Filomena Nigro.
Filomena Nigro, 30
Assistant project manager at CNY Group
Coming to New York City showed Italian project manager and architect Filomena Nigro that it’s not just style and cultural context that make design radically different in the U.S. It’s also about the language and talking about progress and change, instead of her home’s affections for classicism and equilibrium.
“The industry here is changing so fast,” she said. “In Italy, there’s often a look back.”
Nigro’s career thus far has focused on managing massive multi-use projects (before CNY, she cut her teeth with Green Realty at Laidlaw Lofts, an apartment complex in Jersey City). She’ll spend the rest of the year finishing up the Crossing at Jamaica Station in Queens, a mixed-use development positioned between three MTA subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road. The challenging site has been an “amazing” learning experience for Nigro, who helped coordinate with subcontractors working on all facets of the residential superblock.
Jamaica Station is just the beginning, says Nigro. She sees her future in managing similarly complex, neighborhood-defining projects, especially ones that focus on affordable housing and sustainability. With New York’s new slate of progressive, green building codes set to take effect, she’s confident she’ll be part of the evolving language of design and architecture.
“When I started five years ago, it was rare to see a female executive, and now it’s becoming more and more common,” Nigro said. “I want to be able to be challenged and become the kind of project manager who doesn’t have a cookie-cutter style.”
