About Us — Build Out Alliance

Since 2017, we have been working toward making the entire building design and construction industry more inclusive.

Our mission

Build Out Alliance promotes and advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community within the building design and construction industry. Our members build an environment where people serve openly and with pride across all roles and sectors of the industry. We lead by example in our own work environments and through partnerships with community organizations.

Much progress towards greater inclusivity has been made within the building, design, and construction industries over the past decade, but more can be done. Research has shown that many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) employees aren’t comfortable being open about their sexual orientation in the workplace. And, homophobic and transphobic slurs and comments continue to remain a greater problem on active construction sites. Many firms have worked to incorporate or improve their own LGBTQ employee resource groups; this is not yet an industry-wide standard practice.

Build Out Alliance seeks to fill this void. Build Out Alliance’s mission is to promote and advocate for LGBTQ people serving openly and with pride in all roles within the building, design, and construction industries. Our members work towards making the entire industry more welcoming to LGBTQ professionals, leading by example in our own work environments and through partnerships with community organizations.

Currently, Build Out Alliance has active members and representatives from across the building, design, and construction industry – from small, local architecture firms to global engineering and design firms and construction professionals. We see an industry where inclusion is valued universally, where LGBTQ professionals have equal opportunities, can work openly with pride, and benefit from a professional network.

Our board

Pauline Barkin
Vice President

+ Read more about Pauline

Pauline Barkin is the East Coast Regional Director and runs the NYC office of the façade consulting firm Heitmann & Associates. As a leader in the façade industry, she has managed projects across NYC and the North East including a large convention center, hospitals and high-rises. She develops improvements to the design of new building envelopes and identifies the best ways to address deficiencies in existing façades. Ms. Barkin grew up in New Jersey and currently lives in Brooklyn. She earned her Architecture degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a Registered Architect in New York State. In her free time she enjoys cycling in New York City’s many parks and greenways.

Lok Chan
Secretary

+ Read more about Lok

Lok is an architect and Associate at Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA). She grew up in Hong Kong and Florida, and received her B.Arch from the University of Miami. In addition to her work on institutional projects, Lok is chair of the RAMSA Q+ committee. She currently lives in Astoria with her cat, Congee. When asked the question “Why are you proud of Build Out” she replied, “Build Out brings us all together and shows how diverse and interconnected our LGBTQ+ community is. I hope that all those seeking acceptance and support in the building design and construction industry can find their place here.”

Matt Hyde
Treasurer

+ Read more about Matt

Matt is a Project Manager at Turner Construction Company in New York City. He is also a co-founder of Build Out Alliance the co-creator and lead of Pride Network, Turner’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group. He grew up in Fairfield, CT, and now lives in Jersey City, NJ with his fiancee, Miska. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Cornell and his Master’s from Columbia. Matt is proud of his work at Build Out Alliance because it allows the LGBTQ+ community to gain more visibility in the design & construction industry. Through additional awareness, he hopes the organization can continue to make a positive impact for those who identify as LGBTQ+ in the industry.

Rajas Karnik
Past President

+Read more about Rajas

Rajas is an architect at Gensler. He grew up in Mumbai, India where he also attended school at the Academy of Architecture, then moved to the United States to attend graduate school at Texas A & M University. He currently lives in Hell's Kitchen with his boyfriend, Phil, and their dog, Bacio. When asked the question “Why are you proud of Build Out” he replied, “growing up in India I had never thought I would ever come out, but did so after moving to the US. Since I didn’t see many out professionals in the industry, it took a while. Even today I do not see many out leaders and, on the construction site, I believe there is even more pressure to adhere to “norms” this is even more of an issue Through this group I would like to create visibility for out LGBTQ professionals and help create a safe environment for them to celebrate who they are.”

Keith Kennedy
Director

+ Read more about Keith

Keith has an innate passion for strategic thinking which drives him to think differently. An associate principal at ZGF Architects, he brings a fresh perspective that challenges the traditional role of marketing within the AEC industry. He charts firm-wide strategies and implements them through his leadership across many facets of the firm, chief among them marketing. Keith has always had a passion for the built environment—having studied engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology—and promotes the industry’s value in everything he does. He looks forward to extending the platform which Build Out Alliance offers to the LGBTQ+ community in the building design and construction industry.

