Parette Somjen Architects Expands Culture of Sustainability With Appointment of Jason Kliwinski, Director of …

ROCKAWAY, NJ--(Marketwired - Oct 17, 2013) - Parette Somjen Architects (PSA) (www.planetpsa.com), a 25-year-old architecture firm that's recognized as one of New Jersey's best places to work, today announced the appointment of Jason Kliwinski, AIA, LEED Fellow, BD&C/OM, as its director of sustainable design. Kliwinski will work from PSA's Rockaway, New Jersey headquarters to integrate a culture of sustainability within the firm and across its wide array of clients and projects.

Kliwinski is a founding partner of the Green Building Center (GBC), an integrated collaboration of veteran partners that provide complete green consulting, design, construction, education and building products in a single location. In concert with Kliwinski's appointment, PSA became a member of the GBC, where it will collaborate with other members to provide sustainable design services.

"Architects with the level of highly specialized experience Jason brings are a rare find. Throughout his nearly two-decade career, he has become a recognized pioneer in the field of cost-effective sustainable design," said Marc Parette, president, Parette Somjen Architects. "His forward-thinking approach and his proven experience in leading a full-fledged industry revolution will go a long way in building a culture of sustainability for the team at PSA, our clients and their projects."

Prior to joining PSA, Kliwinski served as director of sustainable design for Spiezle Architectural Group where he was responsible for integrating sustainable design throughout the company's culture and projects. This was achieved through developing significant internal and external green education programs, initiating sustainable energy and carbon neutrality plans and integrating LEED principles into design and consulting. Previous to that, Kliwinski held project management positions at The Prisco Group and DF Gibson Architects.

Concurrently, Kliwinski spent five years as USGBC LEED Faculty and as an adjunct Professor of Sustainability at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) School of Architecture. In 2010, he served as the American Institute of Architects New Jersey chapter president and is the current Northeast Regional Chair of the Committee on the Environment (COTE) for AIA Nationally as well as Chair of the Resiliency Committee for USGBC-NJ.

Kliwinski earned his Bachelor's degree in architecture from NJIT in 1994. In 2001 Jason obtained his architectural license in New Jersey and became one of the first LEED accredited professionals in the country. Among the highlights of his career following LEED guidelines, Kliwinski participated in the gold certified Microsoft School of the Future project in Philadelphia.

"Building a culture of sustainability transcends the practice of architecture. My role at PSA affords me the opportunity to use architecture as a conduit to establish a strong foundation of sustainable design for the company, its clients and the projects we manage," noted Kliwinski. "I'm eager to help the team adopt a collaborative approach that ensures maximum sustainability with our projects across the board."

Kliwinski has built a reputation as a thought provoking speaker at industry events, including Sustainable Construction Materials and Practices Conference, GovEnergy, WEEC, SCUP, Greenbuild and AIA. In 2012 Jason was named a LEED Fellow at Greenbuild in San Francisco. He is the current Northeast Regional Chair of the Committee on the Environment (COTE) for AIA Nationally as well as Chair of the Resiliency Committee for USGBC-NJ.

About Parette Somjen ArchitectsFounded in 1988 by Marc R. Parette and Gregory J. Somjen, Parette Somjen Architects has held firm to its original vision: to make good on every promise, and then go beyond. Specializing in design, construction, project management and budgeting, PSA holds licenses in professional planning and construction code enforcement. The company is regularly recognized by NJBIZ magazine as one of the 20 largest architectural firms in the state of New Jersey and one of the state's Top 10 Best Places to Work. For more information about Parette Somjen Architects, please visit http://www.planetpsa.com.

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Parette Somjen Architects Expands Culture of Sustainability With Appointment of Jason Kliwinski, Director of ...