M. Rene Clawson, AIA, LEED AP, CIDNJ & Marvin Clawson, AIA, NCARB, CIDNJ, AIANS Trustee; Partners, Clawson Architects

Marvin's Bio:

“Marvin lives and breathes art and design. His work reflects a passion and innate vision for timeless, smart, stunning design – created with a seemingly effortless artistic ability and a graceful and personable/down-to-earth/authentic/modest demeanor,” noted one admiring client, articulating the comments of many who have worked with Marvin.

Marvin is a partner at Clawson Architects. He also teaches...at the Fashion Institute of Technology and The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. Staff, students, clients, and distinguished colleagues alike note his understated ability to impart the relevance of a design detail, cite its connection to history, and teach them a new thing or two. He has been invited to present his work in faculty design shows and to colleagues at AIA events. He has been the guest speaker at events from New York, NY to Los Angeles, CA. Most recently, Marvin was awarded the State of New York’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct teaching in 2020. 

Marvin services the community…Marvin is quick to say yes when it comes to helping in the community. He has been a sounding board and consultant to the local community offering planning, technical assistance and perspective to parent groups working to develop an outdoor learning center, zoning and new development within his town, as well as elementary school legacy projects, Eagle Scout projects, space planning and professional guidance to the Family Connections. group, a local food pantry and soup kitchen. He has given talks to middle school classes on applied math in the profession and provided his jury skills to judge the local science fair projects.

Marvin’s career spans from projects at the Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Estate to the J. Paul Getty Museum, to over 600 elegant, one-of-a-kind residential projects throughout the Northeast. The firm’s work, with Marvin as design lead, has garnered awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and other esteemed organizations and has been featured in books and national design publications. His passion and knowledge of Classical Architecture as well as his complete fluency in both period and modern detailing are what sets him and the work of the firm apart.

Marvin is an NCARB-Certified Architect and a Certified Interior Designer in New Jersey. He was elected by his peers to serve as the New Jersey American Institute of Architects Treasurer for the 2019-2021 term and in 2022, Marvin was asked to join the board of trustees for the American Institute of Architects Newark and Suburban chapter and to bring his knowledge of the intersection between education and the profession to the education committee. In 2024 Marvin will be stepping into the role of Vice President for the Newark and Suburban Chapter of the AIA. Marvin has been an active member of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art since its inception serving as President of the Fellows and now enjoys his Fellow Emeritus Status. Current licenses in NY, NJ, PA, VT, and FL.

René's Bio:

René has big ideas…. like starting Clawson Architects in 2000. She harnessed her intuitive sense of style and love of art and design into a career and this thriving architectural practice. When her idea took flight, she invited Marvin, her husband, to be a partner…she will tell you this decision was only the second-best decision she has ever made…with the first being to marry him. Since launching the firm, René has completed hundreds of extraordinary, elegant residential restorations, additions, and new construction projects. René’s nearly 40 years of experience is also very diverse and includes working for the United States Airforce, as well as retail work, like the famed Tower Records and Video stores (back when they were a thing), to commercial banking facilities, to The Fordham Chapel on the Rosehill Campus, to private prep schools and residences on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

René loves a challenge…. She sees each new project as a unique design and problem-solving opportunity.  She’s been known to say, “If it were easy, someone would have fixed it by now.” And yet, time and time again, her final design solution is so clever and deceptively simple, it looks like it could have – or should have -- always been there. 

René speaks out….as an active volunteer and leader in professional, business and community organizations. She is frequently invited to speak about small business, sustainability, and design. René has been a guest jury member reviewing design projects in the interior design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology and a guest speaker at the new Michael Graves College | Robert Busch School of Design | School of Public Architecture , the American Institute of Architects — Newark and Suburban Chapter and New Jersey State level. Recently, René has been on the speaking circuit for the Kitchen and Bath industry speaking at various chapters of the National Kitchen and Bath Association around the country as well as their annual trade show KBIS in 2019 as one of the “Voices from the Industry” . She has also shared her experience with the AIA Emerging Professionals also known as EPIC, the Girl Scouts of America,  Junior League and the Maplewood Chamber of Commerce.

