Announcement

Earlier today, we were on campus at Brown University with the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) for “Building on Distinction,” exploring exciting campus developments and their broader impact.

During the event, Karen presented our renovation and addition project for Churchill House, home to Brown University’s Department of Africana Studies and Rites and Reason Theatre. Throughout the day, Jason and Tanya welcomed SCUP community members for building tours, highlighting the project’s innovative design elements and meaningful impact.

The event offered valuable opportunities to examine how our Churchill House project, alongside others presented, advances Brown University’s academic mission, aligns the campus with strategic initiatives, and strengthens vital connections with the Providence community.

This collaborative exploration demonstrated how thoughtful architectural interventions can honor institutional heritage while creating spaces that foster academic excellence and community engagement.

This fall, Karen presented the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education as part of the Designing Libraries for the 21st Century Annual Conference. Her talk focused on how the legacy of intense community activism around the environment shaped the project, leading to a design that heals past damage to the site and introduces new ways for the community to focus on environmental justice and education.

Karen joined Greg Raschke, Senior Vice Provost and Director of Libraries, NC State University, on the panel Community-Centered Design: A Current Framing. The panel was moderated by Patrick Deaton, Associate Director, Learning Spaces and Capital Management, NC State University.

As part of the inaugural cohort for NYC Economic Development Corporation’s Mass Timber Studio, Jason Roberts from MFA and Justin Den Herder from TYLin | Silman Structural Solutions presented how our New Lots Library team has been exploring the use of mass timber in NYC. The first of its kind in the city, the Mass Timber Studio was created to prioritize the decarbonization of the built environment by supporting and helping to advance mass timber projects. During Climate Week NYC, we joined the six other project teams from the inaugural cohort for a final public presentation to share insights on design strategies, structural innovations, regulatory challenges, and other key lessons learned. Deepening our commitment to sustainable building practices and thoughtful material use, this project reinforces mass timber’s potential to reshape urban architecture.

Yesterday marked an exciting milestone as we celebrated the groundbreaking at the National Parks of Boston Headquarters, formerly known as Building 107, in the Charlestown Navy Yard. The ceremony included remarks from Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Laura Daniel-Davis, and a program outlining the restoration of the historic building. The groundbreaking ceremony was part of a larger tour of Boston, featuring sites funded through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). 

We were honored to join the Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior, National Parks of Boston staff, and members of the General Services Administration for this momentous occasion. We extend our gratitude to everyone involved in this project and look forward to sharing further updates as the renovation progresses.

We are pleased to announce two new Senior Architect positions for returning team members, Peter Adams and Katie Shima.

Peter Adams, AIA

Peter Adams rejoined Marble Fairbanks as a Senior Architect in June 2023 after gaining valuable experience over the past five years at FullStack Modular, COOKFOX Architects, Centurion Real Estate Partners LLC, and Assembly OSM. Having worked at the firm from 2015 to 2018 and with over 12 years of experience in New York City, Peter brings a wide range of knowledge within several sectors of the AEC industry to MFA. Currently, he is Project Lead for a renovation and addition project for the historic Beebe Plain Land Port of Entry, on the US-Canada border and is part of a team working on a 60,000SF full renovation of an historic building in the Charlestown Navy Yard for the National Parks of Boston Headquarters. During his previous time at MFA, Peter worked on the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center, Colman Hall at Lawrence University, and POTS. Peter can be contacted at [email protected].

Katie Shima, AIA

Katie Shima has over 15 years of experience in cultural, civic, and workplace architecture. Having worked at Marble Fairbanks from 2005-2006 and from 2009 to 2012, she rejoined the Marble Fairbanks team as a Senior Architect in January 2024 after serving as Design Director at SITU Studio.  She is currently serving as design lead for a renovation of the New York University Law Library as well as the National Parks of Boston Headquarters and is part of the collaborative design team with MASS Design Group for the New Lots Library in Brooklyn. During her previous time at Marble Fairbanks Architects, Katie contributed to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Glen Oaks Branch Library, Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, and Flatform, our installation included in the exhibition Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling at the Museum of Modern Art. Katie can be contacted at [email protected].