Our Values and Culture
As a national woman-led business, the firm supports a range of policies, practices, and cultural norms that foster a diverse and inclusive environment, including equitable promotion and stock ownership opportunities.
Together, we design a future that benefits everyone.
At Shepley Bulfinch, what began as defining our values became the foundation of a culture that is inclusive, respectful, and diverse. We bring our five core values to life each day in our work and in our culture.
Hover to learn more about our core values:
Curiosity
Ask questions, learn from the world around us.
Diversity
Embrace different perspectives, listen to every voice.
Care
Consider how our work influences people.
Integrity
Do the right thing, the right way.
Design
Create beautiful places that improve lives.
Curiosity
In Our Culture: The Steve Schultz Scholarship
The Steve Schultz Commemoration Scholarship supports early-career Bulfinches through a monetary award to pursue an experience—within or outside of architecture—that will fuel and propel their personal and career development.
Shelley Warner Discovers Little Sparta
Designer and scholarship recipient Shelley Warner embarked on a poetic journey through Little Sparta, the garden of Scottish poet Ian Hamilton Finlay. Read the truths throughout Finlay’s garden of follies through a summary of Shelley’s scholarship journey, the poem she shared in honor of Steve, and the sketches of her travels.
In Our Work: Healthcare End-User Engagement Through Collaborative Workshops
There is a critical importance in engaging end-users in our healthcare design process. A cornerstone of our healthcare design approach is collaborative workshops, in which we bring together a diverse team of stakeholders, including physicians, nurses, and patients, to evaluate floor plan options and prototype spaces. These workshops are essential for gathering insights, evaluating design options, and creating innovative, functional healthcare environments.
Diversity
In Our Culture: Encouraging Underrepresented Design Voices
Shepley Bulfinch has partnered with Hampton University to join and support the school’s involvement with the Integrated Pathway to Architectural Licensure initiative. Launched in 2015, IPAL is an accelerated pathway that allows students to complete the experience and examination components of the architecture licensure process while earning a degree. Hampton University is the second HBCU to join the program; their addition to the program aims to help bridge the gap in licensure for those underrepresented in our industry.
In Our Work: A Beloved Community Hub and Beacon for Inclusivity
Explore the vision for Houston Public Library’s new Montrose location and the magic that happens when a community comes together to reinvent its cultural center.
How Diversity has evolved at Shepley Bulfinch
1994
Diversity is identified as a core value.
1998
Family-friendly flex-time is instituted.
2004
The firm has its first female president.
2009
50% of firm leadership is female.
2011
Shepley Bulfinch is selected by the AIA for the Diversity Recognition Program.
2013
The firm is 50% women-owned.
2022
The firm promotes its second female president.
Care
In Our Culture: Meeting You Where You Are
We have prioritized life outside our studios with family-friendly flextime offerings beginning in 1998. Since then, our understanding and flexibility has only grown as we continue adapting to new needs, such as hybrid work and solving inequities present in our industry and society. We unapologetically embrace the design and collaboration benefits of our process; supporting well-being is at the heart of our employee mission.
In Our Work: How Occupancy Evaluations Shape Better Spaces
Good design is not just about creating beautiful spaces— it’s about making sure those spaces serve the people who inhabit them. Our Lens team, a cross-disciplinary group focused on strategy, research, and innovation, has been hard at work developing an adaptable, qualitative occupancy evaluation framework to help us better understand how our designs perform.
Integrity
Firm Commitments at a Glance
AIA Women’s Leadership Summit
Founder
AIA Large Firm Roundtable Diversity and Inclusion Task Force
Founder
Boston Society of Architects Women’s Principals Group
Founder
National Organization of Minority Architects
National, Boston, Durham, Hartford, Houston, and Phoenix Chapters
In Our Culture: Turning Words into Actions
Shepley Bulfinch is actively involved in organizations that promote diversity and inclusion in the design industry, including initiatives that expose young individuals to educational design programs tailored to engage and support their interests. As we continue to grow and learn, we are guided by our core values that reflect our beliefs as a company and as individuals. We celebrate diverse perspectives, whether it’s in design or in culture.
In Our Work: A History of Beautiful Partnerships
As an architecture and design firm, we understand the importance of infusing art throughout our daily lives. Art nurtures creativity and innovation. It helps us to share knowledge and sparks dialogue. At Shepley Bulfinch, we’ve partnered with artists since our inception to deeply integrate creative energy into the environment. Explore a few of the projects that have left a lasting impression on the communities in which we work.
Design
Lehigh University’s Clayton University Center
2025 Interior Design Best of Year Awards
Harvard Medical School’s Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
2025 Architect’s Newspaper Editors' Best of Year Awards
Boston Children’s Hospital Hale Family Building
2025 Architizer A+ People’s Choice Award
Harvard Medical School’s Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
2025 Boston Preservation Alliance Achievement Award
Banner University Medical Center Diamond Children’s Play Zone
2025 IIDA Design Award: Healthcare | Hospital In Patient
In Our Culture: Creating Places We’re Proud Of
With a history spanning over 150 years, our legacy of award-winning design reflects a deep-rooted commitment to creating spaces we’re proud of—places that are not only beautiful but also transformative.
In Our Work: Design Beyond
With projects from coast to coast and around the world, we tackle complex challenges focusing on visionary design.
It’s not about us, it’s about you. We regard our clients as partners, and value your voice and insight in the design process.
We design in open studios. We create with open minds. We’re building our future through cutting-edge design thinking.
We unapologetically embrace design and collaboration in our process while promoting the work-life balance at the heart of our employee mission.
With over 150 years of experience, our legacy of design innovation proceeds us.