Sonic Shangri-la – The Art of Sound  

Amanda Vottis is an Architectural Designer and Accredited Learning Environment Planner with Mosaic Associates Architects. She is currently the New York Chapter Board President for the Association for Learning Environments. With over a decade of experience, Amanda specializes in designing innovative learning environments for K-12 public schools, colleges, and universities in New York. Collaborating with clients from initial project conception through completion of construction, Amanda enjoys helping clients design projects that align with their unique educational goals and community needs.

For the past 6 years, Amanda has served as Project Leader on multiple phases of the Saratoga Springs City School District’s Legacy Project. During the educational planning process, the district engaged students, faculty, and community members to determine what the future of education looked like in their schools. The Legacy Project translated their feedback into the built environment, creating spaces that support the district’s educational vision and mission.

Sean Browne is the Senior Manager of the Research & Development group at Armstrong, where he leads a team of innovative engineers and scientists. He is responsible for the company’s Codes & Standards Program, which informs customers of the latest developments in acoustics and building regulations. He is also an active member of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), ASTM International, and ASHRAE. He has engineering degrees from Florida State University and the University of Miami and has written for various architectural and interior magazines. His research has been featured in the journals of the International Symposium on Room Acoustics and the Acoustical Society of America.

Bob Gouger is the Architectural Specialties Manager for the Northeast US region currently. His previous experience as a Journeyman Carpenter, Estimator and Project Manager have helped him shape his role with Armstrong. He resides in Upstate New York with his wife along the shores of Lake Ontario and relaxes with boating and scuba diving.