OUR TEAM
Kira A. Kinsman, AIA
Principal
Kira Kinsman is a registered architect with over 35 years of architectural design experience. She holds a B.A. in both civil engineering and architectural history from Brown University, Providence, RI. Kira’s architectural education included three years of study at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture and Planning and at the Museum of Modern Art’s Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, both in New York City.
In private practice for 26 years – including 4 years in sole proprietorship – Kira’s professional background includes design and technical experience acquired with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in Wilkes-Barre, PA and Caudill, Rowlett, Scott (CRS) in Houston, TX.
Kira is directly involved with the supervision of the firm’s efforts in marketing, design, and client management.
She is a past member of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s State Architects Licensure Board, and a past President of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Institute of Architects: she is also a past member of the Nuangola Borough Planning Commission, the Wilkes-Barre City Code Enforcement Office’s Board of Appeals, and served as an officer of the Board of Equality Pennsylvania.
Her projects have been recognized by the Northeast Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Design Awards Program and the Sustainable Energy Fund of Central Eastern Pennsylvania.
Since 2001, Studio KLP has been recognized numerous times for design excellence by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Design Awards Program.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, Architectural History, Brown University, Providence, R.I.
- Bachelor of Arts, Civil Engineering, Brown University, Providence, R.I.
- Graduate Study, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture & Planning, New York, NY.
- Undergraduate Program, The Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, MoMA, New York, NY.
Registration
- Registered Architect – Pennsylvania
Paul Lewis, AIA
Principal
Paul Lewis is a registered Architect with 19 years of architectural design and project management experience, 15 of which have been with KLP; Paul joined the firm as a partner in 2005.
Paul is directly involved with the supervision of the firm’s efforts in the marketing of professional services, consultant coordination , and carries a significant portion of the design load in the firm.
Prior to entering the partnership at KLP, Paul worked for 4 years at the Martin Organization (Architetcts and Land Planners) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His project experience ranges from custom residential, large-scale townhouse/multifamily development to commercial, industrial, recreational and institutional projects.
His contemporary designs for area office buildings and residences have won recognition from the Northeast Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Since 2001, Studio KLP has received 8 awards for design excellence by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Paul has been a board member of the Wilkes-Barre Area Salvation Army since 2001.
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
- Bachelor of Architecture, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.
Registration
- Registered Architect – Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Georgia.
John Palumbo, RA, AIA
Principal
John Palumbo has been practicing architecture since receiving his degree from Catholic University of America in 1974. He has extensive experience in the areas of project management, conceptual design, space planning, interior design and historic preservation.
His ability in design and management is supported by a formidable list of repeat clients including: The Scranton School District, The Scranton Times, Carbondale Area School District, Marywood University, First Liberty Bank & Trust, Pennstar Bank, the City of Scranton, Pennsylvania State University, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the County of Lackawanna, the Lackawanna County Housing Authority, the Department of General Services and many local boroughs and municipalities.
John’s accomplishments as a professional have been instrumental in gaining the firm recognition for its design orientation that has never lost touch with the economical, technical, and practical aspects of building construction. John has received national recognition for his design of the new Scranton High School and was the Scranton School District’s architect since 1985.
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Economics, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA.
- Bachelor of Architecture, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Registration
- Registered Architect – Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Florida.
Bill Byron
Project Manager
Prior to joining the firm in January of 1995, Bill Byron was a project manager for Henkels & McCoy, Inc. His duties included development and coordination of construction projects, supervision of construction crews, and administrative responsibilities. In that capacity, he also served as director of an alternative education program for “At Risk Youth,” organized as a public/private venture through the local employment and training office and Henkels & McCoy’s training services department.
Since his employment with Studio KLP, Bill has exercised his abilities in planning, design development and project administration on various additions and renovations to medical, educational, commercial and residential projects.
Education
- BA Communications, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA.
- Master of Architecture, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Tiffany Bet
Project Architect & Programmer
Tiffany Bet is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University where she acquired a five-year Bachelor of Architecture degree with a minor in Architectural History. She joined the firm in 2014.
