By Joshua Burd
A veteran of the design and construction industry has kicked off his tenure as president of the American Institute of Architects’ New Jersey chapter.
Ronald C. Weston, founding principal of Weston Architecture LLC in West Orange, recently began his term at the helm of the association. One key goal for the year ahead, he said, is “to have AIA New Jersey focus more on engaging with government officials, industry leaders, students and the public writ large so that more people develop a better understanding of the value that good architecture and design adds to society.”
The group noted that Weston has spent 37 years as a licensed architect and AIA-NJ member, having led a variety of commercial, educational, hospitality, institutional and mixed-use projects. He served as president of his local section, AIA Newark and Suburban Architects, in 2018.
“Working with professional colleagues to create new school buildings that will educate generations of students ranks as the most rewarding type of projects for me,” Weston said. “The larger commercial and mixed-use developments I have worked on certainly were more complex and exciting, yet they tend to be less enduring and impactful for their communities.”
In a news release, AIA-NJ said Weston’s work has included being a principal architect of record on new schools, commercial buildings and multifamily residential developments in the New Jersey and New York region, while he has managed design teams on larger-scale national and international mixed-use developments. Prior to founding his consulting practice in 2021, Weston was a principal and practice leader at PS&S and Hillier Architecture, both of which are based in New Jersey.
Weston also serves on the advisory board of the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, where he just completed a four-year term as chairman, the news release said. What’s more, he recently completed 20 years of continuous service as a West Orange planning board commissioner, including eight years as its chairman, having raised his family in the township.
The chapter added that Weston holds architecture licenses in seven states and the District of Columbia, while he has held his National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
certificate for more than 35 years. He is a licensed professional planner in New Jersey, and is a LEED Accredited Professional through the U.S. Green Building Council.
