Debora Barros

Debora Barros, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, is an Adjunct Assistant Professor and a Senior Associate at PBDW Architects working on historic preservation, adaptive reuse and new construction projects for cultural, institutional, educational, and residential clients. Her experience in the United States, England, Italy, Turkey, and Brazil, bridges architecture, historic preservation, and cultural heritage. She has been the project manager in charge of the works on the landmarked Palace Theatre, which was elevated 30 ft. above ground on Times Square as part of the TSX Broadway development. Debora’s portfolio features iconic and complex sites such as the Park Avenue Armory, the Guggenheim Museum and includes the design of a new memorial plaza for the relocated Manchester Cenotaph, in England.

Her professional practice as an architect overseeing the restoration of exuberantly decorated historic buildings has led her to pursue hands-on training in building crafts and vernacular construction techniques, complementing the theoretical focus on materials conservation obtained through the Master of Science in Historic Preservation at Columbia University. While working in the UK, Debora authored Significance Assessments, Conservation Management Plans, and Heritage Impact Assessments for several sites listed at local, national, and international levels. Through the combination of theory and hands-on practice she brings a well-rounded, multi-faceted perspective to architectural preservation.

Debora previously taught Introduction to Materials Conservation at Pratt Institute’s GCPE graduate Historic Preservation program and has served as a Thesis advisor. As an active member of non-profit Historic Preservation organizations, Debora leads educational tours for DOCOMOMO_US in Brazil, has organized and moderated events for the Association for Preservation Technology NE, Our World Heritage, ZNCC, Pratt Institute, and has served as Heritage specialist for the AIA Communities by Design (R/UDAT).