René is committed to community… As President for 4 years, an active board member since 2005 of The Maplewood Chamber of Commerce, René assisted in getting the town to pass an ordinance allowing home based businesses, served on the Springfield Alliance Partnerships Design Standards Board and was a member of the Task Force to look into locations for the new police station in Maplewood and then along with other Chamber members and citizens successfully lobbied the township not to displace active businesses with the use of eminent domain in locating the town’s new police station by proposing alternative sites and bring the businesses into the spotlight. She assisted the principal of the local school where her children attended, with bringing their bathrooms up to date, and the PTA with developing their vision for the library’s new look as well as lending the entire team to assist the graduating class with the construction of their Bird Houses Legacy Project. As an avid sailor, René also served her Yacht Club as both a youth advisor for ten years and board member for three where she was praised for her business acumen and consulted often with regards to the facilities.

René is a Licensed Architect in the states of New Jersey and New York, a LEED Accredited Professional and is also a Certified Interior Designer in New Jersey.  If you can’t find her on the state registration, she is also known as Mary.

For business inquiries please visit Clawson Architects website:  https://www.clawsonarchitects.com/

Give the Clawson Team a call: 973-313-ARCH
Connect via their Contact Page: https://www.clawsonarchitects.com/contact

Q&A:

What was your favorite recent project?

We get asked this quite a bit. Residential architecture projects are unique and personal. Many of our clients are working with an architect for the first time, and they may never do it again, so it’s a special relationship we have with the homeowners.  Together we are building something and there is a lot of emotion. Often, they have entrusted us to guide them on one of the biggest investments they have ever made. As many of our clients have become long-term friends, it is fulfilling to see how the spaces are working and see our clients happy knowing we were a part of making their dreams come true.

How long did it take before you felt comfortable in your role as an architect?

We both got into our professional grooves while working in NYC in the late 1980’s, both of us earning our licenses just 5 years out of school. It wasn’t until 2000 that Clawson Architects became an official LLC.  We’ve learned that you just don’t know what you don’t know. The type of work we do is challenging because no two houses are the same. After designing close to 600 projects along the Morris and Essex Train line, we have come to realize that each client has unique goals and expectations. This aspect of our practice keeps us on our toes learning new things every day. We would caution anyone that feels comfortable…most learning comes with a bit of discomfort.

 What would be your dream job or a project you'd like to work on?

Having your own firm requires you to wear many hats. It is also a service industry. So, we think a good day at the office is one where we get to draw.  After 20 years of dreaming about what we could do to the home we were living in, we finally drew it.  The finished project was awarded an AIA Gold Medal for design by AIANS which was extremely validating. Now that the kids are grown, we dream about what is next and we agree that we will do it again: a ground-up or total renovation of a home for us to retire in. When we say retire…that would be defined as only doing projects we really want to do in a well-designed home studio. 

What do you like to do when you are not working?

Marvin loves to read, draw, and garden. Rene loves to ski, watercolor paint, cook and entertain. Together, they love to sail, kayak, walk the dog, visit art galleries, botanical gardens, architectural masterpieces, and eat at new restaurants. 

What are 3 fun facts about us?

1. Marvin and Rene were introduced to each other in 1982 by a mutual friend when they were in undergraduate school. Marvin declared in that moment that one day Rene would marry him. They did not have their first date until the Fall of 1987 in NYC.
2. When Marvin and Rene talked about getting married, they agreed: 2 kids,  no pets, and that they would never work at the same firm.
3. Marvin and Rene have been married since 1989. They have three adult children, They have had two rabbits, many goldfish, some hamsters, a frog that lived for 10 years! and a dog named Skipper, who is 7. Clawson Architects was formed in 2000—they currently sit approximately 5 feet apart.

Lessons learned behind these facts…First concepts, visceral experience, and gut reactions are often pointing at the best answer. The scope of work often remains fluid as you discover the possibility.

