Press Release

Nicholas Holt Advises NYC Extreme Weather Task Force

New York, NY: Nicholas Holt, AIA, LEED® AP BD+C, Director at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), served as an expert on the New York City Building Resiliency Task Force, which unveiled its Summary Report outlining recommendations to strengthen New York’s building standards on June 13, 2013. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn convened the task force in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and charged the team of experts with making proposals to improve building resiliency and maximize preparedness for future extreme weather events.

Led by the Urban Green Council, the New York branch of the U.S. Green Building Council, the Building Resiliency Task Force was comprised of over 225 experts including real estate owners, property managers, architects, engineers, contractors, and consultants. Their report included 33 proposals that aim to help existing buildings become more resilient and strengthen the Building Code and Zoning Resolution in order to ensure that future buildings are designed to the highest resiliency standards.

As a member of the Task Force’s Steering Committee, Holt drew upon his extensive experience in developing and implementing advanced sustainability strategies and technologies to meet high performance design goals in projects around the world. Holt also brought his technical expertise to the Commercial and Residential Buildings Committees and co-chaired the Structure, Façade, and Interiors Working Group. Holt also serves on the Board of Directors at the Urban Green Council.

About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

Skidmore,Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) is one of the leading architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms in the world, with a 75?year reputation for design excellence and a portfolio that includes some of the most important architectural accomplishments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since its inception, SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which have had a palpable and lasting impact on the design profession and the physical environment. The firm has been honored with more than 1,400 awards for quality, innovation,and management. The firm maintains offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Brussels, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.