UNC-Chapel Hill Executive Director of Facilities Planning and Design Evan Yassky has been named University Architect, effective immediately.
Yassky, who came to the University in May 2017, oversees the planning, capital budgeting and project management of all University capital improvement projects and provides leadership to the Facilities Services design services, interior design, project management and technology staff. Yassky’s responsibilities have also included steering the new Campus Master Planning project, which will go in front of the University Board of Trustees for final approval in April 2019.
Anna Wu, associate vice chancellor for Facilities Services, has served as the University Architect for UNC-Chapel Hill since 2001, and during her tenure in the role she was responsible for the execution of the University’s $2.3 billion capital improvement program. Wu says she hired Yassky with an eye for promoting him to University Architect.
The University Architect serves as the aesthetic and architectural steward of the UNC-Chapel Hill campus and manages all long-range campus planning. The role provides leadership and support for land use planning and campus development initiatives, and coordinates architectural and site design through the Board of Trustees approval process.
“I have valued my role as University Architect, however with the upcoming approval of the Campus Master Plan, the time is right to transition this responsibility to Evan.” says Wu. “Managing the entirety of facilities services is a large responsibility, one which I am honored to have. Evan has been acting as the lead architect for the University and I am confident that our campus is in talented hands.”
Yassky brings 25 years of architectural, design and project management expertise to the University. His experience in higher education includes planning and design for numerous large-scale projects, including the renovation of two historic residential colleges at Yale University and the design of a new 1 million square foot housing and student life complex at the University of Washington’s North Campus.
Yassky earned his Master of Architecture 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.
“The UNC-Chapel Hill campus is a national treasure whose buildings and landscapes are a key part of our country’s history,” says Yassky. “At the same time, it is a dynamic campus that is poised for renewal and change that will support the growth of learning, discovery and innovation that form the core of the University’s strategic plan. The campus has benefited tremendously from the strong leadership that Anna has provided over the past 18 years and continues to provide as the associate vice chancellor for Facilities Services. I thank her for the trust she has placed in me.”