Project details
Client:
Avery Hall
Architect:
ILA Architects
Status:
Completed
Construction:
2021–2022
Renderings depict a pale brick facade with an even grid of large square windows. Setbacks on the upper floors reveal landscaped terraces for both private and communal use.
Alternating volumes of brick and floor-to-ceiling glass on the ground floor will likely shroud the community facility space. Solar panels on the roof will produce green energy.
“High-quality affordable housing will be key to the economic revival of our city and of southeastern Queens in particular,” said Amir Sobhraj, comanaging partner for Zara. “This has always been our commitment: To invest in neighborhoods for the future.”
1 Whitehall Street | Floor 14 | New York, NY 10004
Office: 347 658 2521 | markus@mw-skins.com
Markus Wilmers
Founder & Principal
Markus Wilmers has worked in facade design and engineering since 2008, delivering projects around the globe across all scales. Originally from Germany, he worked on international projects in Frankfurt with Massimiliano Fuksas and in Berlin with Graft Architects before moving to New York, where he served in senior roles at Buro Happold, Werner Sobek, and as Principal at Laufs Engineering Design. He holds a Diplom-Ingenieur (M.Sc.) in Architecture from the University of Applied Sciences Aachen and has taught Building Enclosure Systems at Pratt Institute since 2013.In 2019, Markus founded MW-Skins to provide clear, high-quality design and technical solutions for building enclosures. Today, the firm supports a wide range of clients – from single-family homes and luxury residential work to supertall towers, museums, theaters, schools, and offices – with a team of architects and engineers focused on delivering real value through smart, reliable facade design.
As Principal, Markus leads design direction, technical quality, and client relationships while maintaining an office culture where talented people can dedicate the right amount of time to each project – ensuring exceptional work without compromising a healthy work–life balance.
markus@mw-skins.com
Konrad Remiszewski
Senior Façade Designer
Konrad is a multidisciplinary Senior Designer with broad experience across the AEC industry, including façade design, architecture, and fabrication. Passionate about emerging technologies and inspired by biomorphic forms, he blends innovation with sustainability – principles he believes should be embedded in every aspect of the built environment. Outside of work, Konrad explores the outdoors through biking and hiking adventures across the U.S. and Canada. He is also the founder of Kasper Krew, a lifestyle brand that creates streetwear, 3D-printed objects and contemporary furniture – all unified by a distinct vision of futuristic urban design.
konrad@mw-skins.com
Luis Chacha
Senior Façade Designer
Luis began his career at Body Lawson Architects and Planners, contributing to a variety of commercial, institutional, and residential projects. He was part of the design team honored with the 37th Annual Award for Excellence in Design for The Peninsula, a mixed-use development. Early in his career as an architectural designer, Luis developed a deep appreciation for the importance of building envelope systems and their role in energy performance. Now, with more than half a decade of experience, he remains committed to advancing his knowledge of evolving building technologies and partnering with clients to create enduring, high-performance, and beautifully designed buildings.
luis@mw-skins.com
Colin Burton
Senior Façade Designer
Colin Burton is a Senior Facade Designer with over 14 years of experience in the Architecture and Design industry. He began his career in fabrication design, leading the development and engineering of high-profile artworks and architectural installations. Colin has since held key roles as an architectural designer, director of industrial design, and senior facade designer. Drawing on his diverse background, he approaches each project with a keen attention to detail and a thoughtful, solutions-oriented mindset. Colin holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute and is a licensed Architect in the State of California.
colin@mw-skins.com
Patryk Chin Hing-Michaluk
Senior Façade Designer
Patryk Chin Hing-Michaluk (She/They) is a façade designer committed to creating spaces that are as beautiful and functional as they are sustainable. With roots in architectural technology and hands-on construction, they bring a thoughtful, well-rounded perspective to every envelope – bridging concept and execution with clarity, precision, and care.
Guided by a deep connection to the natural world and their lived experience as a queer designer, Patryk approaches each project with intention. Their work seeks balance – between performance and aesthetics, innovation and practicality, people and place. They believe design, when done with purpose, can quietly but powerfully shape a more equitable and lasting future.
patryk@mw-skins.com
Equere (Q) Dickson
Senior Façade Designer
Equere is a Facade Designer with 3 years of experience in façade design and consulting. He believes that the thin line between details and the ethereal is what makes architecture timeless. With a background in architectural design, sonic production, and building envelope consulting, Equere works toward connecting the lines on paper to material—and the material to the senses.
equere@mw-skins.com
Sang Ha
Senior Façade Designer
Sang Ha is an accomplished façade designer with 19 years of experience across the United States, Germany, and South Korea. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering and a Master’s degree in Architecture. Her portfolio spans a diverse range of projects worldwide, encompassing various scales and façade types. Sang collaborates closely with architects during the design phase to develop innovative façade solutions and provides detailed shop and fabrication drawings for high-profile projects by renowned architects, including Tadao Ando, Steven Holl, Norman Foster, Kengo Kuma, and others.
sang@mw-skins.com
Hormoz Houshmand
Independent Technical Consultant
Hormoz brings over 30 years of hands-on expertise in facade design and engineering, having delivered outstanding building envelopes on landmark projects across the globe. Known in our studio as the technical cornerstone, he mentors our team of younger engineers, passing on decades of practical knowledge in innovative facade systems, sustainable detailing, and complex building envelopes.
His portfolio spans everything from custom high-rise curtain walls to refined residential facades, always with an eye for performance and constructability. Hormoz’s commitment to pushing technical boundaries while educating the next generation makes him an invaluable part of our practice.
hormoz@mw-skins.com
Jiaxin Ruan
Junior Façade Designer
Jiaxin is an MEng student specializing in Structural Mechanics and Design at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She believes that the beauty of a design lies not only in its visual appeal but also in the thoughtful integration of functional and structural components. Before joining the team, she worked at HNTB on various infrastructure projects. In her free time, she enjoys traveling around the world and hanging out with her friends.
jiaxin@mw-skins.com