Meet The Partners

Kenneth C. Newell, AIA NCARB

Ken is a senior principal with Stewart Cooper Newell Architects and an active member of a congregation in Dallas, NC. Ken has a passion for working with religious groups to help them plan and prepare for their ministries' facility needs. During his 19 plus years with SCN-Architects he has assisted small and large churches facing the challenges of renovating their existing facilities, constructing new spaces, and moving their ministry's facilities to brand new locations. Ken also does a lot of research around construction costs and materials, which he shares with our clients to guide them in making educated decisions regarding the cost and long term maintenance of the facilities. Ken obtained his architectural degrees from North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

James C. Stewart, AIA NCARB CIS

Jim is one of the founding principals of Stewart Cooper Newell Architects. As a 1965 graduate of Clemson University, Mr. Stewart has worked on a wide variety of buildings including hospitals, courthouses, churches, municipal and governmental facilities, office buildings, and restaurants. Growing up the son of a contractor, Mr. Stewart brings a unique perspective to the design of our projects. He is always concerned with the constructability of a building and maximizing the usable space to provide our owners with more building for their money. Mr. Stewart is heavily involved in quality control process and construction administration activities.  He works closely with all the architects passing along his knowledge and expertise.

James R. Stumbo, AIA NCARB

Jim is a senior principal with Stewart Cooper Newell Architects, and an active member of a congregation in Charlotte, NC. Jim’s experience includes the planning and architectural design of religious spaces for over 20 years. His passion for creating spaces for congregations to worship and fellowship within has been shaped by his own beliefs and experiences. One of Jim’s greatest assets is his ability to communicate and connect with both the building committee and the entire congregation of the churches he works with. This allows Jim the opportunity to better understand the needs of the church as a whole and create designs that meet both the physical and budgetary, and most importantly, the ministry needs. Jim received his architectural degree from the University of Tennessee.