“We’re #27.” OK, it may not trip off the tongue, but it sounds pretty good to us.

Shepley moved up the ranks of the country’s “Design Giants” in the results of a national survey just released by Building Design + Construction magazine. With an overall ranking at #27 in the annual survey, the firm came in 26th among university design firms and 48th among healthcare design firms. The magazine gives a shout-out to Marquette Law School with a photograph of the school’s Zilber Forum as the survey’s featured higher education project.

Shepley, which now uses ...[more]

Shepley Bulfinch welcomed Partners In Health co-founder Dr. Paul Farmer (“Mountains Beyond Mountains”) to our Boston office today, where he spoke at the unveiling of plans for a new rehabilitation and training center in Haiti.

We partnered with colleagues from Boston’s healthcare and design communities to deliver this pro bono project, joining with Partners in Health, Partners Healthcare, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, and the Mass Design Group to address the immediate and long-term demand for rehabilitation services in Haiti.

Carole Wedge welcomed 80 guests to this morning’s event. “We got as much as we gave in this process,” she said, pointing to the design response forged by a tight timetable, limited ...[more]

Shepley Bulfinch was one of three firms honored for achievements in diversity by the American Institute of Architects in a presentation earlier today at the annual AIA national conference in New Orleans. 2011 jury chair Clarence Kwan, AIA, announced the honorees, lauding Shepley was honored for its work in transforming the culture of the firm into one that is diverse and collaborative.

Accepting the award on behalf of Shepley Bulfinch, human resources manager Maggy Godfroy emphasized the firm’s commitment to inclusion and advocacy. “Receiving this is an honor and recognition of an important ...[more]

Shepley Bulfinch has selected Susannah Cramer-Greenbaum of the University of Michigan as the firm’s 14th annual Summer Design Fellow. She was chosen for the ten-week Fellowship from a field of close to 100 candidates from the country’s top design schools.

Susannah received her Master’s degree in architecture earlier this month. Her graduate thesis, “Face Value,” explores the aesthetics for the mediation of post-industrial sites. She examined the re-use and re-purposing of former industrial sites in ways that preserve both our industrial legacy and our relationship with the natural environment.

Susannah completed ...[more]

Shepley Bulfinch has been selected for honors in the Diversity Recognition Program of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for its work in fostering a diverse culture in its practice.

The firm, one of three to be so recognized, will be honored formally at the 2011 AIA National Convention in New Orleans next month for its effort, titled “Forging a Diverse Culture.”

“This is such a tremendous honor for everyone at Shepley,” said President Carole Wedge, FAIA, LEED AP. “It acknowledges the fulfillment of a vision and a commitment first made 25 years ...[more]

Has 3D modeling superseded the physical sketch model as a design tool? No, and here’s why.

At an internal “Design Open Studio” a few weeks ago, the conversation focused on the continued relevance of physical sketch models as an exploratory tool in the design process. While the proliferation of 3D modeling programs may suggest that the days of building sketch models are over, the fact is that hands-on model making is still a vital tool for us to iteratively explore design ideas in three dimensions. Unlike even the most flexible modeling software, which is ...[more]