Ron Schwenger was educated at the University of Guelph in architecture and fine arts and continued his education in marketing, advertising and communications at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He started his career with a short period as an architectural technologist and draftsman and later pursued a path in creative marketing and communications. Early in 2004, Schwenger combined his experiences along with his original passion for architecture and formed Architek Sustainable Building Products Inc., which was incorporated in 2007, and opened a Seattle office in early 2008. Recently, he has also started a new division specializing in architectural hardware: Rope + Cable Canada.
Schwenger has over 10 years of expertise in building envelope technology and living architecture systems namely: green roof systems, green façade, living walls, renewable energy, and integrated site water management. In 2010, he wrote the GRP exam and obtained his credentials as an accredited green roof professional, or GRP. Employing a biophilic design-build methodology and a fully integrated approach to site water management with Architek’s in-house storm water mitigation and water conservation technologies has become a driving passion for Schwenger moving forward. He is an active member of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and The British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects. He continues to be involved with a number of industry organizations such as the Center for Architectural Ecology at BCIT and The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN).