Education
As a national leader in higher education programming and design, we uncover the unique attributes that define the colleges and universities’ values. We design academic spaces that foster diversity and connectivity as a literal and figurative investment in the future.
Education
As a national leader in higher education programming and design, we uncover the unique attributes that define the colleges and universities’ values. We design academic spaces that foster diversity and connectivity as a literal and figurative investment in the future.
Explore the portfolio by category
Academic Research
Creating timeless collaboration
Harvard Medical School
Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library was transformed from an inward looking, brutalist building into an outwardly engaging 21st century library. By reinvigorating the interior experience and services, along with the addition of collaborative environments and community-focused amenities, Shepley Bulfinch addressed the shifting role of medical and health sciences libraries in today’s medical education.
Professional Schools
Connecting community
John M. O’Quinn Law Building
University of Houston
The new law center promotes community engagement while providing a modern, interdisciplinary legal education in a student-focused environment.
The Latest
Four Lessons from Renovating at Lehigh University
By Bob Mohr, AIA, LEED APSome architecture projects are destined to challenge standard modes of historic preservation practice. Shepley Bulfinch’s recent work renovating Lehigh University’s Clayton University Center at Parker Hall is one...
Sustainability at the Heart of Campus Life: Connecting Design with Nature
By Matthew Gifford, AIA, LEED AP, and Carrie Leneweaver, AIA, WELL AP, LEED GAThis is part two of a two part series exploring the sustainble vision behind the design of Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg Student Center. Read part one,...
5 Projects That Show Innovative Design Doesn’t Need a Huge Footprint
By David Whitehill, AIAHouston Freed-Montrose Public Library, Houston, TX. Photo by Chris Bacarella.In the world of public architecture and design, blockbuster projects tend to dominate the media and public attention: In 2025, the New York Times reported on twelve...
Sustainability at the Heart of Campus Life: Carbon Reduction Strategies
By Matthew Gifford, AIA, LEED AP, and Carrie Leneweaver, AIA, WELL AP, LEED GABloomberg Student Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. Photo by Laurian Ghinitoiu.At Johns Hopkins University, sustainability isn’t an afterthought;...
A New Standard for Wellness & Sustainability at Johns Hopkins
Join Principal Matthew Gifford, AIA, LEED AP, and Associate Principal Kalyn Pavlinic, NCIDQ, LEED AP, IIDA, at Tradeline’s College & University Facilities 2026. They will be joined by Amanda Garvey, Vice President at Thornton...
2026 ACUI Facility Design Award: Lehigh University Clayton University Center
The Clayton University Center at Lehigh University was recognized with a 2026 ACUI Facility Design Award in the Projects More than $55 Million category. These awards were created to celebrate excellence in the design of student-centered...
Planning with Purpose: Building Trust and Resiliency in Higher Education
As higher education faces mounting challenges during increasingly uncertain times, integrated planning is essential. Join Principal Janette S. Blackburn, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, for the closing keynote of The Society for College and...
WoodWorks Innovation Network Spotlights Bloomberg Student Center
The WoodWorks Innovation Network showcased John Hopkins University’s Bloomberg Student Center. WIN showcases mass timber and innovative light-frame projects and their design and construction teams.One of the most complex mass timber...
Holistic Renewal for the Next Generation of Learners
by Amanda Vigneau, IIDA, NCIDQFor over a century, Wellesley College’s Clapp Library has been a cornerstone of academic life—a place where students gather to study, explore, and connect. When our team partnered with the college to reimagine this beloved building, the...
Integrated Planning for Mind and Body at Wellesley College
Join Principal David Whitehill, AIA, at The Society for College and University Planning North Atlantic 2026 Regional Conference. Together with Wellesley College’s Assistant Director of Design Alvin Hung and Boston University’s Associate...
Student Life
Refreshing a legacy
Lehigh University
Clayton University Center
The transformative renovation to the Clayton University Center at Lehigh University conveys a graceful nod to the institution’s past, and a bold gesture to the school’s future.
Expertise
Our academic and campus environment planning services create flexible higher education spaces that adapt for growth opportunities.