JONES ARCHITECTURE - Key Persons


ALYA STABER

Alya is an advocate of human wellness and equitable design. Her prior experience in

Amelia Shelton

Job Titles:
  • Project Designer
Amelia joined Jones in August 2023 as a Project Designer and was an intern in the summer of 2022. She has a passion for historic preservation and adaptive reuse, and advocates for the need to maintain the integrity and contextual significance of old spaces while breathing new life into the past. Her passion for travel combined with her experiences studying abroad in Spain and The Netherlands have given her a diversified perspective on architecture at an international scale. Amelia earned her Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University and her Master of Architecture from Northeastern University.

Angela Plante

Job Titles:
  • Interior Designer
Angela joined Jones in 2023 with 9 years experience in commercial interior design including working as a designer at a furniture dealership. Her project types range from workplace, municipal, K-12 schools, universities, life sciences, and hospitality with the majority of these projects residing within Massachusetts. She is from Holderness NH but moved to Massachusetts to obtain her bachelors degree from NESAD at Suffolk University and now lives in Salem Massachusetts.

Cheree Isbell

Job Titles:
  • Project Designer
Cheree joined Jones in August of 2022 as a Project Designer. She has since assisted in higher education, commercial, and residential projects. Cheree has most recently been developing test kitchen designs for SharkNinja as well as a multiphase office reconfiguration approach for Acella Construction Company. Cheree earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from Auburn University.

CHRISTIAN STROM

Job Titles:
  • Green Associate / Associate
Christian joined Jones in 2014 with 10 years of experience working in construction and architecture for commercial and residential clients both in Norway and in the United States. Christian also has a carpentry background. Recently, he has been working with MIT, Salem State University, Quinsigamond Community College, and Boston Trinity Academy. As part of a larger project team at Norwich University, Christian's primary role was to spearhead design and construction documentation for the new 387 seat auditorium in Mack Hall. He earned a Master of Architecture degree from the Pratt Institute in New York City and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University.

DAN OLLILA

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Dan joined Jones in 2014 after working for several other Boston-area firms. For the past eight years, Dan has managed over 40 small projects at Northeastern University that vary in type, including classroom, library, laboratory, administrative, and public spaces. Most recently, Dan has been working on various athletics projects at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. He has also been part of project teams for larger projects at Norwich University, and has led renovations for TD Garden in Boston, MA. Dan received a Master of Architecture degree and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology.

ELONA HABIPI

Job Titles:
  • Project Manager
Elona joined Jones in November of 2018 as a Project Designer. Her past experience includes planning, design, and management of high-end residential renovations in Back Bay and Beacon Hill, Boston. Elona earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Boston Architectural College and also completed general studies at Suffolk University.

Gina Billings

Job Titles:
  • Office Manager
Gina joined Jones in June 2021 as an Office Manager. Her prior experience includes apparel planning, buying, production as well as marketing, social media content and website development. She provides diversified professional administrative support to the Director/Owner to ensure efficiency of daily operations as well support with other financial duties, human resources, benefits, and marketing. Gina earned a Bachelor of Science in Apparel Merchandising, Design and Production from Iowa State University.

GREGORY BURCHARD

Greg has over 30 years of experience designing for higher education, including campus master planning and both new buildings and renovations to accommodate flexible and innovative learning environments; administrative and maintenance facilities; dining, residential and cultural spaces. Greg's emphasis is on the craft of architecture, building science, detailing, and construction. He joined Jones in 2016 after working with Rick for 10 years at a prior firm, as well as for several other boutique design firms in the Boston area.

JAKE SPRINGER

Job Titles:
  • Project Manager
Jake is from Salem, MA and joined Jones in 2018 with high-end residential and hospitality experience from co-ops from other Boston-area firms. His work with Jones Architecture varies from office, residential, and studio projects. He was part of the team for a new construction project of a call center for DCAMM for the Department of Unemployment Assistance, which utilizes a hybrid of CLT, glulam, and steel construction. Most recently, he has been working with DCAMM to implement their new Future of Work guidelines throughout state-owned buildings. Jake earned a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Jessie Bennett

Job Titles:
  • Project Designer
Jessie joined Jones in September 2023 as a Project Designer. In the summer of 2022, she worked at Jones as an intern and assisted in higher education, commercial, and residential projects. Jessie has a keen interest in the connections between spatial design and productivity, creativity, and wellbeing. Jessie earned a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in Environmental design from Auburn University. While at Auburn, Jessie was selected to study abroad in Japan, where she developed a deeper understanding and passion for holistic architecture and design.

