Kateryna Maksimentseva
Kateryna Maksimentseva is a multidisciplinary designer with a background in landscape architecture and architecture. This dual focus, honed in Germany, has been informed by her diverse experiences working across Ukraine and the US. At Starr Whitehouse, Kateryna is working on two major affordable housing projects: for the Seniors First Kingsborough development in Brooklyn, she’s focused on concept design, detailing, and grading of the roof terrace. For the Lambert Houses Affordable Housing project in the Bronx, she’s using her deep knowledge of Revit-based BIM modeling to develop concept designs for townhouses and courtyards. Her designs are shaped by a passion to dissolve the boundaries between architecture and landscape, creating spaces that function as one harmonious, living system. Kateryna received both her master’s in landscape architecture and bachelor’s in architecture from Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture.
Representative Projects:
Site Plans + Housing
Seniors First Kingsborough Affordable Housing, Brooklyn, NY
Battery Playscape Field House, New York, NY
Lambert Houses Affordable Housing, Bronx, NY
Innovation Queens Affordable Housing, Queens, NY
388 Hudson Street, New York, NY
With a background in architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture, Dhwani Mehta brings a multidisciplinary approach to projects ranging from site design to large-scale urban realm interventions. She has experience across all project phases, from concept and design development to construction drawings and site supervision. Dhwani currently manages Starr Whitehouse’s urban design effort on a FEMA-funded resilience study for Esplanade Gardens, a former Mitchell-Lama development that abuts the Harlem River in East Harlem. In Brooklyn, she is developing project visualization for the Starr Whitehouse-led Coney Island Creek Resilience Project. In the Bronx, she contributed site and existing conditions analysis for the Starr Whitehouse-led Pelham Bay Park Access Study. Before joining Starr Whitehouse, Dhwani was an urban and landscape designer at AECOM, working on design development and construction documentation for resilience projects like NYC DEP’s Kissena Cloudburst Hub. Dhwani holds a Master’s in Architecture Studies and Urbanism from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from KRVIA, Mumbai University, where she is a licensed architect. While at MIT, she was selected for the MIT DesignX and MIT PKG accelerator programs, co-founding a hyperlocal digital platform that connects businesses and supports urban economies in informal settlements in India.
Representative Projects:
Climate Resilience Planning
FEMA Esplanade Gardens Resilience Study, New York, NY
Coney Island Creek Resilience Project, Brooklyn, NY
Pelham Bay Park Access Study, Bronx, NY
DEP Water & Stormwater Resiliency Engagement & Signage Plan, five boroughs, NYC
Cloudburst Kissena Hub, Right-of-way design, Queens, NY*
Coastal Resilience Design, Confidential project, MA*
Park Design
Cloudburst Kissena Hub, Onsite Park, Queens, NY*
Payne Playground, Brooklyn, NY*
Streets, Public Realm, and Infrastructure
NYC DEP 34 Avenue Open Street, Queens, NY
Citywide Greenways Expansion Plan, five boroughs, NYC
Owl’s Head Viaduct Rehabilitation Impacts, Brooklyn, NY*
Airport Landscape Design, Confidential project, NY*
DC Public Realm Plan, Washington, DC*
Site Plans + Housing
BCM Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, India*
Bellevue Holiday Villas by Carnival Realty, India*
Gupta House, India*
IB Farmhouse, India*
Meenakshi Hospital, India*
Estaa Gems Office, India*
Lodha residential interior projects, India*
Modus Office Interiors, India*
*Work completed prior to joining Starr Whitehouse
Growing up in Harlem and spending his teen years in the Dominican Republic, Comptroller Antonely Molina has always had an appreciation for finance and the importance of planning for unforeseen situations. He has worked in a variety of industries and brings seven years of experience in the construction industry, where he developed procedures to keep track of over/under budgeted projects, relieve cash flow restraints, and maintain up-to-date contract information. At Starr Whitehouse, he leverages this experience to support the stability, reliability and transparency of the firm’s financial department. Antonely received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting from Hunter College. When not crunching the numbers, he loves to spend quality time with friends and family and nerd out over music, sports, anime and tattoos.
