Adele Salierno Principal, Studio KU

With over 20 years of experience, Adele brings to the firm her international background and her ability to comprehend the delicate relationship between the modern and the historic. While Adele’s skills include the organization of all aspects of design and a deep understanding of scale and proportions, her passion lies in the dialogue between colors, materials, and textures. Adele is also a certified color consultant. Adele received her Architecture degree from University of Rome “La Sapienza” and subsequently obtained her Italian architectural license.

After beginning her career in Italy, Adele moved to the United States in 2006; her experience in San Francisco began at a renowned firm where she helpedmanage construction projects for high-end stores such as Bvlgari and Prada, and then she gainedexperience in the custom-high-end residential market.

At the end of 2019 Adele left her full time job to transition to her new role as Principal at StudioKu, and notwithstanding the pandemic-related challenges,the company succeeded in growing both number and size of commissions. Adele’s work has appeared on regional and online publications, and her projects can be found throughout the Bay Area. Adele is passionate about choosing materials, keeping up with industry trends, and working out details that are custom to each client's needs and goals. In her free time, she enjoys baking and hunting for inspiration - which she usually finds in unpredictable ways.

www.studio-ku.net

Finding balance in a growing firm

Adele will be sharing thoughts regarding pros and cons of working with firms of different sizes, and how eventually she found her own path.

After two experiences with mid-sized firms focusing on competitions and commercial work, Adele landed in a very small residential firm in San Francisco. With just a few people in the office, everyone needed to wear many hats. Adele was quickly exposed to a variety of tasks, from schematic design to construction documents, construction administration, and project management. In addition to the architectural experience, Adele familiarized herself with all the hidden needs of running a firm, starting with the everyday errands such as buying toner and fixing the printer, while continuing with more strategic responsibilities, like marketing, and maintaining relationships with industry partners and clients.

In the span of a decade, Adele witnessed the growth of the firm, and also had the opportunity to analyze the benefits against the headaches associated with firm growth. It felt natural at that moment to spread her wings and to take off on her own. The growth question of a firm is an eternal one; there’s a sweet spot between profitability, and the effort it takes to manage people in order to obtain it. Adele will share how she found her equilibrium, achieving a good work-life balance, and a fulfilling work life.

Celia Imrey Principal, Imrey Studio Planning & Design

Celia leads strategy, planning, and design at Imrey Studio LLC, and draws from her substantial experience with national and international cultural facilities. Celia is known for her award-winning work for museum, library, and educational facilities including the Louvre Lens Museum, Harlem School of the Arts / The Herb Alpert Center, and the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, along with her varied international work as the Global Head of Exhibition Design for Adjaye Associates where she worked from 2022 to 2023. She has created designs for over 50 museums, schools, libraries, and community centers - from site planning and architecture to permanent and temporary exhibits, and has designed displays and interpretive systems for almost every kind of object or story. She also has expertise in visitor experience design, art storage, and sustainable exhibition design. Celia has taught over 20 art and architecture studios and her work has been widely published in national and inter-nationalpublications. Her professional formation was through working for I. M. Pei, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, William McDonough & Partners, and Acconci Studio. Celia is a licensed architect in New York state.

www.imreystudio.com

time, Context, and Clients

Celia will reflect on pivotal lessons learned throughout her career designing cultural spaces. She will explore how she has developed an approach of factoring time into the design process. She’ll discuss the value of deep understanding of a site and its context.  She’ll talk about her experience achieving consensus with clients and how that affects her design process.  And finally, she’ll share about the specifics of exhibition design and what it means when people, architecture, and art interact within the same spaces. Celia will also share how she finds personal fulfillment in her work by not only serving her clients but also creating spaces that enrich the wider community—balancing artistic vision with social responsibility.