Lecture
Location
Gensler Family AAP NYC Center
11 E Loop Rd, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10044
Abstract
We talk a lot about carbon in the built environment, but what about the chemicals hidden inside our walls, floors, and ceilings?
Join us for an evening of expert insight, hands-on learning, and open conversation about the materials we build with every day.
Henning Larsen, Metropolis magazine, and the Gensler Family AAP NYC Center (AAP NYC) at Cornell are bringing together professionals from across architecture, sustainability, and construction for “Unboxing Chemicals” — an interactive lecture and workshop led by Martha Lewis, Head of Materials at Henning Larsen. With over 25 years of experience advocating for healthier material choices in the built environment, Lewis has delivered interactive sessions to audiences worldwide, from academic institutions to major developers.
The evening opens with a keynote by Billie Faircloth, FAIA, Cornell Atkinson Scholar, Associate Professor at Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, and cofounder of Built Buildings Lab.
Expect a lively, participatory format with time to ask questions, engage with the material directly, and connect with fellow attendees over food and drinks.
Directions
The Gensler Family AAP NYC Center is located on the fourth floor of the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island.
Subway: Take the M train to Roosevelt Island, then walk south to the Cornell Tech campus.
Tram: Take the Roosevelt Island Tram from 59th Street and Second Avenue, then walk south to the Cornell Tech campus.
Ferry: Take the NYC Ferry (Astoria Route) directly to the Roosevelt Island terminal, located just northwest of the campus.
Schedule
5:30 p.m. Doors open — arrival & networking
5:45 p.m. Keynote — Billie Faircloth (Cornell AAP / Built Buildings Lab)
6 p.m. Lecture — Martha Lewis (Henning Larsen)
6:45 p.m. Interactive workshop
7 p.m. Q&A
7:15 p.m. Networking with food & drinks
8 p.m. Close
Registration is required.
Light food and drinks will be provided. This event is free to attend.
Biographies
Martha Lewis, Head of Materials, Henning Larsen Architects
Martha Lewis is Head of Materials at Henning Larsen, with over 25 years of experience advocating for healthier material choices in the built environment.
Billie Faircloth, FAIA, LEED BD+C, Cornell Atkinson Center Scholar and Associate Professor, Co-founder of Built Buildings Lab
Billie Faircloth, FAIA, is a design leader who has transformed practice-based research and earned a national and international reputation for demonstrating its value, methods, and outcomes. As partner and research director at the Philadelphia-based architectural practice KieranTimberlake from 2008–24, Faircloth led the firm’s Research Group, a transdisciplinary team recognized for applying research, design, and problem-solving processes from fields as diverse as environmental management, industrial ecology, chemical physics, materials science, and sculpture. Her central message: inquiry is a newfound form of professional agency and a driver for practice transformation.
