Building on recent momentum, the multidisciplinary design firm has engaged the highly regarded advocate of arts and culture, Amy Hau, as it promotes architect Jacob Dugopolski.
Renowned multidisciplinary architecture, design and planning firm WXY Architecture + Urban Design has announced the hiring of Amy Hau, a leading advocate of arts and culture who most recently has been director of Administration and External Affairs of the Noguchi Museum. According to WXY, Hau has joined the firm effective this month and in her senior-level position will lead the firm’s operations as well as direct communications and marketing strategy.“We are very pleased to welcome Amy Hau, whose unique brand of leadership and advocacy will help shepherd WXY’s continued growth and reputation for pioneering new markets for design,” says Claire Weisz, FAIA, founding principal of the firm. “Amy is not only a highly recognized figure in the arts and cultural communities, but she also brings a strong background in business management and community leadership.”
Working with Hau, WXY’s leadership plans to extend the studio’s reach with more innovative cultural projects ranging from architecture, urban development, and civic infrastructure to environmental design and public open spaces. Recent projects by the firm include the newly opened Rockaway Boardwalk and the acclaimed SeaGlass Carousel, both in New York City.
According to the firm, Amy Hau has been on staff at the Noguchi Museum for more than 25 years, following early work as assistant to the world-renowned Japanese-American artist, Isamu Noguchi. She recently earned recognition from Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney for her dedication to the museum and community. In April last year, Hau was appointed to Community Board 1. She is also a founding member of the Long Island City Cultural Alliance, and currently serves as president of that group.
Born in Hong Kong, Hau moved to New York in the early 1970s, later earning an undergraduate degree in studio art and art history from Hunter College and then an MBA from the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, followed by continued studies in museum management at the Getty Leadership Institute. As Hau helped lead The Noguchi Museum — honing its mission and vision, and managing the archives and the artist’s estate — she also took time to serve on numerous juries and panels, including for the New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs.
“This is an exciting change for me even as it brings familiar challenges,” says Hau. “I look forward to working in collaboration with community and public and private clients to help bring WXY’s innovative solutions to public space, structures and urban issues.”
Jacob Dugopolski Elevated to Associate
The firm has also announced the promotion to Associate of Jacob Dugopolski, AIA, LEED AP, who has previously been Senior Architect and Urban Designer for the firm, effective this month.“Jacob has managed significant architecture and urban design projects for WXY ranging from cultural renovations to zoning and master-planning works,” says Adam Lubinsky, PhD, AICP, managing principal of WXY and leader of its planning practice. “His leadership on challenging placemaking and transportation projects like the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, the Cultural District and Brooklyn Strand has shown his aptitude for complex challenges requiring extensive community involvement.”
Dugopolski holds degrees in architecture and urban planning from the University of Michigan and the Yale School of Architecture, and he has worked on projects ranging from conservation architecture in Barcelona and Dublin to community development in New Haven. Previous experience includes work with Paul Arnold Architects, AV62 Arquitectos, and Kieran Timberlake. He has earned several prestigious honors including AIA awards for his work before and with WXY project teams. He is a Parsons Memorial Award recipient, an H.I. Feldman Prize nominee, and a James Gamble Rogers Memorial Fellow, all at Yale, as well as the recipient of an Albert Kahn scholarship at Michigan.
With a background in architecture, urbanism, and ecology, Dugopolski has experience working at all scales on multi-disciplinary projects. He is a valuable expert source placemaking and transportation topics as well as streetscape design, zoning issues and architectural solutions. Projects with WXY range from The Drawing Center to Battery Park, and planning studies range from Pier 40 in Manhattan to sites in Long Island City and the Far Rockaways.
About WXY Architecture + Urban Design
WXY is an award-winning, studio-based multidisciplinary partnership based in New York City. Specializing in the public dimension of design, WXY’s planning, architectural and urban design work is celebrated for its innovative approach on behalf of public and private initiatives. WXY excels in complex urban challenges, education and civic buildings, parks and waterfront developments, and other projects ranging from furniture designs to regional plans. WXY’s integrated design process involves clients and stakeholders, yielding valuable solutions both large and small. Learn more at www.wxystudio.com.