Aaron is a versatile designer with experience in all phases of design and construction and an interest in the long-term health of landscapes. He is currently supporting the FEMA-funded reconstruction of historic Dinosaur Playground in Manhattan’s Riverside Park — retrofitting a landmarked park with new play features and high-performing stormwater infrastructure. He leads drawing production on three miles of NYC Parks’ Destination: Greenways! initiative and the creation of neurodivergence-oriented play experience at NYC Parks’ Wolfe’s Pond Park Playground. With Laura Starr, Aaron’s concept design for the Stemma helped the developer team win the contract to implement this new sustainable housing project in the Bronx. He is currently providing construction administration for NYC Parks’ Clove Lakes Park Baseball Field in Staten Island. Before joining Starr Whitehouse, Aaron performed construction documentation and administration on Hudson River Park Piers 25 and 84 and learned sustainable design practices through work in drought and fire sensitive regions of Sourthern California. Originally from rural Alabama, Aaron graduated with an MLA from Auburn University where he worked as a teaching assistant.
Representative Projects:
Park Design
Southwest Resiliency Park Expansion, Hoboken, NJ
Dinosaur Playground Renovation, Riverside Park, New York, NY
Wolfe’s Pond Park Playground, Staten Island, NY
Clove Lakes Park Baseball Field, Staten Island, NY
Freshkills South Park, Staten Island, NY
Streets, Public Realm, and Infrastructure
Destination Greenways! Leif Ericson Park to Verrazzano Bridge, Brooklyn, NY
DUMBO and Vinegar Hill Mobility Study, Brooklyn, NY
Alpharetta Downtown Planting Guidelines Alpharetta, GA
Site Plans + Housing
Atlantic Chestnut Affordable Housing, Brooklyn, NY
Cooper Commons Hospital Conversion, Brooklyn, NY
Halletts Point Waterfront Development, Queens NY
Seniors First: Weeksvillage Senior Housing, Brooklyn, NY
Lecount Place Pool Deck, New Rochelle, NY
Bedford Union Armory, Brooklyn, NY*
Mary Star of the Sea Senior Housing, Brooklyn, NY*
Penn South Landscape Management Oversight, New York, NY*
The Chateau Garden Restoration, Queens, NY*
*Work Completed Prior to Joining Starr Whitehouse.
With a background in public space design and urban planning, Keiko Okai-Yabe brings comprehensive expertise to various stages of spatial creation, from urban vision development to construction documentation and supervision. With five years of practical experience in Japan, including street and square designs, she has a strong interest in urban-rural resilience, having participated in both research and practical aspects of recovery projects following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
Before joining Starr Whitehouse, Keiko obtained a Master’s in City Planning and an Urban Design Certificate from the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, where she developed strong research and quantitative analysis skills within the urban planning field. She also holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Tokyo, where she was in the Landscape and Civic Design Lab.
Representative Projects:
Streets, Public Realm, and Infrastructure
Niagara Falls Signage and Wayfinding Plan, Niagara Falls, NY
Public Square Park Renovation Bid Documents, Hudson, NY
Walkable KOBE Vision Plan, Hyogo, Japan*
Sankita Streetscape and Plaza, Kobe-Sannomiya Station, Hyogo, Japan*
Streetscape Design, Izumo Taisha Shrine, Shimane, Japan*
Yanagawa Station Canal Square, Fukuoka, Japan*
Matsuyama City Station Square Concept Design, Ehime, Japan*
*Work completed prior to joining Starr Whitehouse
Landscape and urban designer Ana Piacentini brings six years of experience as point person and lead designer on a broad range of projects, with particular emphasis on mapping, construction documentation, ecological research, and water management. Ana was project landscape designer on NYC Parks’ Hart Island Concept Plan, developing a framework for capital improvements to address resilience, ecology, visitor experience, and burial operations at a storied public cemetery in Long Island Sound. For a study to integrate Prospect Park into NYC DEP’s bluebelt system, she contributed design and drainage analysis. She provided construction documentation on an ambitious new adventure playground at Bear Mountain State Park, as well as playgrounds at Saratoga Spa and Rudd Pond State Parks. Currently, is supporting concept alternatives on a resilience study for the Esplanade Gardens housing development. Prior to Starr Whitehouse, Anna spent four years designing and detailing a range of residential, public and housing projects throughout New York City, Miami and the Bahamas. In her free time, she loves to rock climb, play tennis, read, and experiment with different artistic mediums such as block printing. Ana graduated with her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Northeastern University in 2019.
