2007 Aurora Award Judges
Nick Lehnert
Bassenian/Lagoni Architects, Vice President
Nick Lehnert joined the firm as vice president. Lehnert brings to Bassenian Lagoni Architects a wealth of knowledge on the building industry, an understanding of disciplined design that matches client and project objectives, as well as the talent to help the firm continue to develop and advance innovative residential design concepts. Lehnert helpS the140-person firm maintain a leadership role in the industry through an aggressive research and development program. He also works to develop market-based resources others in the firm can use to become better partners with the company’s builder and developer clients, and is active in business development efforts. Prior to joining BLA Nick served as director of strategic marketing and product development for Centex Homes, South Coast Division.
Elizabeth Falconer
Position By Design
“Position By Design” is an award-winning design firm, which specializes in model home merchandising and design for builders, as well as concept and visual merchandising in the commercial and hospitality fields. Elizabeth N. Falconer, MIRM, together with a staff of degreed and talented designers creates interior environments to evoke positive emotional response from target buyers and guests. The firm handles a broad scope of projects---from interior specifications and turn-key merchandising of model homes, to concept theming and visual display design and furnishing of commercial and hospitality projects.
The company has won numerous design awards and has been recognized within the design industry as a leader. Ms. Falconer has chaired the National Association of Homebuilders Education Committee, and is a past two-term member of the Design Committee. She is one of the few women to serve on NAHB’s elite Executive Committee (1999). Twice, she has chaired the prestigious Best in American Living Awards, sponsored by Professional Builder magazine, and she has judged “Builder’s Best” for Builder magazine. She judges numerous design competitions annually, and is one of the highest rated speakers at the International Builders’ Show every year. Her firm’s work has been published in Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, Builder and Professional Builder magazines. Editorial content has been included in such publications as The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post and The Dallas Morning News. She presently serves on the Board of Governors for the University of North Texas School of Hospitality Management and Merchandising, as well as the Downtown (Fort Worth) Design Review Board. In 2003, she was honored as a “Great Woman of Texas”, a prestigious award from the Fort Worth Business Press.
Position By Design is very committed to community causes and industry involvement. Each year, the company and its staff contribute to various charities and donate time and materials to a number of causes for the betterment of the community. Elizabeth is a Leadership Arlington and Leadership Colleyville graduate, past treasurer of Mid-Cities SOS (supporters of the women’s shelter); a past board member of both the River Legacy Foundation and the Arlington Art Museum. Married to a custom home builder, Elizabeth and her family, along with a menagerie of dogs, cats, and horses, reside in Fort Worth, Texas.
Marla Ottenstein
Ottenstein Marketing
Marla Ottenstein is the owner of Ottenstein Marketing, a boutique marketing firm located in Naples, Florida. Specializing in marketing, public relations, Web site design, logo development and corporate identity for the luxury homebuilding industry, her exclusive client list includes: select luxury homebuilders, commercial contractors, Real Estate developers, designers and architects, among other industry-related businesses.
Ottenstein’s love of design and architecture, as well as her infinite knowledge of the luxury homebuilding market is evident in her writing. An accomplished and talented writer for several national and regional shelter publications, Ottenstein is recognized for her ability to write concise, sophisticated and memorable copy that evokes a strong visual connection to the homes she writes about.
An entrepreneur at heart, Ottenstein recently launched Web.writer, a business that specializes in the fine art of writing succinct, sales-generating copy targeted toward Internet marketing and Web site design. Ottenstein also offers professional writing services for resumes and biographies.
When not sitting at her computer writing, or on the tennis court, she can be found globetrotting to such places as Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Rocky Mountains.
Roberta Klein
Writer/Editor, Florida Architecture Magazine
Roberta Klein is a veteran design and architecture writer and was the editor of Florida Architecture Magazine for 12 years. Among the publications her stories have appeared in are Architectural Digest, Veranda, Southern Accents, Multi-Family Executive, South Florida Business Journal, Florida Design, Architecture Magazine, Lincoln Road Magazine, Hospitality Design, Robb Report’s Home Entertainment and Design and Florida International. She served as the design writer for Sunshine Magazine, the Sunday Magazine of the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, during the 17 years the magazine existed and subsequently began writing for City & Shore, a regional stand-alone magazine also published by the Sun-Sentinel through the Chicago Tribune.
Roberta compiled and produced an acclaimed hard cover art book titled The Collages of Robert M. Swedroe. She also assisted in the production of a documentary-style video on direct entry elevators for the firm of Robert M. Swedroe Architects & Planners, which won both Aurora and Telly Awards.
Prior to launching her writing career in the mid 1970’s, she wrote and acted in a series of commercials for Argentina Airlines and held supporting roles in plays presented by several Broward County Community Theaters. She also won an Addy Award for writing a brochure for the former Mutiny Hotel & Club in Coconut Grove, Florida.
The mother of five and grandmother of four, Roberta lives in North Miami Beach in a modern apartment - her first apartment experience since she was 16. She looks forward to living in a single family home again.
Barry L. Glantz, A. I. A.
President, Glantz and Associates Architects, Inc.
Barry L. Glantz, AIA, is the president of Glantz & Associates Architects Inc., an award-winning, full-service residential architectural design and consulting firm located in St. Louis, Missouri. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, Glantz's firm provides complete architectural design and construction drawings to most of the area's top subdivision, custom and multi-family home builders.
Licensed / Registered architect in Missouri, Illinois, Georgia and Tennessee; Member, American Institute of Architects, (A.I.A). Certification with the National Council of Architectural Registration Board, (NCARB). International Code Council, (I.C.C.)
Board of Directors (1995-1999) and Vice President Associates (2000-2001) of the St. Louis Home Builders Association 2000, 2001
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Associates Advisory Council and NAHB Design Committee.
Nancy Anderson, AIA
Dahlin Group
Anderson has over 21 years experience as an architect and project manager overseeing large custom residences, recreational facilities, country clubs. She also has previous experience with an international food service consulting firm.
Education: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR - Bachelor of Interior Architecture
Licensed in California AIA and NAHB Professional Affiliate
Projects include numerous California residences in Blackhawk, Concord, Walnut Creek, Alameda, Danville, Monte Sereno, Hillsborough, Alamo, Lost Altos, Oakland, Fremont, Santa Rosa, Fremont, Tiburon, Cupertino, San Martin, San Jose, Thousand Oaks, Evergreen and San Jose. International projects include Luxury Villas; Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, China, and Lam Penthouse, Vancouver, BC, Canada.