Arlen Stawasz is an emerging leader in resilience planning and design with research expertise in flood resilient architecture, climate adaptation / social equity strategy, and emergency disaster response systems. Arlen has conducted extensive research in many countries around the world to learn from the most advanced water focused societies and their unique conditions of living with water and extreme heat.

From policy making to community planning, and understanding the human conditions of preparing for and living with flooding, extreme heat, and other climate hazards, his resiliency work is constantly evolving, gaining national and international traction, and expanding. Arlen was awarded the John Worthington Ames Fellowship in 2013 through the Boston Architectural College that allowed him to expand his interests and learn from other countries climate mitigation strategies after completing his degree. Since then, he has had tremendous support from his employers and non-profit organizations to continue this important research.

Arlen is actively involved and collaborates with international policy makers, city officials, climate scientists, academics, planners, engineers, and geologists to influence sustainable development within the built environment.  Arlen is a co-founder of the BSA Committee on Resilient Environments, a former co-chair of ULI Boston’s Climate Resilience Committee, and he is continuously looking for opportunities to improve his local community. Arlen serves as the Managing Director of ClimARKitex, a consulting firm developed to strengthen communities by empowering them through resilient design thinking.

His professional architectural experience ranges from a multitude of projects, including high rise development, civic, higher education, k-12, science and technology, energy+ residential, urban planning and resilient design. Arlen also serves as an adjunct faculty instructor at the BAC with a focus on teaching advanced resilient design and climate adaptation architectural studios.  In the fall of 2019, Arlen helped lead the ULI Boston’s Living with Heat Report, which was featured in the Boston Globe and on NECN television broadcast.

Photography courtesy of Jason Thornton.