Representative Projects:
Climate Resilience Planning
Esplanade Gardens Resilience Study, New York, NY
Corona Cloudburst Hub, Queens, NY
Prospect Park Bluebelt Study, Brooklyn, NY
Southwest Streetscapes Concept Masterplan, Miami, FL*
Park Design
Hart Island Concept Plan, Long Island Sound, NY
Bear Mountain State Park Adventure Playground, Tomkins Cove, NY
Southwest Resiliency Park Expansion, Hoboken, NJ
Arverne East Nature Preserve, Queens, New York
Rudd Pond State Park, Millerton, NY
Saratoga Spa Playground, Saratoga Springs, NY
Charles Williams Park, Hudson, NY
Site Plans + Housing
Orient Point Residence and Private Nature Preserve, Orient Point, NY
Bedford Green House Affordable Housing, Bronx, NY
Packer Collegiate Institute Garden, Brooklyn, NY
BRC Long Island City Family Shelter, Queens, NY
Catskill Hospitality Landscape, Livingston Manor, NY
Beach Green Dunes 3 Housing Development, Arverne, NY*
Streets, Public Realm, and Infrastructure
Grove Central Metro Station, Miami, FL*
Blackwell Park Plaza Restoration, Roosevelt Island, NY*
Beach Outfalls CSO Visioning Plan, Bay St. Louis, MS*
* Work completed prior to joining Starr Whitehouse.
With a background in fine art and philosophy, Phil crafts the narratives and graphic materials that communicate Starr Whitehouse’s vision.
Brady is a versatile landscape architect and writer who contributes project management and production across all phases of design. As Project Manager, he currently leads the Starr Whitehouse consultant team on the design of Emory University’s new Oxford Memorial Park — honoring the enslaved persons who helped build and sustain Emory’s original campus in Oxford, GA, and those who resided on the lands that would become Emory’s Atlanta campus. North of Atlanta, he is contributing design development and construction documents for three riverfront parks in the City of Roswell, GA — expanding waterfront access, riverine habitat, and shoreline resilience on the Chattahoochee River. Previously, Brady was instrumental to Starr Whitehouse winning two of the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management’s Green Infrastructure Design Challenge projects, subsequently spearheading design development and construction documents for both. In the Hudson River Valley, Brady led design and construction documentation for a new adventure playground integrated into the hilly topography of Bear Mountain State Park, part of a larger Starr Whitehouse-led restoration of this historic park. Prior to Starr Whitehouse, Brady worked on public and private sector projects in Colorado, Oregon, and Arizona. All that time out West sharpened his appreciation for the complexity of ecologies, both pristine and disturbed, and the resiliency of the individuals and communities that inhabit them. Outside the office, you’ll find Brady writing, reading, or hiking in
the mountains.
