2011 40 Under 40: Hormoz Janssens, PE, LEED AP, 37

Principal, Interface Engineering, San Francisco

By Bettina Chang, Content Specialist, and Amara Rozgus, Editor-in-Chief May 13, 2011

Hormoz Janssens, PE, LEED AP, 37

Principal, Interface Engineering, San Francisco

University of Iowa, BS Mechanical Engineering

Janssens has been pushing the envelope with new concepts ever since he started working in the industry as a drafter. He was always the youngest in his firms’ histories to achieve significant goals. He is now a principal at Interface Engineering and has diverse experience in sustainability, including net-zero projects, LEED-certified and -registered projects, and living buildings. His project at Chabot College (Hayward, Calif.) exceeded others’ expectations when it became the world’s largest installation of switchable glass on an exterior envelope to allow radiant slab heating and cooling. He also designed a 100,000-sq-ft naturally ventilated passive classroom building for City College of San Francisco, and his work at Ohlone College Newark Campus earned LEED Platinum certification. With two teachers as parents, Janssens stresses the importance of education, whether it’s through formal classes or informal sharing among colleagues. He spreads his innovative ideas and technical expertise as a lecturer for Interface Engineering University, a certified continuing education provider for the American Institute of Architects. Janssens’ colleagues applaud his creative combination of the latest sustainable technologies with strong fundamentals and age-old techniques. He has presented at the Society for College and University Planning Conference about using natural ventilation as a dominant cooling source, and he attends events for the Local Bay Area Living Building Challenge Group, Bay Area Sustainable Leadership Assn., and Higher Education Conference. He volunteers after hours at food kitchens for the homeless as well as the Leap Sandcastle Classic tournaments with elementary school children. At the end of the day, Janssens looks forward to spending quality time with his wife Anthi, daughter Dimitra, and son Charles. He enjoys visiting foreign countries, including Greece, Belgium, France, and Austria, and his birthplace, Iran. He spends his free time at night playing his guitar.

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