Kaleigh Stirrat

Job Titles:
  • Project Designer
Kaleigh joined Jones as an intern in the spring of 2018, again in the summer of 2019, and as a full-time project designer in 2021. Kaleigh spent five years studying architecture at Wentworth Institute of Technology and abroad in Berlin, Germany and graduated with her Master of Architecture in 2020. Her combined past experiences as an intern at Jones, a Landscape Designer at KMDG, a research intern at Built Environment Plus, & an intern at DiMella Shaffer have shaped her passion for holistic design.

KRISTINA POTHIER

Job Titles:
  • Director of Business Development
Kristina is a strategic business development and marketing communications professional with over 25 years experience in professional services. In 2015, after 20 years working for various design and architectural firms in the Boston area, she joined Jones as a consultant. Her past experience includes roles at Gensler, Goody Clancy, and Steffian Bradley Associates. She also spent six years at Fitch, a multidisciplinary design consultancy, where she focused on selling brand communications services to a range of companies in various industries, from start-ups to large enterprises. Her strength is in business development planning, brand positioning and messaging, and integrated communications, working with different stakeholders at all levels to achieve a consistent brand presence. Kristina earned a MBA from the Olin School of Management at Babson College and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis.

LAURA ALVAREZ MARTIN

Job Titles:
  • Project Manager
Bio Laura joined Jones in the spring of 2019. Originally from Spain, she graduated as an architect from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. She has assisted on projects for Boston College, UMass-Amherst and Dartmouth College. Her experience ranges from residential to higher-ed projects, including several athletics and food-service projects.

MARC PERRAS

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Principal
  • Project Manager for the New Department of Unemployment Assistance Building
Marc has over 20 years of experience working for higher education and cultural institutions well as commercial and residential clients at a range of scales. His work renovating existing buildings led to an interest in exposing the strengths of the architecture and highlighting the juxtaposition between old and new. Marc joined Jones in 2015 after working with Rick for six years at a prior firm. Being a part of projects such as student centers and libraries has expanded Marc's interest in detailing, construction types, and how buildings relate to the larger context of campus design. At Jones Architecture, Marc managed the $45M renovation of three academic buildings and the design and construction of a new building to meet growing program demands at Norwich University's College of Liberal Arts and College of Professional Schools. Marc enjoys working at a smaller scale as well, spearheading renovation projects including dining, research offices, and studio spaces for institutional clients. Most recently Marc has been a project manager for the new Department of Unemployment Assistance Building in Brockton, MA which will become one of the commonwealth's most sustainable buildings when completed. This $23 million dollar project will be the first building in Massachusetts of this scale built solely with public funds to utilize cross laminated timber as the primary structure. Marc received a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Virginia.

MARY GILLIS

Job Titles:
  • Manager, Jones Miami
Mary joined Jones in 2019 and has since assisted in higher education, commercial and non-profit projects. Originally from Palm Harbor, FL, she graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University where she was a part of exchange programs in Istanbul and New Zealand. Mary's past experience includes high-end residential projects in Charleston, SC, and large-scale assisted living and memory care facilities in St. Petersburg, FL.

MATT ROWAN

Job Titles:
  • Associate
Matt joined Jones full time in summer 2015 after working part time while completing his master's degree at Northeastern University. Matt has worked on multiple campuses in the greater Boston area, including numerous projects at MIT, Northeastern, Salem State, and Tufts Universities. Matt has managed projects ranging from department master planning studies to laboratory design and construction. Before joining Jones, Matt was a student at Northeastern Architecture where he co-oped with a university's facilities and planning department, and a local firm with a healthcare and laboratory focus.

Michael Ohrman

Job Titles:
  • Project Designer
Michael joined Jones in the fall of 2021 as a project designer. With 4 years experience in managing client relations, Michael has a keen interest in making architectural drawings that speak to an audience larger than the discipline alone. Keeping the client's interests at heart, Michael has most recently been developing adaptive, flexible spaces for Roxbury Community College. Michael earned a Bachelors of Science in Architecture from The Ohio State University.

