LONG BEACH, CA, January 21, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Stephen Martin Yas, AIA, RIBA, NCARB, has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Yas, a distinguished architect and urban designer, has dedicated five decades to his profession, achieving remarkable success in the field. As the managing director – USA and global design leader at international firm NOVO Architects since 2024, he has been instrumental in offering innovative design solutions for complex architectural and urban design challenges. Mr. Yas' expertise in overseas projects, urban design and architecture is widely recognized. The China Architectural Association honored him as one of the top 20 design architects in China in 2015; of these 20, only three foreigners were named. His daily routine includes engaging with projects across the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia; collaborating with local architects in Los Angeles for a project in Ukraine with The Brighter Ukraine Foundation for a Rehabilitation Village, Hotel, Residential and Athletic Stadium; and working on large residential projects locally.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Yas served as the Senior International Design Leader at DLR Group (Shanghai) from 2023 to 2024. Before that, he opened the overseas office and was Managing Director/Design Director at BKL Architecture LLC (Shanghai) from 2018 to 2023. His leadership extended to Design Worldwide Partnership (DWP) (Shanghai), where he held the position as Regional Managing Director for China and Hong Kong Offices and Design Director from 2013 to 2018. Earlier in Shanghai, Mr. Yas was Design Principal at MG2 Architecture from 2012 to 2013. Prior to China He was President and Owner of YAS Architecture LLC (Chicago) from 1990 to 2012.

Mr. Yas' foundational years included roles at Lohan Associates LLC (formerly the office of Mies van der Rohe) working closely with his grandson Dirk Lohan, Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP, Israel Ministry of Housing working with Ram Karmi, and Oxford Planning Group. At 16 years of age, his first job in architecture was in Cambridge, MA, as office boy to Walter Gropius, who founded the Bauhaus in Germany. During his youth, he had the opportunity to attend construction sites with an architect, which subsequently fueled his passion for architecture at age seven. In tandem with his hands-on experience, he earned a Master of Arts in Urban Design from Oxford Brookes University (UK) in 1975 studying under Professors David Reed and Gordon Cullin, after completing coursework in real estate and construction law at Harvard University's Graduate School of Law in 1974. Mr. Yas also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture from Ohio University studying under Professor David Reed, which he obtained in 1973, and attended a summer program in architecture at Harvard Graduate School of design in 1991.

Throughout his career, Mr. Yas has been recognized with several awards, including the Educational Exchange Award in Architecture from Oxford to the Moscow Architectural Institute (USSR) in 1975 and design awards from both the American Institute of Architects and the Real Estate Institute.

In Shanghai, China, he was the U.S. delegate and representative in the following two events: the 50th anniversary of ping pong diplomacy and the 100th anniversary of the China Communist Party in 2021. In China in January, 2024, he received the Gobi Desert Hero Award. Also in September 2023, he contributed significantly to architectural discourse as chairman and presenter at Cityscape Global Architecture Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Through his work, he aims to encourage interactions between Eastern and Western cultures and contribute to society peacefully and sustainably.

From 1996 through 1998 when President Clinton wanted to open Cuba to the United States, Mr. Yas was selected to go to Cuba under the auspices of the Institute for Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, licensed by the United Nations to assist in the diplomacy to facilitate this discourse.

Mr. Yas has a long list of civic involvement in Evanston, Illinois. He served on the Plan Commission, the Preservation Commission, and was president of the Evanston Arts Center. He was also a member of Design Evanston, and on the board of directors of the American Institute of Architects (Chicago Chapter) in 2012. Additionally, Mr. Yas was a member on the board of the Leadership in International Finance Group which consulted globally. He is also currently Vice President for architecture and Design for AmCham USA.

Mr. Yas speaks English, Mandarin, German, Hebrew and some Spanish. When he meets a client from a different country, he sees himself as an ambassador of his country and wants to represent the best of it while also designing to the best of his ability to give them their return on investment. Moreover, he is deeply committed to community upliftment through architecture. For example, Mr. Yas founded a construction company in Bali, Indonesia, to provide jobs and pay employees above-average wages, and his dedication extends to building villas in Indonesia to support local employment. He is currently working on a project in Western Ukraine for the Brighter Ukraine Foundation, and is planning future projects in Israel.

Global Key Projects:

UBTECH Headquarters Tower, Shenzhen, China

King Abdul Aziz University Mecca, Saudia Arabia

River East, Chicago, IL

Museum Campus Master Plan, Chicago

Shedd Oceanarium, Chicago, IL

European Financial Center, CBD, West Hangzhou, China

Senbo Moganshan Resort, Deqing, China

Qingdao Fashion City and Ocean Bridge, Qingdao, China

Wedding Hotel, Zhengzhou, China

Rizhao Tower, Rizhao, China

Faro Monarca Tower, Medellin, Columbia

Vernon Hills Village Hall, Illinois

Willow Springs Village Center, Illinois

Roycemore School, Fire Station #3, Ivy Court Townhomes, First Presbyterian Church,

General Board of Pensions of United Methodist Church, Evanston, Illinois

Looking ahead, he aspires to make significant contributions globally through impactful projects that create jobs and foster peace while continuing his work in Southeast Asia and beyond. In his personal life, Mr. Yas enjoys mountain climbing, whitewater kayaking, running, Porsche 911 racing, scuba diving and martial arts, in the USA and China. He was a long distance runner in high school and university and competed nationally and internationally until 31 years of age.
He would like to dedicate his induction in Marquis Who's Who to Professor David Reed and to his family, in particular Rachel, Max, and granddaughter Junie.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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