We’re proud to announce the recent advancement of several of our talented, dedicated team members. These Bulfinches have demonstrated leadership, exceptional ability, and an active commitment to advancing the future of the firm. Career...
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Designing a Custom Creative Thinking Game: From Concept to Community
By Natalie Shutt-Banks and Sabin CiocanHow do you spark creativity and empathy in a fast-changing world? For our annual All-Firm Design Charrette, the answer emerged through a collaborative journey—one that blended rigorous systems thinking and infused the element of...
Strategic Planning in Uncertain Times
by Sonja Bochart, IIDA, LEED AP, LEED AP BD&C, WELL AP, LFA and Annelise Pitts, AIA, LFAIn a world that feels increasingly unpredictable—from climate instability and social upheaval to economic and political uncertainty—strategic planning may feel like a futile...
Lights, Camera, Action: Healthcare Design through the Lens of Pop Culture
by Angela Watson, FAIA, LEED AP, and Jennifer Aliber, FAIA, FACHA, LEED AP When you think of hospitals on TV, what comes to mind? Sleek glass walls, dramatic helicopter landings, and doctors delivering life-saving care in impossibly large...
Smart Planning for Nursing Education: Benchmarking Simulation Space
by Jeremiah Fairbank The size of a nursing program’s undergraduate cohort and its skills lab square footage are closely linked, as shown in benchmarking data from 18 U.S. schools. This correlation stems from state board requirements for...
Sound Check: Implications of Busier Libraries
by Barak Yaryan, AIA Walk into the first floor of a modern library and you might feel like you’ve entered a train station. The hum of conversation, the clatter of footsteps, the buzz of collaboration—it’s a far cry from the hushed...
Celebrating Culture, Community, and Connection
by Natalie Shutt-Banks, AIA, NOMA and Sonja Bochart, IIDA, LEED AP, LEED AP BD&C, WELL AP, LFA Embodying the values of cultural pride, community resilience, and regenerative design, the Lake City Collective Cultural Center is taking...
Essence as Compass: Starting with the Climate Toolkit
by Sonja Bochart, IIDA, LEED AP, LEED AP BD&C, WELL AP, LFA, and Natalie Shutt-Banks, AIA, NOMA In the face of a rapidly changing climate, our responses can easily become reactive—driven by urgency rather than clarity. That’s why we...
Mind the Gap: Optimizing Neuro Patient Journeys
by Cathleen Lange, AIA, and Scott Mueller, AIA Yale New Haven Health Saint Raphael Campus Bedtower, New Haven, CT. Rendering © Shepley Bulfinch.The neurosciences represent one of the few clinical areas where both inpatient and outpatient...
Reflections and Learning: 2025 Summer Intern Teachout
by Spencer Smith As summer winds down, our 2025 class of summer design interns closed out their experience with a series of teachout presentations. These sessions offered a glimpse into the diverse experiences, projects, and personal...
Beyond the Blueprint: Murals in Architecture
by Omar Bailey, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA Art has a transformative power over people and places. Within architecture, murals are more than decorative additions. They’re powerful tools for storytelling, placemaking, and cultural identity. I sat...
Creating Order from Chaos: How Artists Transform Healing Spaces
by Andrea Hardy, AIA, and Scott Ross Steffes, IIDA Wildlife artist Charley Harper once observed, "When I look at a wildlife or nature object, I don't see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color...