Tess McNamara

Tess McNamara, AIA is an architect and sustainability leader working at the intersection of climate change, design, and engineering. She serves as the Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure Lead at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where she develops decarbonization strategies for complex buildings and infrastructure systems, and translates climate goals into viable long-term solutions for critical facilities across the region. Her research and writing on architecture, policy, and climate have been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Architectural Digest. She is the recipient of the 2026 Beverly Willis Foundation Emerging Leader Award for her leadership advancing decarbonization in the built environment.

Tess has previously held design and consulting roles at Arup, Atelier Ten, Bernheimer Architecture, WXY, and Guy Nordenson and Associates, totaling over a decade of experience in sustainable design and construction.

Tess received both a Master of Architecture and a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University, and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. While at Yale, Tess was the recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Medal and the Wendy Elizabeth Blanning Prize. Tess is the author of Desk Crits: The Insider’s Guide to the ARE 5.0, which has helped over 5,000 aspiring architects pass their licensing exams.