b'Jeff Osborne from Knoll International gaveA significant impetus to the growth of IsraelFinally I want to thank Marc Weissbach, who has me an opportunity to develop some furnitureBerger and Associates (IBA) was the supporttransformed IBA into Vidaris, a multidisciplinary designs and move back to New York after sevenof Cesar Pelli, architect of the World FinancialA/E consulting firm specializing not only in years in Europe. I was able to continue designCenter and other large commercial projects asBuilding Envelope Design but also including consulting with Peter Rice at the same time whilewell as Dean of Yales School of Architecture. Iservices in energy, testing and sustainability. I developing my own practice designing long-spanbecame the building envelope design consultanthave been fortunate in my association with IBA fabric structures. for many of Cesars projects including theand Vidaris as a principal over the last several Petronas Towers, Hong Kong IFC 2, Segerstromdecades as this collaboration has afforded me It was during a slowdown in consulting workArts Center, Minneapolis Central Library andthe opportunity to join their mission/business that I met Israel Berger. Israel was leading amany others. Sketches for these projects makemodel as consultants supporting architects and small curtain wall consulting team at the Worldup a large portion of this book. helping to realize their visions.Financial Center that specialized in inspections and testing of building envelopes and offeredI also have to thank the other 47 architecturalThanks to all who directly or indirectly made this me a job. Although this did not fit my ideal jobfirms whose work is reflected in this book.book possible.description at the time, I could see that he wasMany have been repeat customers for building on to something that would give me exposureenvelope consulting services. Remarkably, one to multiple large-scale architectural projects andof these recently was Renzo Piano Building their architects. It was our collaborations overWorkshop for the Columbia Universitys the past thirty years that have made this bookManhattanville campus. It was a pleasure to work possible. with Renzo and his team at their offices in Paris, New York and Genoa forty years after he hired me in Paris.5'