Jackson Bangs

I have lived in Montclair most of my life, and it's electric and historic architecture is what first inspired me to go into the field. To learn more about the profession, I served as a high school intern here at Sionas Architecture. After obtaining my professional degree in architecture at the University of Notre Dame, I returned to Sionas, where I continue to learn every day while working on a wide range of project types. Life can be amusingly circular!

Between my stints at Sionas Architecture, I studied art, urbanism, and architecture in Rome for a year; I also worked on archeological projects in Agra, India and in Ostia, Italy. The history I was surrounded by at the creative ways in which millennia-old buildings are still used in these places inspired me to delve into historic preservation.  To that end, I served on the Montclair Historic Preservation Commission, writing and enforcing design guidelines that help keep the Township unique.

Buildings make a place what it is, and it is up to us to create handsome new ones, while also protecting and enhancing the ones we have. Architecture, in many ways, is the physical manifestation of history. As much as we use Roman ruins to learn about ancient societies, we will be judged by the buildings we leave behind. Therefore, the team of designers, contractors, and clients should strive to leave a place more efficient, more sustainable, and more beautiful than we found it.

When not at the office or out on a jobsite, I enjoy cooking and reading historical fiction novels.  As everyone who knows me quickly learns, I am an avid runner.