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Library design and programming were at the center of Reimagining Libraries: Innovation, Space, and Community Impact. The conversation brought together library leaders, community partners, and peers to explore the evolving role of libraries.

Karen Fairbanks joined the Programming and Design panel, moderated by Tanya, and shared insights from our work on Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center. The panel was part of a broader discussion on libraries as spaces for learning, connection, and civic life. It also looked at how space and programming can work together to serve the communities libraries support.

Conversations like this one shape how we approach library design. A library works best when the building and the programs inside it are planned together, and hearing from library leaders helps us do that well.

We are grateful to Chris Templeman, Kyle Nolan, and Keishara Colby for bringing everyone together, and to Morgan Stanley for hosting. Thank you also to our fellow panelists, Maxine Bleiweis, Acacia Thompson, Towanda Mathurin, and Lisa Gayhart, and to everyone who joined us for the morning.

At this year’s APTI Conference, Marble Fairbanks joined Shawmut Design and Construction and Brown University for a full-day exploration of adaptive reuse in Providence, as part of the Association for Preservation Technology’s 2025 Annual Conference “Revolution & Innovation: The Power of Water, Craft & Architecture.” The session brought preservation professionals to several sites across Brown’s campus, giving attendees an inside look at how design teams are innovatively revitalizing historic structures.

On campus at Brown, Tanya and Jason led a tour of Churchill House, exploring how its recent renovation and addition improve accessibility, strengthen the connection between the Department of Africana Studies and the Rites and Reason Theatre, and reimagine the 1907 building for contemporary academic and cultural life.

We are thrilled to contribute to these conversations and to present Churchill House as an example of transformation rooted in historic character, while expanding its capacity and equipping the Department of Africana Studies to continue to serve as a hub for sharing powerful narratives that bridge past and present.

This past weekend, Marble Fairbanks was proud to participate in Open House New York, the annual citywide festival that celebrates architecture and design across all five boroughs. Over the past few days, we welcomed visitors to two of our recent Brooklyn projects with the Brooklyn Public Library.

For the first time, we offered tours in partnership with the Center for Brooklyn History. Project Manager and Architect Tanya Gershon led tours of this landmark, recently renovated by Marble Fairbanks to enhance accessibility and public engagement. Visitors experienced the Othmer Library reading room and explored the newest exhibition while learning how design decisions preserved the building’s historic character and created welcoming spaces for research, learning, and cultural exchange.

At Greenpoint Library, Project Manager and Architect Jason Roberts guided visitors through a tour of the branch’s sustainable design strategies and community-driven spaces. From the ground-level bioswale to the rooftop pollinator garden, guests discovered how the building integrates landscapes at every level to support local ecology and environmental education. Jason shared how the project grew from deep community engagement and has become a vital hub for activism, learning, and social infrastructure in New York City.

We thank everyone who joined us for this year’s Open House New York and are looking forward to next year’s OHNY weekend.

Over the weekend, we had the pleasure of welcoming undergraduate and graduate architecture students from across the northeast into our office as part of the Architectural League’s 2025 Student Program.

The annual program connects students from fifteen regional schools with professional practices across New York City, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how design studios operate. During their visit, students toured our office, learned about our current projects, and heard directly from Katie, Peter, and Christina about their professional journeys and roles at Marble Fairbanks.

We were delighted to share our work and culture with such an engaged group, and we left inspired by their curiosity and thoughtful questions. Many thanks to the Architectural League and to all the students who joined us!

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As part of this year’s Discover Architecture program through the Center for Architecture, we had the pleasure of hosting Esther, a talented local high school student, in our office over the past few days. During her time with us, Esther immersed herself in a range of architectural topics, from touring local projects such as the Schomburg Center, Greenpoint Library, and Center for Brooklyn History, to hands-on experiences with Rhino tutorials and VR walkthroughs. It was inspiring to witness her curiosity and passion for architecture, and we look forward to seeing where her journey in the field takes her!

Read more at the Center for Architecture website