Tracy J. Passarella
Director

+ Read more about Tracy

Tracy is a licensed Superintendent turned Project Manager and a proud employee of Gilbane Building Company. Her love for building started when she’d play hooky from school to stay home and build her newest Lego set. Tracy grew up on Long Island and lived in North Carolina for 5 years before moving to Manhattan to attend film school and to run her Mom’s new bar and restaurant in Gramercy Park aptly named, “Tracy J’s.” During this time, she enrolled in the Construction Project Management program at NYU. Tracy has been married to her soulmate, Lauren, since 2016. They have two cats and two 22-year-old turtles . When asked, “Why are you proud of Build Out?” she replied, “I believe that our careers can be a very lonely place if we are forced to hide who we are. Build Out gives a voice to those who may feel isolated at the workplace or even at home. When I began working with a company that supports the LGBTQIA community, I blossomed in my career because I no longer had the distraction of protecting my identity.”

Kristen Pecci
Director

+ Read more about Kristen

Kristen is an Associate Principal at WB Engineers+Consultants. A native New Yorker, her background spans the worlds of theatre, construction, and design. Kristen received her Bachelor’s degree from Fordham University at Lincoln Center before studying architectural technology at NYIT. Combining her love of theatre electrics with her passion for design turned out to be a match made in heaven for Kristen, as she dove headfirst into the world of electrical engineering and has not looked back! As a Team Leader for WB, she leads a multi-disciplinary team of MEP design engineers with a focus on commercial interiors, base building infrastructure, and multi-site program management. Kristen lives in Long Island with her wife, Robyn, and young daughter, Alex, both of whom share her love of cooking and LEGOs. When asked “Why are you proud of Build Out?”, she replied “Representation and visibility matter, both as a member of the LGBTQ community and as a women in STEM. Build Out’s mission allows our communities to grow and connect while broadening the message of inclusion and equity in our industry. Seeing your story represented in peers and leaders helps generate confidence and positive momentum for change.”

Ruth Ro
Director

+ Read more about Ruth

Ruth Ro is an Associate Principal at Dattner Architects where she leads large-scale mixed use projects. She is an active member of the AIANY Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is committed to LGBTQ+ visibility through her participation in panels and speaking roles throughout the AEC industry. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Ruth moved to New York to study philosophy at New York University. She went on to earn her Master of Architecture from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation where she was awarded the Lowenfish Memorial Prize. She currently lives in Montclair, New Jersey with her wife and three children. When asked the question “Why are you proud of Build Out” she replied “When I am out and visible in the workplace, I’m able to open minds, break down preconceptions, and create a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ colleagues. I have benefitted from brave trailblazers ahead of me and I have a responsibility to leave a wider path behind me. Through Build Out, we can continue to find strength in numbers, be more visible, and create a more inclusive industry.”

Andrew Torres
President

+ Read more about Andrew

Andrew is a licensed architect and project manager with Gemini Rosemont Development. He was previously an Associate at Marvel, where he also co-lead its IDEAL working group focused on DEI issues. Andrew grew up in the Midwest and received his AB from Harvard University and his MArch from the University of Texas. He has been in New York since 2008, with interludes in Bahrain and Puerto Rico, and currently lives in Brooklyn. When asked, “Why are you proud of Build Out?” he replied, “As a much needed platform for visibility, networking, advocacy, and service, Build Out Alliance is positively impacting our industries and our communities.”

Martin Scott
Director

+ Read more about Martin

Martin is an architect and Associate at FXCollaborative with significant experience in educational, commercial, residential, hospitality, and exhibition projects. He possesses a strong appreciation for culture and diversity, understanding both to be integrally tied to the success of effective and equitable architecture. Hailing from rural Tasmania, Martin earned his Bachelor of Design in Architecture and Master of Architecture from Deakin University in Australia and is a RIBA registered architect. When asked the question "Why are you proud of Build Out" he replied, "Build Out Alliance provides me with a guaranteed safe space within the industry where I can truly be myself. I am proud to be part of such a supportive framework where we are all here to help one another so we can focus on working to our full potential".

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Our sponsors

Build Out Alliance exists entirely on donations and the generosity of the following organizations and individuals. Without their support, nothing that we have accomplished or hope to accomplish would be possible.

Thank you.