Dani Garber-Letitia

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that Senior Architect Dani Garber-Letitia has earned the credential of certified passive house consultant (CPHC) through Phius (Passive House Institute U.S.), 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, Garber-Letitia completed a comprehensive training course and a rigorous multi-part exam to prove her knowledge.

She joined Dietz & Company Architects in 2021 and has more than 15 years of experience as an architect and owner’s project manager for firms in Massachusetts. As a senior architect in the firm’s Cambridge office, she manages medium to large-size construction projects specializing in renovation and modernization for multi-family housing clients and work for public school districts. In addition to managing the Cambridge office, she also serves as a mentor for junior staff and has taken the lead on organizing in-house educational and training opportunities.

“In my eternal quest to be a better architect and global citizen, pursuing and achieving passive house certification felt like an important step in being able to create architecture that reduces the human impact on the earth,” Garber-Letitia said. “Passive house projects reduce a building’s energy use by up to 90%, while providing more comfortable and healthier spaces for people. This is a huge step for the future of building resilience and the health of our communities. This certification and knowledge will not only increase Dietz & Company’s opportunities to work on such projects, but also enhance our ability to bring a higher level of sustainable design to all of our work.”

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that James Barbier, Zonglin Li, and Timothy Wang have all joined the firm in the role of architectural associate.

James Barbier

Barbier recently earned his bachelor of architecture degree from the Syracuse University School of Architecture, where he completed his thesis exploring kinematic systems and how they can be used to create interactive facades that respond to environmental phenomena. He is also currently exploring the potential of using topological joinery to create wooden structures that satisfy design for disassembly and adaptive reuse strategies. Barbier’s experience includes internships in which he worked on log cabin homes, multi-family housing, and medical buildings. He also participated in research investigating how architecture can be used to design opportunities in low-income communities.

Zonglin Li

Li interned at Dietz & Company last summer and worked at the firm during breaks throughout his final year of school. He recently graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with his bachelor of architecture degree, where his thesis focused on reimagining Penn Station through the perspective of interior urbanism and structured improvisation. He investigated how interior public spaces can operate as urban systems, merging the boundaries between circulation, commerce, and public life, and suggested areas that redefined urban movement and fostered new layers of interaction between the old and new city systems. Li also participated in the construction of Rise, Repeat, a pavilion structure exploring modular repetition and material economy through standard construction components, featured at the BuildFest 2024 Woodstock Pavilions.

Timothy Wang

Wang recently earned his master of architecture degree from the University of Hartford, where his thesis focused on transforming an underutilized park in San Francisco’s Chinatown into a culture and arts center. His concept reinterpreted traditional Chinese architectural elements to match the contemporary style of the building while still making subtle gestures at the history. While completing his degree, Wang interned with architectural firms in Connecticut, where he worked on high-end residential, master planning, and K-12 educational projects.

Yvonne Cruz

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that Yvonne Cruz has rejoined the firm as a senior architect. She previously worked at Dietz & Company from 2019 to 2022. In the interim, she worked for a local engineering firm, where she participated in the design of public projects.

Cruz holds a bachelor of architecture degree from Pratt Institute School of Architecture in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is a licensed architect in the state of New York. She brings more than 25 years of experience to Dietz & Company, having worked for firms in Massachusetts and New York City throughout her career.

She has worked on an array of residential projects specializing in new construction and renovations of multi-family properties, and has also worked on many municipal, hotel, and restaurant projects. She brings to the firm a commitment to high-quality design and a passion for mentoring junior staff members.

Andy Zhang

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects announced that Andy Zhang, RA has earned his professional license to practice architecture in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To achieve licensure, he successfully completed all six divisions of the Architectural Registration Examination and 3,740 experience hours under a licensed architect, as well as meeting all requirements for architectural licensure in the Commonwealth.

Zhang joined Dietz & Company in 2020 as an architectural associate and has since grown within the company, working on a variety of project types and now as a member of its hospitality team. He earned his master of architecture degree from UMass Amherst and his bachelor of architecture degree from Shandong Architecture University in China.

Daniel Naylor and Claire Green

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

Daniel Naylor has joined Dietz in the role of architectural staff. He holds both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology. He brings more than 10 years of experience working for architecture firms in Massachusetts and New York on multi-family, K-12, and higher-education projects, and specializes in exterior building design and detailing.

Claire Greene has also joined the firm in the role of architectural staff. She holds a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University. Most recently, she worked for an architecture firm in Brooklyn, N.Y., with a focus on residential projects. While completing her master’s degree, she interned at firms in Massachusetts and Texas.

Shreya Sanghvi and Noel Aguilar

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

Noel Aguilar has joined Dietz in the role of project manager. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has worked for architecture firms in Texas, most recently in design and construction for retail-store development. He also has many years of experience working on the construction side of the industry. Aguilar specializes in design for medical office and industrial buildings and also has a particular interest in the hospitality sector.

Shreya Sanghvi has joined Dietz in the role of architectural associate. She recently completed her master’s degree in architecture and urban design at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), where she completed her thesis focusing on design strategies to overcome the disconnection of a complex Brazilian neighborhood while also creating a sustainable environment. She also holds a bachelor’a degree in architecture from the Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for Women in Pune, India. Sanghvi has experience working as a architectural designer and intern for firms in India and most recently as a graduate assistant in the Architecture Department at NYIT.

