MICROHOME 10

Neall Digert, Ph.D., MIES is Vice President of Innovation and Market Development at Kingspan Light, Air, + Water | North America. With over 35 years of experience in energy, lighting, and daylighting design, Dr. Digert is a leading authority in advancing daylighting technologies, product development, and global sales strategies. He has co-developed key metrics such as Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA) and Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE), and serves on technical committees within the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA), and the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), redefining the art and science of daylighting strategies for commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings. Dr. Digert holds degrees in architectural and civil engineering from the University of Colorado.

Sandra del Bove is Group Head of Innovation at the Kingspan Innovation Centre - IKON, a hub in Ireland dedicated to medium to long-term ideas, developments, and innovations in the area of energy efficiency, decarbonization, and circularity. Born and raised in Germany, Sandra pursued her studies in Austria and Ireland, enriching her expertise in strategic marketing. Her career at Kingspan has seen her work across multiple divisions and countries in Europe, collaborating with teams and customers worldwide. At IKON, she is at the forefront of evaluating emerging data, insights, and ideas, leveraging state-of-the-art equipment and rigorous experimentation. Sandra’s approach is deeply rooted in a blend of technical expertise and market feedback, allowing her to assess the viability of innovations, from exploring bio-based materials to enabling the next era of digital building design, at every stage. Her commitment to aligning these innovations with Kingspan's sustainability programme ensures that each idea is thoroughly vetted and refined to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving built environment.

Zack Giffin is an American carpenter-skier and co-hosts of the hit A&E/Netflix series Tiny House Nation. Renowned for his inventive, space-saving designs and creative approach to compact living areas, he built his own 120-square-foot “tiny ski house on wheels” in 2011—traveling over 30,000 miles—before bringing his unique skill set and experience to television. Beyond TV, Zack is a tireless advocate for the tiny home movement. He serves as Vice President of the Tiny Home Industry Association, sits on the board of the nonprofit Operation Tiny Home (which supports homeless veterans), and is a voting member of the ICC 1215 Committee for Tiny House Standards. His commitment to ending prohibitions against tiny homes reflects both his appreciation for simple, functional design and his deep belief in the transformative power of our built environment. With a background as an athlete and an artist, Zack brings a blend of creativity, craftsmanship, and fun to every project. Whether inventing space-saving solutions on Tiny House Nation or working to update building codes with the ICC, he’s dedicated to removing barriers for tiny homes everywhere.

Mitchell Joachim, Ph.D., Assoc. AIA, is the Co-Founder of Terreform ONE and Full Professor of Practice at NYU, where he also serves as Co-Chair of Global Design. His work explores the intersection of architecture, biology, and urban resilience. Previously, he was an architect at the studios of Frank Gehry, I.M. Pei, and Moshe Safdie. Mitchell is a TED Senior Fellow and recipient of numerous awards including the Fulbright Scholarship, NEA Grant for Arts Projects, LafargeHolcim Acknowledgement Prize, and Time Magazine’s Best Invention of the Year for his work with MIT Smart Cities. His design work has been exhibited at MoMA, the Venice Biennale, Seoul Biennale, and MASS MoCA. He is the co-author of several books, including Design with Life, XXL-XS: New Directions in Ecological Design, and Global Design: Elsewhere Envisioned. Mitchell holds advanced degrees from MIT, Harvard, Columbia, and UB, and has held faculty positions at institutions such as the University of Toronto, Columbia, and Parsons.

Flora Lee is an Associate Partner of MAD Architects. She has helped develop and realize a number of MAD’s major international projects, including: 8600 Wilshire in Beverly Hills; Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles; Campinas Art Gallery of Brazil; East 34th in NYC; UNIC Residential in Paris; and the Conrad Hotel in Beijing.

Adele Peters is a senior writer at Fast Company, where she covers innovative solutions to global challenges such as climate change and affordable housing. Her reporting features conversations with leaders such as Al Gore and Bill Gates, as well as emerging entrepreneurs. She contributed to the bestselling book Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century and the 2023 publication State of Housing Design, produced by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. A two-time SEAL Journalism Award winner, she previously led design coverage at GOOD magazine, worked at the climate tech startup BioLite, managed the Sustainable Products and Solutions Program at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and assisted in teaching green product design at Stanford University. She holds a master’s degree in sustainability strategy from Sweden’s Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) and a journalism degree from the University of Iowa.