Who or what are your inspirations for architecture?

Good and inspired design solves a problem. We take our inspiration from the people we are working with and contextual cues.

 Who or what are your inspirations for life?

Our kids…the world is changing at a pace that is challenging to keep up with. The opportunities before our children are endless; they have degrees and work in fields and positions that did not even have majors for when we were attending architecture school. They have opened our eyes to different ways of thinking and doing, and for that we are grateful and inspired. They keep us young in our perspectives and have become trusted advisors.

 What’s exciting about what you are doing now in the office?

Marvin, Rene, and the Team at Clawson Architects are all working from their own homes. Our team is composed of dedicated, mature, and highly educated women. Everyone has unique strengths, talents, and interests.  They harness each other’s superpowers to elevate the work and each other while solving problems with design solutions at the highest level. It is amazing to work with a team of people that are confident, competent and kind. 

What advice would you give to recent graduates entering the professional world?

Start with:

What is the problem you are trying to solve? 

Then:

Be curious, open to possibilities.

Be willing to struggle and challenge your beliefs.

Be generous in spirit while showing kindness and embracing others’ ideas. 

Projects:

Llewellyn Park, West Orange, NJ. Completed 2023.
Renovations and Alterations -- An interior gut renovation, from top to bottom. The perfect home for our clients who love to entertain inside and out! The new gabled roof, of glass and copper, caps off the ground floor open living plan. The kitchen is infused with natural light during the day, and glows in the evening.



Renovation and Alterations. Montclair, NJ. Completed in 2016.
Gut Renovations and alterations to Georgian Home to modernize it for this century. New marble floors in Black and White with a glimpse into the stunning new dining room with new herringbone wood floors and chandelier by Terzani, the crystal chandelier in the foyer was salvaged from its location in the existing dining room and re-envisioned. removing the crystal chains and lanterns, re-lamping and cutting down the stem, it is hard to even recognize. Entry Foyers are often the first impression in a home with the floor and stair details taking center stage. Clawson Architects “turned up the volume” on the original black and white checkerboard floor with this new custom pattern. The relocated and re-envisioned chandelier set the tone of gracious living.



The Seamen’s Church Institute – Port of Newark. Elizabeth, NJ. Completed in 2014.
Each year, some 60,000 mariners, truckers, port workers and visitors utilize the Seamen's Church Institute International Seafarers Center in the Port of Newark, New Jersey. The original building, built in 1960, received an addition in 1989. In 2005 Clawson Architects was retained to design a complete gut renovation and addition. Our relationship with 'SCI' continues to this day.  We have designed their new headquarters at Trinity Place and assisted with other design challenges and have been retained again to work on a feasibility study for a new project they are considering. This project was awarded an AIA medal for Design Excellence in 2014.



Ridgewood, NJ. Completed in 2013.
While this home had historical significance, even the Historical Preservation Committee was please and supported our recommendations we made to re-envision this home. While many looking at only the completed project think it was a preservation project, it was a gut renovation and complete exterior make over, to make it more period correct and to enhance the plan and flow of the home for a modern family.  Its stair was awarded an AIA Gold Medal for Design Excellence in the element category. A real fan favorite, the project has stood the test of time with the 7 of the top 10 images being saved by “Houzz” followers from this project alone and the Stair hitting 100,000 saves back in July of 2016.

Summit, NJ. Completed in 2017.
Dating to the turn of the 20th Century, this house had suffered several out-of-scale ad-hoc additions and termite infestation. Our task was to restore the home to its original grandeur including the rebuilding of a porte-cochere that required a variance from the town. The renovation plans included removing the additions and creating a seamless design to address a more modern living style. During demolition, we found that absolutely the only things that could be saved were the foundation, the front entrance, and the main stair hall.  All the walls and structure had to be rebuilt to meet building codes. The project also included the renovation of a barn on the property, maintaining the building as a simple, yet elegant, agrarian structure. This aspect of the project won an AIA Gold Medal.