🌆 ACE Club Digest - Building Community

Thank you everyone who joined our inaugural ACE Club event! It was amazing having PMs, designers and engineers on the same side of the table (literally!)

We overheard fascinating conversations about materials management with Ply, the world of restaurant construction, why everyone loves Procore, green roof design, and so much more.

You all are the nucleus of this new community, built to be a space for AEC pros to connect, learn and grow together. We hope that everyone who attended left with a new friend, a new piece of knowledge, or a great new idea.

Also, please let us know what you thought of the meetup! Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Let’s do this again

You didn’t think we’d be a one and done, did you? Of course not! We’re dedicated to making ACE Club a valuable piece of NYC’s AEC community.

Join us next month on Wednesday, November 20 - same time, same place.

Please share this invite with a friend or colleague!

Who are we?

If you’re receiving this email, chances are you’ve met at least one of us before. But just in case, we are Emma Klein & Sawyer Middeleer. We’re happy you’re here!

Some things inspiring us this week

🏗️ Projects

Willets Point Transformation (link)

• Development Team:

  • Developers: Related Companies and Sterling Equities

• Location: Queens

• Project Overview: The Willets Point Transformation is an affordable development combined with significant investment in flood mitigation and open space infrastructure

• Why it’s interesting: This is the largest 100% affordable housing development in NYC in the past 40 years, featuring 2,500 affordable homes, a 650-seat public school, and significant infrastructure upgrades. The project includes all-electric, energy-efficient buildings that help advance NYC's climate goals.

📰 Articles & podcasts

Articles

• She’s a Prominent Manhattan Neurologist. She’s Also Her Own Contractor, The Wall Street Journal. (link) Dr. Devi bought and renovated a townhouse in Gramercy Park. Her Motivation? Donating all proceeds to charity. Reading about construction linked to charity is a treat for anyone in the AEC world. Checkout Devi’s resourcefulness and determination to get the job done in the WSJ recap of the project. (Thanks to Emma’s Dad for the recommendation!)

• Amazon goes Nuclear, CNBC (link) — AWS is investing more than $500 million in nuclear power generation and announced an agreement with Dominion Energy to explore the development of a small modular nuclear reactor. Why now? AI is notoriously energy-hungry and the company is in an arms race with Google and Meta to win the AI war.

• Biophilic Architectural Design & Neuroinflammation, University of Cambridge (link) — This is a great read for the architecture & wellness nerds out there. Turns out just looking at biophilic features in buildings measurably reduce brain inflammation and stress in building inhabitants.

• There’s a Place for Everyone, Experimental History (link) — Everyone asks themselves “do I belong?” at one point or another. Maybe it’s sometime during your first year as a fresh PM, or as an owner’s rep grinding through spreadsheets at midnight. If this sounds like you, give this thought provoking piece by Adam Mastroianni a read.

• Building the Perfect Wall, The Mindful Builder (link) — many of us without trades experience under appreciate how much the small details of building features impact building performance. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who aspires to build better.

• Unleashing Creativity with Strategic Business Solutions, AEC Marketing for Principals (link) — did you know that 90% of architecture firms are led by design practitioners? These leaders are experts at their craft but often have to learn sales and operations fundamentals through trial and error. Learn how to sell and deliver great work from this wonderful interview with Kyle Peterson, Principal at NELSON Worldwide.

Please spread the word

ACE Club isn’t just about in-person meetups. Starting today, we’ll be publishing a newsletter like this each week.

Please sign up (it’s free 🤑) and share with your friends and colleagues!

We value your feedback! Feel free to reply to this email with any questions or thoughts on your mind.

Until next time,

Emma & Sawyer