event

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.

Karen recently spoke as a panelist in the Architectural League of New York’s lecture series, Current Work: Revisiting Branch Libraries. Marking 10 years since the completion of the Architectural League’s Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study, this lecture explored approaches to accessibility as public libraries continue to evolve through the current work of the firms that led the Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study in 2014. Additional panel speakers included Andrew Berman of Andrew Berman Architect, and Stella Betts and David Leven of LEVENBETTS. The panel was moderated by Leah Meisterlin.

Our 2014 Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study analyzed the 207 branch libraries within the New York Public Library system, Queens Library system, and the Brooklyn Public Library system looking at data related to public and social infrastructure, demographics, growth, and resiliency. The study also included a proposal for a new co-development opportunity that includes library space, affordable housing, and retail space. Read more about the Re-envisioning Branch Libraries project here.

Image courtesy of @archleague on Instagram