities. Michael applies an array of design, technical, and leadership skills to his projects that add value to the process as well as the outcome of his project work.

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