Joe Celentano is a Principal of VMDO Architects, with a focus on design of the firm’s athletics and community projects. His 40 year background includes a long resume of work with collegiate athletics facilities, including at the University of Virginia, the University of Richmond, and Roanoke College, among others. Joe has brought this athletics background to municipal projects, including state-of-the-art community centers and park spaces. He is committed to achieving integrated design excellence through a holistic approach that integrates sustainability, resilience, and community health and well-being. By focusing on solutions that promote such vitality, Celentano aims to develop spaces that not only meet functional and aesthetic needs but also support the long-term growth and prosperity of the communities they serve. Additionally, his body of work reflects an acute interest in the craft of building, with an understanding of how aesthetic components celebrate surrounding context and contribute to dynamic placemaking.

Joe has designed a multitude of award-winning projects which have been recognized by the American Institute of Architects, the AIA Committee on the Environment, US Green Building Council, UC Berkeley Center for the Built Environment, and the Virginia School Boards Association. This includes Lubber Run Community Center in Arlington, VA (AIA National Architecture Award - 2023), and the renovation of Thurston Hall at the George Washington University (AIA National Architecture Award, AIA COTE Top Ten Award, AIA Housing Award - 2024).