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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

We are thrilled to celebrate the unveiling of the design for the New Lots Library. MFA partnered with MASS Design Group and worked closely with Brooklyn Public Library and the East New York community to reimagine how a new public library can serve as a beacon of restorative justice, honoring the history of its site while creating new opportunities for celebration, connection, storytelling, and healing. Developed through a robust community engagement process, the design reflects a deep dialogue with the East New York community about their past, present, and vision for the future.

The new 25,000-square-foot library will replace the existing branch, expanding access to essential educational and cultural resources for generations to come. Thoughtfully designed to foster solidarity and shared memory, the space embodies a commitment to renewal and community-driven growth. At its core, the design for the library acknowledges the historic African burial ground on which the current library stands, providing a new space for reflection, renewal, and reconciliation.

Programming includes dedicated reading and music rooms, learning and exhibition spaces, an auditorium for community events, and outdoor areas for gathering and reflection.

“Public libraries are some of the most trusted places in our city, and each branch library has an opportunity to be responsive to the unique needs of their community. The Brooklyn Public Library continues to demonstrate their commitment to their communities, supporting designs that offer transformative visions for their libraries,” said Karen Fairbanks, Founding Partner of Marble Fairbanks Architects. “Here at the New Lots Library, we hope this project expands that trust by acknowledging past wrongs and offering spaces inside and out that empower the East New York community to grow, to make, to learn, to advocate and to continue their journey.”

By embedding these spaces within the community, the New Lots Library will be an anchor of social infrastructure in the New Lots and Brooklyn community—strengthening inclusion, deepening community connections, and contributing toward a more equitable future.