Nico Kienzl DDES, LEED FELLOW

Nico is a founding director of Atelier Ten’s New York City office and member of Atelier Ten’s US and international leadership group. He has over 20 years of experience in sustainability consulting with expertise on the application of advanced building analysis for façade optimization, daylight and shading analysis, and optimization of building systems.

Nico has played a significant role on a variety of residential, commercial, institutional, cultural, and masterplan projects throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East where he has not only shaped the environmental performance, but also influenced the building industry in moving into a more sustainable future. As Director, he has consulted on over 150 high-performance building projects, many of which have sought Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification, including the first LEED Platinum condominium in New York City, the first LEED Platinum university campus under LEED-ND, and most recently the ambitious expansion of the Science, Education, & Innovation Center at the American Museum of Natural History. His exemplary contributions to green building and significant professional achievements within the community of LEED professionals led him to be among a select group of 43 exceptional green building professionals worldwide to be named LEED Fellow of 2012, the most prestigious designation awarded by Green Building Certification Institute.

Nico is a member of the Board of Directors for the Urban Green Council and Architecture League of New York. He served as a Representative Member and Peer Reviewer for the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Green Building Federal Advisory Committee and GSA Design Excellence Program, respectively, and is currently an Industry Advisor for the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) for the U.S. Department of State. Nico has held teaching engagements at various institutions including Harvard Graduate School of Design, Pratt Institute, Yale University, and Columbia University.

He received a Doctor of Design from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, a Master of Science in Building Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Diploma in Architecture from the Technical University of Munich.