John Portman & Associates announces new Vice Presidents

Senior staff to enhance firm leadership in support of principals

John Portman & Associates is pleased to announce the appointment of new vice presidents Robert Halverson, Norris Hunt, Pierluca Maffey, Hong Wan and Ellen Zheng. These senior staff members have been promoted in recognition of their significant contributions to the practice and continued service to the firm.

Robert Halverson, AIA, NCARB – Vice President, Senior Project Manager, first joined the firm in 2007 and serves as the primary point of contact for projects’ design teams, consisting of architectural staff and outside specialty consultants. He also acts as the bridge between the principals and the rest of the team. Mr. Halverson focuses much of his time on developing clear and concise methods of presenting and explaining complex systems and design concepts. He is currently working on the Hotel Indigo at 230 Peachtree project in Atlanta.

Norris Hunt – Vice President, Senior Project Manager, has been with the firm for more than 30 years. One of the firm’s most experienced project managers, his focus and calm nature, along with superior people skills, and a sensitivity to clients’ priorities, have allowed him to excel as he handles coordination between outside consultants and Portman’s in-house architectural staff. In this role, Hunt serves as a liaison between the design team and the client to facilitate a collaborative process. He also works with intern architects to ensure that the practical application of the design process reflects the company’s intended design results. He is currently managing the 615 South College office building project in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Pierluca Maffey – Vice President, Design, has been a valuable member of the firm for more than eight years. His design approach reflects that of the firm in that it is consistent with the belief that architecture should be anchored in its particular context, enrich its location and collaborate with its natural environment. By focusing on the people who will actually use the space, he strives to create multiple perspectives and a slow reveal that together invoke a process of discovery, resulting in unexpected visual and spatial experiences. He is currently contributing his talents to designs in China, Korea and the U.S.

Hong Wan, AIA – Vice President, Senior Project Manager, has been with the firm since 2005 and has demonstrated tremendous skill in delivering large-scale complex projects. In addition to assisting a project’s principal-in-charge in leading the project team, coordinating with consultants, and communicating with the client, her duties include managing and mentoring the architectural team, ensuring schedule adherence, and providing quality assurance for project deliverables. Her fluency in both English and Mandarin makes her particularly valuable in the coordination of projects in China.

Ellen Zheng – Vice President, Commercial Director, covers a wide range of commercial and operational duties in our Shanghai office, including contract negotiations with Chinese clients and project management. She also leads and coordinates marketing, administration, accounting and human resources functions. Recognizing that great design is achieved through teamwork and that the best ideas are a result of collaboration, she acts as a liaison between Portman representatives in Atlanta and Shanghai and the firm’s Chinese clientele to advance communication efforts for all our China projects. Ellen has been instrumental in positioning Portman as one of the leading international architectural design firms in the China market.

These new vice presidents provide an enhanced level of support to the firm’s principals, including founder and visionary John Portman, FAIA, NCARB; Jack Portman, FAIA, NCARB; Grace A. Tan, AIA; Walter N. Jackson, RA; Walter E. Miller, RA; Gordon R. Beckman, AIA; Lell E. Barnes, III, AIA, NCARB; John D. Nipaver, AIA; and Gregory A. Botsch, AIA, NCARB.