Joseph Schiffer, Principal Emeritus, joined Newman Architects in the 1970s. His broad background combines more than 40 years of experience in areas of urban development, multi-family and student housing, and university and college planning and design. Joe remains active in Newman’s commercial development and housing work. Throughout his career, Joe led the firm’s work in Stamford and particularly with Charter Oak Communities which provides affordable and mixed market housing. He has collaborated in the planning and design of many of the firm's most notable projects including Duracell World Headquarters, the Pocantico Conference Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Yale University Art Gallery, Center for American Art, and the Freeman Athletic Center at Wesleyan University.

Over the past ten years he’s led a diverse group of projects at three campuses. Amongst those are the Peter Werth Tower at the University of Connecticut, Boger Hall and Fisk Hall at Wesleyan University, and Meditz Hall and the Egan School of Nursing at Fairfield University. Currently Joe heads up the planning team for the Wakefield Village Transit Oriented Community Development in NYC and several other mixed use urban developments in Connecticut as well as completing design for the Public Affairs Center at Wesleyan University.

Formerly an Assistant Professor of architectural design at the Paier College of Art, Joe has participated as an architectural jury critic at Columbia University, Yale University, and his alma mater, Cooper Union. His lectures and published works cover topics ranging from planning community and student centers to implementing sustainable design and construction techniques in new buildings.