Following an extensive search, Evan Yassky, AIA, will become the new executive director of Facilities Planning and Design and assistant University architect, effective May 1.
In his new role, Yassky will oversee the planning, capital budgeting and project management of all University capital improvement projects and provide leadership to the Facilities Services in-house design services, interior design and project management staff. The Facilities Planning and Design department provides the University with services that include facilities and land use planning, architectural and design review, space utilization analysis, community coordination and the historic preservation and curation of historic property. Yassky’s responsibilities will also include steering all capital projects through the University’s project development process and ensuring that all projects comply with the Campus Master Plan and University Design Guidelines.
“I am tremendously excited to be joining the Facilities Services team,” said Yassky. “The Chapel Hill campus is not just a jewel in the UNC system, but a national treasure. I am honored to be in a position to help build upon this legacy with the creation of high-performing buildings and spaces that support and strengthen the University’s mission.”
Yassky brings a wealth of architectural expertise to the University. He recently served as design principal at Rosen Johnson Architects in New York, where he set design direction and guided the design development of all projects across the firm. Before joining Rosen Johnson, Yassky was an associate at the firm KieranTimberlake for 10 years and at Hillier Architecture for nine years.
Yassky’s experience includes planning and design for numerous large-scale higher education projects, including the Morse and Ezra Stiles Residential Colleges renovation at Yale University, which earned the AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture and was a World Architecture Festival finalist. Yassky also led the design team for the reimagining of North Campus at the University of Washington’s flagship Seattle campus, which encompassed a 46-acre planning area and nearly one million square feet of new construction.
Yassky received his masters of architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) Building Design and Construction certified.