Representative Projects:
Park Design
Emory University Oxford Memorial Park, Oxford, GA
Ace Sand Park, Roswell, GA
Don White Memorial Park, Roswell, GA
Riverside Park, Roswell, GA
Bear Mountain State Park Adventure Playground, Tomkins Cove, NY
Streets, Public Realm, and Infrastructure
Fitness and Adenture Trail, Roswell, GA
The Linc Highway-to-Park Conversion, New Rochelle, NY
North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, GA
Brooklyn Bridge Esplanade, New York, NY
Alpha Loop Downtown Link Trail Alignment Study, Alpharetta, GA
Site Plans + Housing
Green Infrastructure Challenge: MLK Living Lab, Atlanta, GA
Green Infrastructure Challenge: Continental Colony Elementary School, Atlanta, GA
Seniors First: Weeksvillage, Brooklyn, NY
Teachers Village Workforce Housing, Atlanta, GA
Seneca Affordable Housing Development, New York, NY
Innovation QNS: Steinway Affordable Housing Development, Queens, NY
Vine Street Waterfront Development, Philadelphia, PA
The Grove at Covington Town Center, Covington, GA
Midtown Commercial High-Rise, New York, NY
Halletts Point Esplanade, Queens, NY
St Roch Senior Housing, Bronx, NY
222 Mitchell Street, Atlanta, GA
The Stella Pool Deck and Residential Development, New Rochelle, NY
Aspen Art Museum Streetscape and Courtyard, Aspen, CO*
Portland Art Museum Landscape Exhibit, Portland, OR*
*Projects completed before joining Starr Whitehouse
Aubrey Sabba is a registered landscape architect in Starr Whitehouse’s Atlanta studio. She brings 15 years’ experience on a breadth of project types from natural resource-based design for clients including the National Park Service and US Forest Service, to large and small urban parks, trail feasibility studies, and cemetery and community master plan documents. Her work on projects of various scales has taught her how to design for the big picture while focusing on critical details that impact experience of the landscape. At Starr Whitehouse she leverages this experience to support projects of all types for clients across the Atlanta metro region. Current work includes Roswell River Parks and a hospitality landscape in downtown Atlanta. Aubrey holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University where she published a thesis: Promoting Sustainable Greenroofs through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), that examined how LEED credits could better promote sustainable extensive greenroofs through the rating system. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science/Horticulture from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Representative Projects:
Park Design
Ace Sand Park, Roswell, GA
Don White Memorial Park, Roswell, GA
Riverside Park, Roswell, GA
Hamlin Beach State Park, Hamlin, NY
Atlanta BeltLine Enota Park Expansion Design Services, Atlanta, GA*
Woodruff Park Strategic Plan, Atlanta, GA*
Centennial Olympic Park Vision 2020, Atlanta, GA*
Flamingo Master Plan and Design Program, Everglades National Park, FL*
William Cameron Park 100 Year Master Plan and Renovations, Waco, TX*
Streets, Public Realm, and Infrastructure
Roswell River Parks Fitness Loop Trail, Roswell, GA
Georgia Tech North Avenue Visioning, Atlanta, GA
North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, GA
Belt-Shore Parkway Bridge Rehabilitation, Brooklyn, NY
South Fork Conservancy Trail Expansion Feasibility Study, Atlanta, GA*
Campbellton Crossroads Historic District Master Plan, Chattahoochee Hills and
South Fulton, GA*
Colorado Springs Utilities Trails and Trailhead Design, CO*
Site Plans + Housing
Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School Expansion Feasibility Study, Atlanta, GA
Fernbank Museum of Natural History Canopy Walk and Nature Preserve, Atlanta,
GA*
One Museum Place, Atlanta, GA*
YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch Camp Chief Ouray, Granby, CO*
Walking Box Ranch, Searchlight, NV*
*Work completed prior to joining Starr Whitehouse
Rachel approaches her work as a landscape designer with a sensitivity to site narrative, park users and aesthetics. Her enthusiasm for her work is constantly growing, informed by past experiences working in nurseries, permaculture farms and urban farming, as well as her belief that accessible landscapes play an essential role in a post-COVID world. Prior to joining Starr Whitehouse, Rachel spent one year at Michael Van Valkenberg Associates, where she honed an eye for detail in construction documentation and gained extensive exposure to site engineering. Rachel received her Master of Landscape Architecture from Cornell University, where she worked as a Teaching Assistant for Jennifer Birkeland and Zaneta Hong, and was nominated for the Cornelia Ye Outstanding TA Award. Recognized as the 2021 LAF Olmsted Scholar, Rachel also received the ASLA National Student Merit Award. Rachel earned a Bachelor of Art in History from Kenyon College and joined Starr Whitehouse in 2022.
Representative Projects:
Park Design
Thompson Park Master Plan, Watertown, NY
Teatown Nature Center, Ossining, NY
Freshkills South Park, Staten Island, NY
Seaside Park and Community Arts Center, New York, NY
Charles Williams Park, Hudson, NY
Public Square Historic Park Renovation, Hudson, NY
Streets, Public Realm, and Infrastructure
NYPA Reimagine the Canals Guidelines New York, NY