Founder of Victoria Benatar Architect PLLC and Co-Founder of EXD Architecture, is transforming the landscape of urban living through cutting-edge design and research.Curiosity about urban culture and human behavior drives innovation in her work. Her extensive research explores the evolving impact of shared economies on city design, the role of healthy materials in shaping a sustainable environment, and the crucial discoveries in neuroscience about how the brain responds to design.Inspired by the transformative Lower Manhattan project of the 1990s, Victoria's firm is pioneering research on the adaptive reuse of post-COVID office buildings. This visionary approach does not simply solve the city's housing shortage, but redefines urban living.Beyond her impact on the design world, since 2023, Victoria has extended her influence to civic engagement. Serving as a Public Member of the NYC Community Board 6, specifically on the Land Use and Waterfront Committee, reflects her unwavering dedication to shaping not only the built environment but also actively participating in the improvement of the communities she serves. In response to evolving paradigms, her firm is pioneering innovative design typologies by integrating layered activities, 24-hour programming, and insights from neuroscience. The aim is to optimize space utilization, enhance real estate value, and elevate the overall quality of life by creating transformative spatial experiences. As part of the commitment to the public realm, EXD Architecture has actively contributed to the AIA NY Outdoor Dining Program and co-authored the Design Guidelines for the future of outdoor dining.Since 2024, she is serving on the AIA New York Board of Directors, a position that recognizes her commitment to the architectural profession and her advocacy for the vital role of architecture and design in our society. BackgroundArchitecture degree from Universidad Central de Venezuela (1983) and a master’s degree in urban design and architecture from Columbia University (GSAPP) (1995). Victoria has been a professor for the past 27 years, first at Columbia University in the Urban Design department and currently at Parsons the New School for Design at the School of constructed environments (SCE), teaching courses on both architecture and interior design.Victoria believes in the power of design to create a better and healthy life. Her objective as an architect is to help as much people as possible to improve the quality of their lives by improving the quality of their spaces, because DESIGN REALLY MATTERS!