Lindsey Einarsen

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced the addition of Lindsey Einarsen to its staff in the role of project manager. With 10 years of experience in the architecture industry, she specializes in design for commercial, hospitality, retail, and historic projects and is an NCIDQ-certified interior designer.

Prior to joining Dietz & Company, Einarsen spent a number of years working for architecture and engineering firms in Connecticut. Throughout her career, she has excelled in client communication and project coordination in fast-paced environments and been known for delivering detailed, high-quality design solutions. At Dietz & Company, she is bringing her project management and interior design experience to the firm’s hospitality team as she works on hotel, entertainment, and restaurant projects.

Einarsen earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design and a residential planning diploma from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Currently in pursuit of her professional architecture license, she is dedicated to continuing professional development and growth in the industry.

Aditya Surendhra

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that architect Aditya Surendhra has earned the credential of LEED accredited professional with a building design and construction (LEED AP BD+C) specialty through the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sustainability in the built environment.

The LEED AP BD+C designation denotes proficiency in current sustainable design, construction, and operations standards, and signifies expertise in green building and a LEED rating system. In order to achieve LEED certification, Surendhra completed a rigorous, multi-part exam to prove his knowledge on the subject.

Surendhra joined Dietz & Company Architects in 2020 as an architectural associate and is now an architect in its Cambridge office, where his focus is on design and project management for multi-family housing and community centers.

“I saw LEED certification as essential to my professional development and progressing my career,” he said. “The requirements of LEED certified design change your mindset to think of sustainability as part of the design process and integral to all decisions made from the start of design all the way through construction, instead of a group of bolt-on solutions. Due to client goals, the stretch energy code, and other specialized opt-in building codes in Massachusetts, many of my projects are already using several of these green methodologies and standards even when LEED certification isn’t being pursued. Overall, this additional knowledge complements other industry green building standards and certifications while providing added value for our clients to all of our projects.”

Lee Morrissette

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that firm Principal Lee Morrissette has earned the credential of certified passive house consultant (CPHC) through Phius, a nonprofit organization dedicated to decarbonization and passive building.

The Phius passive building certification standard is a rigorous energy standard that produces buildings that use 40% to 60% percent less energy than conventional structures. In order to achieve CPHC certification, Morrissette completed a comprehensive training course and a rigorous multi-part exam to prove his knowledge.

Lee joined Dietz & Company Architects in 2019 and has more than 20 years of experience designing new construction and renovations for affordable housing, community and senior centers, and educational and commercial facilities. Throughout his career, he has focused on bringing sustainability and energy efficiency to his projects.

“As an architect and environmentalist, passive house design offers a way for me to make an outsized impact on climate change through massive building energy-use reductions. It is a powerful tool for creating buildings that are more comfortable to be in, with better quality air and daylight,” Morrissette said.

“Passive house design isn’t a solution; it’s a method to enrich design and make buildings healthier while reducing their long-term operating costs,” he added. “This additional knowledge will have an impact across all of our work as we continue to design our projects to be as sustainable as possible.”

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced the recent addition of three new employees to the firm.

Norell Ferguson

Norell Ferguson has joined Dietz & Company as an interior designer and is excited to explore hospitality design and dive deeper into housing and community-based projects. She comes to Dietz with more than 10 years of experience in interior design and urban planning and policy from her work at architecture firms and with local and regional governments.

In addition, Ferguson is an adjunct professor at the University of Hartford and University of New Haven, where she teaches architecture, lighting, and interior-design courses. She holds a master’s degree in interior architecture from Philadelphia University and a bachelor’s degree in art history with a minor in architecture from the University of Hartford. She also earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Connecticut.

Ethan Cattanach

Ethan Cattanach joins the firm in the role of architectural staff. He specializes in utilizing BIM programs and their integration into the project workflow and most recently used those skills while working for another local architecture firm with a focus on commercial manufacturing and retail. In his role at Dietz, he will be helping to manage local projects and developing project documents and detailed 3D models.

Cattanach holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from UMass Amherst and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in architecture at the Boston Architectural College.

Maryam Javanmard

Maryam Javanmard also joins the firm in the role of architectural staff, bringing more than 15 years of experience as an architect and construction manager and specializing in sustainability and regenerative design. At Dietz, she will be assisting on projects throughout all phases of design. She has an impressive academic background, with two PhDs in architecture and a master’s degree in structural engineering from universities in Italy and Iran. A certified architect in Iran, she is currently pursuing professional architecture licensure in the U.S.

In addition to her work as an architect, Javanmard worked as a professor, teaching courses in architecture, sustainable design, and visual arts at Zarand Industrial and Mining College and the University of Applied Science and Technology in Iran. Most recently, she worked for a Boston architecture firm and continued to expand her expertise in life-cycle assessment and sustainable design as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow at Northeastern University. She is also currently a lecturer at Roxbury Community College, teaching classes on architecture and sustainability.

Laura Davis

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that Laura Davis has been promoted to the position of senior project manager.

Davis joined the firm in 2019 as an architectural associate and quickly grew to become an invaluable part of the team through her strong project-management skills. Now, as a senior project manager, she leads projects across many states and properties for the firm’s hospitality clients.

“Laura is recognized and appreciated by our clients, consultants, and contractors as a trustworthy and dependable project manager,” Principal Jason Newman said. “Her in-project leadership and communication skills, paired with a deep understanding of construction and architectural detailing, make Laura a uniquely and universally equipped project manager.”

Dani Garber-Letitia

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that Dani Garber-Letitia, AIA has been promoted to the position of senior architect.

Garber-Letitia joined the firm in 2021, bringing her unique experience in working as both an architect and an owner’s project manager. She manages medium to large-size construction projects, specializing in renovation and modernization for multi-family housing clients. She also manages the firm’s Cambridge office, serves as a mentor for junior staff, and has taken the lead on organizing in-house educational and training opportunities.

Along with her regular work duties, Garber-Letitia is currently pursuing additional education to become a certified passive house consultant to increase the firm’s knowledge and capabilities for energy-efficient design.

“Upon joining the firm a few years ago, Dani quickly became an invaluable part of our team and is a major influence on firm culture,” Principal Kevin Riordon said. “She has built client relationships and brought fresh insights to our project designs and implementation, all while continuing to grow and share her knowledge. Dani consistently goes above and beyond, and we are thrilled for her as she reaches this latest career milestone.”

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. recently welcomed Soniha Nuzrat to the firm in the role of architectural associate, in which she will assist project teams throughout all phases of design.

Nuzrat recently received her master of architecture degree from Miami University in Ohio, where she completed her thesis on evaluating cross-cultural courtyard housing for social well-being in Manhattan. As evidenced by her thesis, she has a particular interest and specializes in community-based design. This past spring, she received the AIA Medal for Academic Excellence, which is awarded annually to the top graduating students in National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited degree programs.

Prior to pursuing her master of architecture degree, Nuzrat earned her bachelor of architecture degree from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology. She also worked on a variety of projects for architecture firms in Bangladesh.