The Salvadori Center holds Annual Cocktail Benefit

The Salvadori Center held its Annual Cocktail Benefit on Wednesday, May 2 at the Atrium Shops and Cafés. A cordial atmosphere of jazz, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres served as the setting for the presentation of the Founder's Awards for Excellence, which honored three eminent New Yorkers for their contributions to the fields of business, design and public service. The Business Award was presented to Pat Di Filippo, executive vice president of Turner Construction Company. Di Filippo is responsible for the New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Maryland Business Units, overseeing all activities of these units that complete nearly $2.5 billion in annual construction. Di Filippo has taken an executive role in the development of numerous prolific projects, including the United States Tennis Facility in Flushing Meadows, Yankee Stadium, Jet Blue Terminal at JFK Airport, The World Trade Center Hub and the renovation of Madison Square Garden. The Design Award was given to Elizabeth Diller, founding principal of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, an interdisciplinary design studio that integrates architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts. A recipient of the McArthur Foundation's 'genius' award, a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and an inductee of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Diller and her company have designed such renowned projects as the Lincoln Center expansion and renovation, the High Line in New York, the Museum of Image and Sound in Rio de Janeiro and the Broad Museum in Los Angeles. The Public Service Award was presented to David Burney, FAIA, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Since his appointment to this post in 2004 by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, he has managed a variety of capital projects for various City agencies including the Departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection. With Mayor Bloomberg's support, Mr. Burney launched a City-wide "Design and Construction Excellence Initiative" with the goal of raising the quality of design and construction of public works throughout New York City. Burney is the recipient of The Sloane Public Service Award and the AIA National Thomas Jefferson Award, among others. The Salvadori Center honors these three individuals for their work in laying the foundation of the Center's pedagogical model. The Salvadori approach to teaching math and science through the built environment - buildings, bridges and structures from the communities that surround us - enables students to achieve personal academic success through hands-on, collaborative, project-based learning. Through their dedication to the design and development of interesting and transformative architecture, these award recipients have provided the city and its residents with an even more engrossing and sophisticated environment from which to learn.