Jack Schildge

Jack Schildge (pronounced Shilt-ka), a nod to his family's German roots, grew up in Westfield, New Jersey and spent summers at Groton Long Point on the Connecticut coast. Learning to sail, admiring elegant Herreshoff A Boats, and exploring Mystic Seaport sparked his fascination with design, craftsmanship, and engineering. Growing up in a family of engineers, Jack came to see design through an engineering lens, reinforced by family stories connecting the Schildges to the Roeblings, builders of the Brooklyn Bridge. Jack arrived at the University of Colorado intending to become an engineer, but when he discovered architecture and that studio assignments involved going outside to draw, he never looked back.

Making up class credits led to one of Jack's favorite experiences: a summer in Rome. Working in a studio on the Tiber River and exploring the city on foot, he discovered architecture by drawing it. He earned his Master of Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he designed and built furniture, experimented with film photography, jewelry making, and hand bookbinding, and co-taught an “Unorthodox Naval Architecture” course inspired by his fascination with wooden boats.

That passion carried into a summer internship with a residential architecture firm in Northern California. Jack made a point of visiting Sea Ranch and was captivated by its quiet architecture and remarkable setting. Only later did he discover that it had been shaped by Charles Moore, founder of Centerbrook's predecessor firm, an unexpected connection to Centerbrook long before he joined us.

After RISD, Jack joined the New Haven furniture designer Hugo & Hoby, where he designed and built custom furniture while continuing to restore overlooked pieces and create architectural models. When the opportunity to join Centerbrook came along, it felt like a natural fit. As a longtime admirer of the nautically inspired Thompson Exhibition Building at Mystic Seaport, he was also drawn to our commitment to craftsmanship, physical models, and the Chairshop. Looking back, the connections had been there all along.

When away from the studio or workshop, Jack enjoys rock climbing, skiing the glades at Stratton Mountain, and building furniture of his own.