MIKE PROSCIA

Mike joined Jones in the fall of 2019 as project manager. With over 10 years of experience, Mike has worked on data center, laboratory, corporate interior, adaptive reuse, and multifamily residential projects in Boston and internationally. He is also a member of the Swampscott Planning Board, and is passionate about urban planning and active transportation, having previously served on the Cambridge Bicycle Advisory Committee and Swampscott Traffic Advisory Committee. Mike earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from The Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.

NOEMI JIMINIAN

Job Titles:
  • Project Designer
Noemi joined Jones at the start of 2020 as an Intern Architect with a Master of Architecture degree earned from Wentworth Institute of Technology in 2019. During her previous summer internships in Connecticut and Massachusetts she worked on a variety of project types including residential, commercial plazas, and signage/wayfinding for the MBTA in Boston.

Peter Shanahan

Job Titles:
  • a Project Designer
  • Project Designer
Peter joined Jones Architecture as a Project designer at the start of 2024. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Brown University, and took studio courses at the Technical Institute of Berlin. He enrolled in the 2-year Architecture Graduate Program at the Rhode Island School of Design and received his Masters of Architecture in 2023. He believes in a sustainable practice and is working towards PHIUS+ certification and Licensure. Peter's knack for problem solving is an asset to our team.

RICHARD M. JONES

Rick has worked in design and planning for a broad portfolio of clients in higher education for over twenty-five years. In the spring of 2011, following 15 years of practice with various firms in Boston, Rick founded Jones Architecture, a service-oriented practice providing design and planning services for large and small scale institutional, commercial, and residential projects. With a personal research focus on learning environments and academic libraries, Rick believes in leveraging our experience across higher education to inform current projects. The power of precedents, looking around (and ahead), and understanding peer clients is central to this research. He is best at building relationships, solving design challenges, and creating bright moments that improve the day-to-day life of the client.

SAM CLEMENT

Job Titles:
  • GREEN ASSOCIATE / Senior Associate
Jones Architecture's longest tenured employee, Sam joined Jones in our first year in business, 2011. His focus has been higher education classroom, library, student life, and administrative space renovations, often infused with a high level of technology. Sam's collaborative approach and calm demeanor help projects run smoothly despite inevitable obstacles. His clients include MIT, where he is a valued and trusted resource, having completed over 20 projects; Dartmouth College, where he managed the renovations of the Jones Media Center and adjacent DartmouthX Teaching Theater; and Harvard University, where he is engaged in rolling out new classroom prototypes for the Faculty of Arts & Sciences in Harvard Hall, Emerson Hall and Boylston Hall. Sam received a Master of Architecture degree and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from Northeastern University.

Sarah Tarbet

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Sarah has nearly 10 years of experience working primarily for higher education and institutional clients with experience designing a multitude of project types. She has made an impact at top institutions across the region with a focus on facilitating learning, communication, and community. She is a talented architectural and interior designer with an ability to connect earnestly with her clients. Sarah worked as a designer in the Boston area for 5 years before joining Jones in 2016. Sarah contributes to the firm as an associate, architect, project manager, and mentor to other staff. Sarah focuses on accessible and inclusive design and has a keen interest in renovating and restoring mid-century architecture.

SILVIA COLPANI

Job Titles:
  • Project Designer
Silvia joined Jones in 2017 with 4 years experience in the architecture field including design internships at Recover Green Roofs in Somerville and over,under in Boston. Her recent clients include MiniLuxe, New Hampton School, and Cape Cod Community College. Silvia graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology with a Masters of Architecture. She worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Director of the Graduate program at Wentworth and was a student representative for the NE/SHA-New England Society of Architectural Historians, for which she organized the annual student symposium. Originally from Italy, Silvia moved to the United States in 2013 after completing a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in Milan.

WILLIAM JACOB

Job Titles:
  • Associate
Bill joined Jones in 2017. He has managed projects for UMass Lowell, Northeastern University's Boston campus and Innovation Campus Burlington Massachusetts (ICBM), and Olin College of Engineering, among others. Bill is versatile across a wide variety of project types, navigating the inherent existing problems while trying to offer real design improvements. He is particularly interested in adaptive rehabilitation and finding opportunities present in recapturing old space for new programming and functionality. Bill graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Design. After graduating he gained experience in mixed-use, food service and retail architecture. Prior to joining Jones Architecture, Bill worked in NYC on projects in adaptive rehabilitation, multifamily residential and mixed-use architecture.