Celia Toché

Celia Toche is a leader in sustainable design, current construction technologies, and an award-winning researcher.

At Pelli Clarke and Partners, she’s currently the design team leader in programming an innovative facility that converges the engineering and the performing arts disciplines at Old Dominion University. She’s the project manager for the Schuylkill Yards Masterplan; and was the design team project manager for Hackley School Center Creative Arts and Technology blending the computer sciences with performance and visual arts.

Celia is the primary investigator leading a team of researchers studying equity in climate change to help vulnerable communities face extreme heat with locally available and affordable technologies. Her work is part of an award grant from Yale Planetary Solutions Center on Climate Change and the Three Cairns Climate Impact Innovation Fund. The work includes a holistic approach which includes the Yale School of Public Health and a team of TEC de Monterrey.

Also at PC&P, Celia was the design team leader for Torre Mítikah, winning the best of Americas by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). She recently completed the construction of the Stonybrook University MART Building & Children’s Hospital and the FMC Tower; her work includes the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts where she was a key member of the team from pre-design through opening, the Katherine Drexel Chapel for Xavier University, and many of the firm’s performing arts and master planning efforts.

Celia is a member of the Global Faculty at Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus; and delivered the commencement address for the campus’ architecture school Class of 2024. She’s lectured at the UN Campus in Panama City of Universidad del Istmo on Sustainable Design Practices for Equity in Climate Change. She’s a visiting lecturer at the Universidad Católica de Bogota School of Architecture. She delivered the keynote address at MIND - Mexico Innovation and Design.

She’s a LEED Accredited Professional, an Associate Member of the AIA, and a member of the Society of College and University Planners.

Volunteering in the community is important to Celia as part of her life-work balance. She serves on the Boards of two non-profit organizations, volunteers with her daughter’s Scout Troop, and has dedicated time in the Vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church.