The Fabric of Cities with Dana Getman

Dana Getman is an Associate Principal at SHoP Architects in New
York City, leading some of the firm’s most complex and dynamic
projects. Dana received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell
University and a Master of Architecture II from Yale University.
She recently completed project management of 111 West 57th
Street, a 1,400 foot tall terracotta and bronze super tall
residential tower located adjacent to the original Steinway
showroom overlooking Central Park. Among other projects, she also
led the team during key phases of design and construction for the
East River Waterfront including Pier 15 and the Esplanade, which
create 14,000,000 sf of public space along the East River. She is
an expert working with user groups and community stakeholders to
build consensus throughout the design and construction process.
Currently, she is overseeing design teams for the National
Veterans Resource Center at Syracuse University and the OBO
Design Excellence Program. She is Chair of Urban Land Institute
Next in New York and a member of the urban planning committee at
the Municipal Art Society in addition to regularly lecturing.


In this episode, Dana talks about her journey that took her from
a Girl Scout project to architecture school, what it was like
managing the design and construction of a residential supertower
in Manhattan, how the thought processes that go into design
public spaces can inform those of private developments, and gives
some insight into the design process at SHoP. Dana also talks
about her experiences with having both a fulfilling career while
being a young mother, and shares what makes SHoP such a special
and welcoming place for families.