Design and Construction Team
CENTERBROOK ARCHITECTS
Jim Childress, Principal Architect, FAIA
40 under 40 national architect – noted as a ‘historicist’
AIA Firm Award
AIA Fellow in Design
Chair of National AIA Committee on Design
LEED Platinum – Center for Community, University of Colorado
LEED Platinum – STEM center at MICDS in St. Louis
60+ National and State Design Awards – ranging from small additions to large institutional buildings
MARK HERTER, ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT
AIA, LEED BD+C after my name
24 years of experience on academic, research, cultural, religious, civic, and urban planning projects.
Frequently presents on sustainability topics
LEED Accredited Professional whose credits include multiple LEED certified projects
Firm Recognition
400+ national and regional design awards, 80 of those awards are from the Connecticut chapter of the AIA, more than any other firm
National AIA Firm of the Year Award Recipient
AIA 2030 Commitment Signatory
Eight National AIA Honor Awards
76 Design Awards from the Connecticut AIA
STIMSON LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Stephen STimson, Partner and founder
Received his education from the University of Massachusetts and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and has been practicing landscape architecture for over thirty years
Founded the firm in 1992 and is licensed in thirteen states
Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects since 2004
Sara Lawrence, SENIOR associate
Received a Master in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design
Received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design
Joined Stimson in 2009
Firm Recognition
American Society of Landscape Architects Award of Excellence (multiple, learn more here)
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Merit Awards (multiple, learn more here)
Boston Society of Architects Honor Award (multiple, learn more here)
Society for College and University Planning Merit Award (2018, UMass Design Building)
TURNER CONSTRUCTION
Ty Tregellas, construction manager
40 years of experience in construction and preconstruction
Repeat clients include New Canaan Country School, St. Luke’s school, GCDS, Greenwich Academy and many others
gillian zinser, Project manager
18 years of experience, having served on multiple complicated renovation projects for Yale New Haven Health, Bridgeport Hospital and St. Francis Hospital.
A “Go To” person for dealing with complex situations.
Technical expertise and team building approach.
Bob Buckley, Jr., Project superintendent
9 years as a Project Superintendent
Currently serves on the GCDS High School project with Ty and has served on multiple challenging projects like the recent Sacred Heart Twin Dormitories, QVMC High School, Henkel Corporation, UConn Health, UTRC Innovation Hub and Bridgeport Hospital.
Val Donahue, preconstruction manager
28 years of experience on municipal projects, with knowledge of market conditions and project budgeting
Past projects include Westport/Weston Family Y, Greenwich Country Day Upper School (with Bob Buckley, Jr.), Burr Elementary School, UConn Health Tower and the recent UConn Student Recreation Center
Lynn Temple, preconstruction manager
35 years of experience in construction and preconstruction
Preconstruction Manager for the Connecticut Business Unit of Turner Construction Company since 2009
Received a Bachelor of Science, Agricultural Mechanization, from Penn State
Past projects include St. Luke’s School, Wilton Library, Greenwich Country Day School, Yale University, Dartmouth College, Yale New Haven Hospital, White Plains Hospital, Sacred Heart University, and United Technologies
Firm recognition
Shelton office established in the 1980s but the firm has served a diverse range of clients across the state and in the nearby regions of New York's Westchester County and Western Massachusetts since 1916
Constructed more than 25 LEED Certified projects in the Connecticut market
75% of clients are repeat clients
Learn more here about past projects locally
KOHLER RONAN CONSULTING ENGINEERS
Joseph Lembo, PE, Partner
Practicing Professional Engineer since 1993; Licensed in CT, NY, RI, VT, and VA
Received a Master and Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, from Manhattan College
Member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning (ASHRAE), the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), and the New York Building Congress
Past clients include the University of Connecticut, Fairfield University, Mystic Seaport Museum, Stamford Museum and Nature Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, The Statue of Liberty Museum, and multiple municipalities and public schools across Connecticut.
Jonathan Kurtz, Associate, Senior Plumbing & Fire Protection Engineer
Practicing since 1993
Received a Bachelor of Science, Fire Protection Engineering, from the University of New Haven
NICET Level I Certified
State of Connecticut Firefighter I, II; Fire Instructor I
Specializes in both fire protection and plumbing building systems design for academic, commercial, healthcare, and residential facilities.
Kate Eldridge, LEED AP BD + C, Mechanical Engineer
Practicing engineer since 2017
LEED Accredited Professional from the US Green Building Council
Received a Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, from the University of Vermont
Member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Volunteer, ACE Mentor Program-- inspiring teens interested in the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering fields
Jerry Manavalan, Senior Electrical Engineer
Practicing engineer since 2012
Received a Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical Engineering, from Manhattan College
Member Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Authored articles on electrical systems design for Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine’s MEP Roundtable and in-house corporate newsletter
Firm recognition
Ranked 8th in Cultural Institutions by BD+C Top 400 MEP Giants, 2020
Ranked 15th in Cultural Institution by BD+C Top 300 MEP Giants, 2019
Home to three Top 40 Under 40 Award Winners by Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine, 2015, 2019, 2021
Home to 2021 winner of Engineered Systems Top 20 to Watch: Women in HVAC