Springfield Technical Community College, Student Learning Commons

Our renovation and expansion of Harvard Divinity School’s Swartz Hall has received a 2024 Boston Society for Architecture (BSA) Award for Built Design Excellence in the Adaptive Reuse, Renovation or Historic Preservation category!

LEED Platinum certified, our inclusive design aligns the historic Swartz Hall with the modern mission of Harvard Divinity School and its international, diverse student population with over 45 faith traditions. We are grateful for this recognition, which honors projects “that embody the values of the the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Framework for Design Excellence and the BSA’s vision of building a just and sustainable Boston, together”.

Our team is excited to attend the March 5th, 2025 Award Gala at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport to celebrate the excellent work of our community and to find out which level of award our project has won. Stay tuned for what is sure to be a lively event!

Our work for the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (GSE) was featured in Architectural Record. Written by Ian Volner with contributions from Annum president Philip Chen FAIA and senior associate Josh Aisenberg AIA, this story details our renovation and expansion to create a new home for the GSE.

“Connecting a pair of 1960s buildings at the southwest corner of Walnut and 37th Streets, the new volume provides additional classroom space, enhanced accessibility, and a degree of visual consistency to the school, which had formerly been spread out across multiple sites. Annum president and principal Philip Chen quotes another Penn administrator—the GSE’s own dean, Pam Grossman—when he says the objective was to create ‘one GSE,’ forging a distinct architectural identity for a program that had long lacked it.”

Awarded LEED Gold v4, the project creates a sustainable gateway to education that expands access and connectivity, making Penn GSE a resource for the entire University.

You can read the full story, “Clad in Terra-Cotta Fins, UPenn’s Expanded Graduate School of Education Fits in with its Neighbors” in Architectural Record.

It was a lively celebration at the ribbon-cutting for the new Engine 17 Firehouse! Participants and attendees included City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke, City of Boston officials, firefighters, and community members.

Located on historic Meetinghouse Hill in Dorchester, the new Engine 17 is the second firehouse to be built in Boston over 40 years. Sited on a former parking lot next to the existing firehouse, our ground-up facility with the Boston Fire Department and the City of Boston Public Facilities Department was designed to benefit the health and wellness of firefighters. The new high-performing building is targeting LEED Silver, with features include energy-efficient boilers and large windows to introduce daylight into program spaces and create a welcoming entrance. Second-floor spaces include an open-concept kitchen and dayroom, fitness area, lockers, and sleeping and office spaces.

Thank you to our construction partner, J&J Contractors, and the rest of our team. See more of our professional photos by Randy Crandon here.

You can read more about the project in the City of Boston’s announcement here.

It was an incredible honor for our Boston Athenaeum team to accept the Paul & Niki Tsongas Award from Preservation Massachusetts on June 28th at the Massachusetts State House ceremony. This award recognizes “people and projects that have displayed the highest level of commitment to historic preservation in the Commonwealth”. The team was humbled to be amongst such an impressive group of deserving honorees.

The team was also thrilled to find out that the project won the People’s Preservation Choice Award! We would like to thank all who took the time to vote for our renovation and expansion work for this outstanding institution. We could not be more thrilled to celebrate this award that showcases the Boston Athenaeum’s dedication to the community.

Congratulations to the Boston Athenaeum and the entire design team!