Julie Nelson
Partner
Julie Nelson possesses a keen interest in uncovering the potential of existing conditions, revitalizing neglected spaces, and designing places where the built and the natural coexist. On all projects, which range from institutional to residential to commercial, she promotes design and construction approaches that give back more than they take.
Julie’s connection to nature is clearly seen in the LEED Platinum Queens Botanical Garden Visitor and Administration Center, winner of an AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Award and a NY State AIA Award of Excellence. In Washington Heights, Julie’s project for the Community of the Holy Spirit also promotes stewardship to the earth and society, through two rooftop gardens among other strategies. Herself an avid gardener who implements sustainable strategies at home, Julie recently worked with her husband to convert a 19th century Scottish church into an energy-efficient residence.
A committed educator and advocate, Julie regularly speaks and writes about sustainability and has been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post, in addition to previously serving on AIANY’s COTE Policy Committee and as Sustainable Design Critic at City College. She holds Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the University of Virginia.