Jie Chen

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects announced that Jie Chen, AIA has completed the Architectural Registration Examination and met all of the requirements for architectural licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Chen joined Dietz & Company in 2017 as an architectural associate upon graduating with her master of architecture degree from UMass Amherst. Since then, she has grown within the company and shown her talent and enthusiasm working on a variety of projects in the hospitality, public, and multi-family housing sectors. Now as a licensed architect, she has been promoted from her role as architectural staff to the position of architect.

Michelle Muro

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced the addition of Michelle Muro, AIA to its staff in the role of senior architect in the Cambridge office. She holds a bachelor of architecture degree from Montana State University and is a licensed architect in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, and Kansas. She brings more than 26 years of experience to Dietz & Company, having worked for firms in Massachusetts and Colorado.

Muro has worked on a variety of projects in the industrial, multi-family, commercial, retail, and sports-entertainment sectors. She has expertise in code compliance and accessibility and specializes in project management and construction administration. As such, she will be managing the construction process at the Walkling Court senior-housing development project in Medford.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects recently held its annual “Spread the Cheer” holiday campaign with a $2,500 top prize donation. Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) won it with nearly 25% of the total votes.

The “Spread the Cheer” holiday campaign began in 2017 in an effort to be more environmentally conscious by not sending out paper holiday cards, but rather raise awareness for all the work local nonprofits do.

“As a company, we firmly believe in being an active part of the Greater Springfield community and beyond through volunteerism and donating funds when possible,” said Ashley Solomon, Marketing manager at Dietz. “It is our hope that, by continuing to do this year after year, more people will be encouraged to learn about, volunteer with, and donate to the groups that are meaningful to them.”

During the nine-day campaign, 18 local organizations were selected to be included in the event. Voters used a SurveyMonkey link to access the poll and choose an organization they felt was deserving of a share of a $5,000 prize. The organization that received the most votes received $2,500. Second place won $1,500, and third place received $1,000. The International Language Institute of Massachusetts won second place with 22% of the votes, and Dakin Humane Society came in third with 19% of the votes. The remaining 15 organizations received $100 each.

“We are very appreciative of the donation from Dietz and the many community supporters who voted for us in the Spread the Cheer campaign, making us the top recipient,” said Aimee Giroux, GSHFH executive director. “There are so many well-deserving organizations doing much-needed work in the local community. We are honored to be recognized for our part.”

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects announced that Aditya Surendhra, AIA has completed the Architectural Registration Examination and met all of the requirements for architectural licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As a licensed architect, he has been promoted from architectural staff to the position of architect.

Surendhra joined Dietz & Company in 2020 and primarily works on multi-family housing projects, with his approach being a focus on building performance and resilience. His work includes existing-conditions laser scanning and modeling for historic projects, as well as projects in the commercial sector. He also takes the lead in managing and developing the firm’s in-house Revit software standards, including libraries and templates.

Prior to joining Dietz, he earned his bachelor of architecture degree from Syracuse University. He also interned for firms in India and the U.S., where he worked on housing and historic-preservation projects.

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that Kyle Young, AIA has been promoted to the position of senior architect.

Young joined the firm in 2014 as an architectural associate upon graduating with his master of architecture degree from UMass Amherst. Now as a senior architect, he manages medium- to large-sized construction projects specializing in renovations and new construction for multi-family housing. He also serves as the firm’s AXP mentor/supervisor, supporting employees on their paths to architectural licensure.

“Kyle has been a valuable asset to our team for almost 10 years and has contributed to several successful projects throughout the Pioneer Valley,” Principal Jason Newman said. “He consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the success of the projects he works on, and this promotion is a testament to his dedication. We are committed to nurturing career growth and promoting from within, so it has been exciting for us to see Kyle flourish since joining the firm as a new grad to now reaching this latest milestone in his career.”

As Young takes on the additional responsibilities of his new role, he will continue to lead the teams on his current projects.

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. recently welcomed Laura Mukazhanova and Chen Yu to the firm, both in the role of architectural associate.

Mukazhanova recently received her bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, where she completed her thesis on the effects of architecture on one’s mental and emotional state. She illustrated this with a focus on addressing the issue of burnout in the healthcare industry through the use of visual and sensory perceptions in the workplace. As such, she has a particular interest and curiosity in architecture that has the potential for emotional and aesthetic influence on its occupants.

Chen recently graduated with her master of architecture degree from the University of Virginia. While completing her studies, she interned at architecture firms in Virginia and China. She also had the opportunity to conduct research on-site in Utqiagvik, Alaska regarding the reuse of waste heat. With an interest in public building design, she looks forward to expanding her knowledge on the subject through her project work at Dietz.

SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced the addition of Ibrahim Alkahiabri in the role of architectural associate, where he will assist project teams throughout all phases of design.

Alkahiabri holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in architecture from Savannah College of Art and Design, as well as a diploma in business and tourism from the Prince Sultan College of Business in Saudi Arabia. He comes to Dietz having worked at firms in Charlotte, N.C. and Atlanta, where he gained experience working on multi-family and single-family housing projects.

Dietz & Company Architects, one of the largest full-service firms in Western Mass., is an employee- and woman-owned business that opened its doors in Springfield in 1985. The firm’s areas of practice include housing, education, commercial, hospitality, historic renovations, public, and municipal work.