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A 150-Year History of the Architectural Workplace

by Derek Noble, AIA, NOMA
light filled room with floor to ceiling windows and a floating stair in the middle
Shepley Bulfinch Phoenix Studio. Photo by Nic Lehoux.

When H.H. Richardson established his practice in Boston, he set up shop in an outbuilding on the property of his Brookline home, nicknamed the “Coops.” Named for their resemblance to a hen house, our very first design studio had no electricity — no lighting or air conditioning. Natural light came from a bank of exterior windows and a row of skylights.

a black and white photo of a room with tall tables and dark curtains on either side.
The Brookline, Massachusetts architecture studio of H.H. Richardson. Image © Shepley Bulfinch.

In 1892, the successor firm of H.H. Richardson designed and then moved to the Ames Building where it would spend a century. Known as Boston’s first skyscraper when it was designed and built in 1891, the Ames featured the latest in building technologies-electric lighting, plumbing, and an elevator. It was air conditioned in the 1970’s. 

A black and white photo of a building with tall arched windows on the ground floor
The Ames Building designed by Shepley Rutan and Coolidge in 1891.
Image © Shepley Bulfinch.
a group of people under the steps of an arch on top of columns
Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbot in 1982 on the steps of the Ames Building. Photo © Shepley Bulfinch.
a strip of multiple images of an open workspace
The Shepley Bulfinch offices at 40 Broad Street in Boston. Photos © Shepley Bulfinch.
Eventually we found our way to the Insurance Exchange Building at 40 Broad Street, where our Boston Studio operated from 1982 to 2005. Designed in 1923 by Coolidge and Shattuck, successors of Shepley Rutan and Coolidge, Shepley Bulfinch entered the world of computer-aided design, or CAD, in this building.
a black and white photo of a group of professionals on stone steps in front of fluted columns
Shepley Bulfinch in 1999 on the steps of the Customs House tower, behind our offices at 40 Broad Street. Photo © Shepley Bulfinch.
a rounded desktop with two large monitors and large keyboard
Our firm’s first computer aided design set up. Photo © Shepley Bulfinch.
a tall office building with brick and light stone and a plaza in the foreground
2 Seaport Lane in Boston. Photo © Shepley Bulfinch.  

2 Seaport

Our next Boston studio was located at 2 Seaport Lane, the city’s first office tower to rise in the neighborhood in the 1990s. At the time of construction, 2 Seaport Lane was one of the only buildings in the now vibrant neighborhood. Our design leveraged views of the unobstructed waterfront, and the open floor plan was supplemented by conference rooms, meeting rooms, a mail and print room, and a wood shop for model making.

Going West 

When we expanded west in 2009, we established a studio in the Phoenix Financial Center, aka the Punch Card building, a mid-century modern office building designed by W.A. Sarmiento. Our renovation carefully preserved iconic details like the parabolic arches and surfboard stair of the rotunda.

two people working in front of a floating stair with brass handrails
The surfboard stair in our Phoenix Studio. Photo by Nic Lehoux.
tall shaded windows and green conversations in front of a white wall with a clock
Shades drawn over the parabolic arches of our Phoenix Studio. Photo by Nic Lehoux.

Going National

We’ve since established studios in Houston (2017), Hartford, Connecticut (2019), and Durham, North Carolina (2019). We have found inspirational locations in these cities that support connections around projects, teams, and our local communities.

Bulfinches meeting virtually to close the physical location gap.

Gone Virtual

In the wake of the COVID-19 global health crisis, we have committed to a hybrid-first model and invested in the infrastructure of a virtual studio. Our design professionals—aka Bulfinches—are free to work from any location they wish.

Derek Noble, AIA, NOMA

Derek Noble, AIA, NOMA

Principal, Architect

Derek is a Principal working on higher education and healthcare projects, based out of our Hartford studio.

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