Her architectural responsibilities include programming and schematic design, production of construction documents, BIM model management, and interior selections. She is also directly involved in the firm’s marketing efforts.
She performs job coordination services for the firm’s commercial projects and is versed in AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, and Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign desktop publishing software along with Microsoft Office and Excel.
Education
- Bachelor of Architecture, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA.
- Minor in History, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA.
John Suda
Project Manager
Prior to joining the firm, John Suda was employed by C. Allen Mullins in Wilkes-Barre, PA. His architectural experience is focused in areas of design, production of documents and the management of the production of 3-D documentation and presentation for the firm.
He performs job coordination services for the firm’s commercial and residential projects and is versed in AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, and Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign desktop publishing software along with Microsoft Office and Excel. He is also versed in various 3D computer modeling and rendering programs.
John has completed his architectural experience hours towards licensure and is currently taking his architectural registration exams.
Education
- Associate Degree in Architectural Engineering Technology, Luzerne County Community College, Nanticoke, PA.
- Undergraduate Studies at Marywood University, Scranton, PA.
Chuck Gunton
Project Manager
Prior to working with the firm, Chuck Gunton was employed by Facility Design and Development in Scranton, PA. His architectural experience is focused in areas of project management, project coordination, and production of contract documents for the firm.
He is versed in AutoCAD and certified in Autodesk Revit.
Education
- Associate Degree in Architectural Engineering Technology, Penn State University, Scranton, PA.
Steven Bower
Project Coordinator
Steven Bower joined the firm in 2001, two years after graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia where he acquired a five-year Bachelor of Architecture degree.
His responsibilities at Studio KLP include programming, schematic design, development of construction documents, and project management.
Education
- Bachelor of Architecture, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
John James
Architectural Designer
John James’ career has spanned almost four decades and has voluminous experience in a wide variety of building types and uses. He is a lifelong student of the built environment and has a passion for the pursuit of the aesthetic build by the hands of man. He is skillful in the latest productivity technology which includes building information modeling, a variety of graphics software, construction management, et al. He has administered varying project delivery methods, some of which include GC At Risk, CM Multi-Prime, and Design Build.
Education
- Associate Degree in Architecture & Building Construction, Johnson College, Scranton, PA.
- Undergraduate Studies in Architectural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA.
Mackenzie Semken
Architectural Designer
Prior to joining the firm in June of 2022, Mackenzie Semken was a full-time student at Marywood University. Throughout her studies she held a variety of internship-level positions at Scranton Sheet Metal and Entech Engineering. Her duties included drafting, conducting building surveys, creating short-term and long-term replacement estimates, and project coordination.
Since joining Studio KLP, she has worked on a variety of projects, with responsibilities including creation of construction documents for both new construction and renovation projects, large scale construction administration, and multi-discipline project coordination.
Education
- Bachelor of Architecture, Marywood University, Scranton, PA.
- Bachelor of Art History, Marywood University, Scranton, PA.
Iain Kerrigan
Architectural Designer
Iain Kerrigan began an architectural internship at the firm in 2022 before joining the firm as an architectural designer in 2023.
His architectural responsibilities include programming and schematic design, production of construction documents, construction administration, and 3D documentation and presentation. He is also directly involved in the firm’s marketing efforts and is the lead designer of the firm’s website.
He is versed in AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, and various 3D computer modeling and rendering programs.
Education
- Bachelor of Architecture, Marywood University, Scranton, PA.
Jacob Dolinish
Architectural Designer
Jacob Dolinish began an architectural internship at the firm in 2021 and has remained with the firm since.
His architectural responsibilities include programming and schematic design, production of construction documents, and 3-D documentation and presentation.
He is versed in AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, and various 3-D computer modeling and rendering programs.
Education
- (Ongoing) Bachelor of Architecture, Marywood University, Scranton, PA.
Kim Van Valen
Office Manager
Kim Van Valen joined the firm in 1993 as an office manager.
Her responsibilities include overseeing and documenting the administrative, staffing, and financial affairs of the office.
Education
- Associate Degree in Business Administration, Northeast Institute of Education, Scranton, PA.