BEYOND BEYOND THE BLUEPRINT
Presented by
Fairfield Integrated Systems
Cuono Engineering Glengate Company
Geoffrey Knapp Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group Moderator:
Melissa Fitter
Cheryl Russ
Lauren Vallario
Garrett Wilson
Lauren Vallario Designs
Garrett Wilson Builders, LLC
Future-Proof Homes: Innovating for Resilience in a Shifting World
Thank you so much for attending tonight’s Beyond the Blueprint panel, presented by Fairfield Integrated Systems! I am so excited to welcome our panelists, who are leading the way to bring our industry into the future. As you know, the building industry is constantly evolving. Tonight we will hear how current influences such as the housing crisis, ever-evolving smart building technology, and headline-making natural disasters are all shaping how we design and build homes, transforming the housing industry for the coming decade and beyond.
I hope you will gain knowledge and insight from our panel and we will welcome questions at the end of the presentation.
Kind Regards,
Executive Officer
Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Fairfield County
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Drink Sponsor
Blueprint Sponsors
Foundation Sponsor Event Sponsor
Melissa Fitter Melissa Fitter
Senior Associate, Cuono Engineering
Melissa is a Senior Associate at Cuono Engineering, a structural engineering firm based in New York. An Architectural Engineering graduate from The University of Texas at Austin, she lends over 25 years of experience in the structural design of buildings, including new residential & commercial construction particularly
composed of concrete, wood, masonry, or steel. The majority of her design experience has consisted of flat-plate concrete high-rise, wood on concrete podium low-rise, high-end residential, and commercial construction. Melissa has earned a Merit Award from the ACI NJ Concrete Awards for the Marbella South Tower in Jersey City, NJ. She is a member of AIA CT, Home Builders and Remodelers Association (HBRA) of Fairfield and the Fairfield Professional Women in Building (PWB) and is also an active Board Member with Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County.
Cheryl Russ Cheryl Russ
Glengate Company
Cheryl is a Registered Landscape Architect at Glengate Company, a comprehensive design-buildmaintenance firm specializing in high-end residential exterior environments throughout Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Drawing on two decades of
expertise, Cheryl artfully creates meaningful outdoor spaces that not only reflect her clients' personalities and lifestyles but also seamlessly extend their home's architectural language and interior design aesthetic. Her award-winning portfolio has garnered recognition including New England Home's coveted "5 Under 40" Award, multiple APLD (Association of Professional Landscape Designers) honors, A-List distinctions, and HGTV design accolades—testaments to her innovative approach and refined aesthetic sensibility. Beyond her professional work, Cheryl demonstrates leadership through founding the Ladies Lounge at Glengate, an initiative fostering women's professional and personal development. An outdoor enthusiast at heart, Cheryl embraces adventure through mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, and dirt biking— experiences that continually inspire her connection to landscape.
Lauren Vallario Lauren Vallario
Lauren Vallario Designs
Lauren Vallario is the founder and principal designer at Lauren Vallario Designs, a luxury residential design firm based in Stamford. Lauren has been creating functional and timeless designs for over 15 years throughout the greater Fairfield & Westchester Counties. She attributes the firm’s success to her collaborative and systematic approach which she developed while working in construction project management. Lauren is knowledgeable and involved in every aspect of the remodeling and new
construction process ensuring that her clients love not only where they live,
but also the journey it took to arrive there. Lauren has earned a B.S. in Psychology from Manhattan College and an A.A.S in Kitchen and Bathroom Design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Prior to establishing Lauren Vallario Designs in 2013, Lauren worked as an Executive Recruiter in the Financial Services industry until she realized her passion for Interior Design. She left Executive Recruitment and returned to school for Interior Design. While earning her degree part time, Lauren worked as a Sales consultant at the Waterware Showroom of Plimpton & Hills in Stamford, CT. It was there that she felt the need to niche in kitchen and bathroom design. Once her degree was complete, Lauren immediately established Lauren Vallario Designs and while taking on her own clients, also worked as a project manager for a local construction company learning the back end of design and critical elements of our industry. Since then, Lauren’s team has grown to 3 and in addition to Kitchens and Baths they offer full-service design for renovations and new construction. When not working, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband, two kids and her dog. Despite working on design projects all day, tackling her own projects at home and getting her hands dirty is still her favorite pastime.
Garrett Wilson Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson Builders, LLC
With nearly thirty years of experience in the construction industry Garrett Wilson is the dedicated founder of Garrett Wilson Builde Early on in his career there was a pointed fo on excavation and sitework, which laid a str foundation for his deep understanding of a phases of construction. Today, GWB specializes
in luxury residential construction and renovations of all sizes and scopes, from kitchen and bath remodels to large scale renovations and new construction, as well as Property Management and Maintenance. Personally, Garrett has an affinity for skiing and Vintage Motorsports, spending time with his family and his four legged best friend.
