Pamela Sandler Architect Expands into Full-Service Interior Design, Announces Three Hires

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Pamela Sandler Architect announced the expansion of its design team with the hiring of Barbara Olsen Pascale and Max Kapiloff as Architectural Designers, and Andrew Rota as Director of Interiors and Operations.

The firm is officially expanding its capabilities to offer full-service interior design, creating a single-source experience for its clients. The new team members bring a wealth of technical construction expertise, international design perspectives, and human-centered business strategy to the firm's growing portfolio of high-end residential and commercial projects in the Berkshires, Connecticut, and Hudson Valley, stated a press release.

"We are thrilled to welcome Max, Barbara, and Andrew to the firm," said founder Pamela Sandler. "Their unique backgrounds, ranging from deep technical construction management to global design philosophies, perfectly complement our commitment to creating spaces that are both beautifully envisioned and meticulously built. As we continue to grow, their diverse skills will be invaluable to our clients and our collaborative process."

Barbara Olsen Pascale, Architectural Designer

Barbara Olsen Pascale brings a formidable combination of academic rigor and hands-on craftsmanship to the team. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the New York Institute of Technology following a BS in Applied Economics from Cornell University. Barbara thrives in the "nitty-gritty" of architecture, specializing in complex sections, load paths, and the intricate structural puzzles of building assembly.

A veteran construction project manager with professional experience as a cabinet maker and finish carpenter, Barbara is a natural presence on the job site. Her ability to speak the language of contractors and tradespeople ensures seamless communication from the drafting table to the finished structure. Her design philosophy is rooted in a love for natural materials, modern forms, and contemporary lines. Outside of work, Barbara manages a 30-acre campground in Hillsdale with her partner, Jo, and their two German Shorthair Pointers, Freya and Niko.

Max Kapiloff, Architectural Designer

Max Kapiloff returns to the Berkshires following a successful seven-year career in New York City, where he collaborated on complex retail, hospitality, and luxury residential projects at top-tier firms including Design Republic and CetraRuddy. Max holds a Master of Architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology, with international studies in Berlin and Kyoto. His thesis allowed him to immerse himself in Japanese design philosophy, a perspective further enriched by travels through Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Max's style is a thoughtful fusion, blending high-tech digital modeling with a physical, tactile approach to design. His connection to the Berkshires runs deep; his grandfather helped develop part of the Stockbridge Bowl, and his family maintains one of the area's original cabins. Max is currently restoring a 175-year-old farmhouse and barn and is an avid canoeist and hiker.

Andrew Rota, Director of Interiors and Operations

Andrew grew up alongside Pamela Sandler Architect. As Pam's son, he was on job sites and at the drafting table long before launching his professional career. He earned his degree in Business/Marketing from Northeastern University, and also holds a Design Certificate degree from Shillington in London. Andrew has spent over a decade leading business strategy, marketing, and design at major technology companies, including Intuit and DoorDash, with a focus on human-centered experiences and clear, thoughtful strategy.

Realizing his ideal combination of business, design, and meaningful impact was close to home, Andrew returned to the firm. Today, he manages business operations and leads the expanding interior design team, creating a seamless, integrated approach to architecture and interiors that supports both the team and the firm's beloved clients.

An avid traveler, Andrew brings a global perspective. He believes architecture and interiors can fundamentally shape how people feel and live every day, knowing that the firm's work is not simply about creating a building. Andrew is active in the Berkshires cultural scene, the performing arts, meditation, and engaging in initiatives that help to foster strong and inclusive LGBTQ+ communities.

Becket Looks to Wind Power for Energy Savings

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:17AM / Tuesday, October 20, 2026

The single turbine is a low maintenance and has a 50-year life. The town went with wind power after finding a solar installation would be too difficult. 

BECKET, Mass. — The town unveiled a wind turbine Monday that will reduce electricity costs and show the benefits of renewable energy produced by wind.

Residents, town and state officials gathered outside the Town Hall for the ribbon cutting on a project first conceived nearly a dozen years ago.

The wind turbine stands 100-feet tall next to Town Hall and is from Oklahoma manufacturer Bergey Wind Power. It has a 50-year life and is a direct-drive permanent-magnet design, meaning it has no gearbox, making it low maintenance.

According to Garth Klimchuk, chair of the Becket Energy Committee, the town started discussions about a wind turbine in 2014. The turbine is expected to generate about 36,000 kilowatt-hours. Klimchuk said Town Hall uses about 24,000 kilowatt-hours, with excess power expected to go to the Highway Department. This is expected to save $9,000 annually from the electricity cost.

"This turbine is just going to be such a good thing for the town. It is really incredible. Zero-cost electricity. Zero cost to the town. Carbon free. Just a huge, huge milestone for us," he said.

The town received a grant from the state Department of Energy Resources totaling $139,500. The remaining funding for the project will come from a direct-pay investment tax credit under the federal Inflation Reduction Act. If the town does not receive the funding, voters at the annual town allocated $100,000 just in case, but Klimchuk said the town will only need about $60,000 to $70,000 if necessary.

"It's going to help the community. Hopefully, it'll lower our tax bills. And as we look at everything going around around the world right now, energy volatility has been with us for a long time. It's going to stay with us for a long time," said state Sen. Paul Mark. "So any move we can make as a community, whether as Becket specifically, as Berkshire County as a whole, but anything we can do to bring some of the reliability into our own hands, to produce a bit on our own, and just guarantee that in a renewable, safe way moving into the future, I think is going to pay off dividends."

The town has spent more than a decade reducing municipal energy consumption in a variety of ways including HVAC upgrades and LED street light conversions, bringing it to a Level 2 Green Community status.

While solar had been considered, interconnection constraints and limited grant opportunities made it harder to achieve. But the high elevation of Town Hall and a Small Wind Site evaluation done in 2023 and 2024 found the site was perfect for a turbine with favorably high winds.

State Rep. Leigh Davis praised the project as an example of a small town addressing a larger energy challenge through persistence and collaboration. She stressed that the single turbine represents a practical step toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels and said Becket's effort could serve as a model for communities across the commonwealth. 

"You hear about all these kind of big wind farms and solar farms and all these ways that we're gonna you know create green energy, but at the same time what we're not being sensitive to the landscape, and what I appreciate about this is that this is it's a single turbine, but it represents so much more," she said. "You're right. It's really adding to the ability for this town to contribute to green energy and to bringing our reliance on gasoline fuels back down to solving big problems."

Mark Rabinsky, deputy director of DOER's Green Communities Division, said the state supports municipalities with technical assistance and grants, and that reducing municipal energy costs can leave more resources for other local priorities. He presented the turbine as an example of state support working alongside local knowledge and decision-making. 

"I think that this is a really a great example of what green communities can do," he said. "I'm obviously a really big fan of the green communities program, but I think that connection between the state, what we're doing at the state, and that local level, and relying on the local knowledge here with Becket is a true testament to what we're doing."

Select Board Chair William Elovirta thanked everyone for being here and shared his memories of first coming tp Becket in 1946 before utility electricity arrived. His family and neighbors used small 32-volt generating plants and batteries. He recalled utility workers installing poles and wires by hand around 1947.