Serving in his first term on the Preservation New Jersey Board is Andrew E. Thompson, who has been in the field of architecture for 30 years. His education includes City University of New York, the Pratt Institute, and Columbia University.
Andrew’s extensive career includes designing structural components for the Arleigh Burke Class Navy Destroyer vessel; the Port Authority – working on projects in Tower One of the World Trade Center, Newark Airport, and the Air Train for JFK airport; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where he served as the Chief Architect; and the City University of New York, where he was responsible for building their first new community college in 40 years. In 2013, Andrew came to New Jersey taking the position of County Architect for Passaic County.
It was during the renovation and restoration of the Dey Manion in Wayne, NJ that Andrew was inspired by how different working in historic preservation was from his previous positions. He needed to get “into the bones of the building from the archaeological portion of the work to sourcing the correct materials to preserve the historic nature.” It was baptism by fire, and a specialty area that has become the most rewarding in his career.
Andrew, as an architect and a LEED AP, prioritizes sustainability in his work. He believes that to preserve our history we need to preserve those buildings that are important to our history. This can be accomplished through adaptive re-use which also can focus on sustainability. With New Jersey playing such a significant role in the Revolutionary War, the Industrial Age and other milestones in history, this process of maintaining the sustainability of our historic buildings through adaptive re-use is critical.
As the 2025 President of the American Institute of Architects New Jersey chapter, Andrew looks forward to making a stronger connection between historic preservation and the AIA-NJ membership, add initiates for the Historic Resources Committee of AIA-NJ, and through the AIA-NJ Mayors Exchange committee have architects connect with mayors throughout the state. Challenges that New Jersey faces are those municipalities, boroughs, and towns that have no interest in historic preservation and feel it is not relevant. Andrew hopes to be able to change that mindset.
Andrew was awarded the AIA-NJ Architect of the Year award in 2021 and is a longtime member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA.) He has served as President of AIA Newark and Suburban, is the President-Elect of AIA-NJ, and serves on the national level of the American Institute of Architects on their Small Project Design Knowledge Committee. A product of the New York City public school system, he graduated from James Madison High School in Brooklyn, whose former students include the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, the late Academy Award winning actor Martin Landau, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and singer Carole King.
Preservation New Jersey is delighted to have Andrew Thompson and his vast knowledge and experience as part of the Board of Trustees.
Comments