GRLA Principal Completes Climate Reality Leadership Training

Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects (GRLA) Principal and Owner Scott Richardson recently completed a three-day intensive training program in Minneapolis, MN offered by the Climate Reality Project, founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore.

The program brings together activists, cultural leaders, organizers, scientists, storytellers committed to building a sustainable future.  The training equips participants with the knowledge and skills to share facts about Earth’s climate crisis and provide insight into actions necessary to impact the future of our shared home.  To date, over 20,000 individuals have been designated Climate Reality Leaders, representing over 150 countries, and ranging in age from 12-87.

Richardson, long passionate about sustainability, found the training and the presentations featuring Gore to be powerful and inspiring.  As a newly minted Climate Reality Leader, Richardson plans to work with local, state and federal officials, as well as business and industry leaders, and non-profit organizations to better inform the discussions, actions, and legislation around the global climate emergency. 

Richardson is eager to share what he has learned. “I am newly energized to assist what is being done worldwide to combat the climate crisis and I do believe that working together we can solve this problem to ensure a better world for our children’s children!”  He is available to present to community forums, youth groups, or any interested parties.

“I am newly energized to assist what is being done worldwide to combat the climate crisis and I do believe that working together we can solve this problem to ensure a better world for our children’s children!”

Scott Richardson is available to present to community forums, youth groups, or any interested parties.

Contact: Leigh Walker (LWalker@GRLArchitects.com)

GRLA Designs State-of-the-Art Labs and Office Spaces for Quanterix Headquarters in Billerica, MA

Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects recently completed an entire re-design of Building #1 in 900 Technology Park in Billerica, MA. The 92,000 SF building with state-of-the-art labs and office spaces is now home to the new Quanterix Headquarters. JM Coull was the construction manager.

Quanterix is a scientific research company digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health. Their needs consist of a variety of specialized lab spaces to host their digital health instruments and provide a comfortable and functional research environment. The project also included large open offices, smaller individual offices, collaborative spaces, conference rooms, and an executive wing with a spacious boardroom with expansive views.

GRLA was commissioned to assist Quanterix in finding a new location for the home to their headquarters, merging teams from their Lexington and Billerica facilities and designed to attract new talent to accommodate their growing needs.

GRLA designed state-of-the-art labs and office areas filled with daylight, with spaces that are open and airy, and where visual connections are maintained despite the separation dictated by the functions of different labs. The Quanterix team is currently enjoying a vibrant, colorful, and open space that we hope is helping to inspire them in achieving their mission.

Quanterix Lobby

Quanterix Lobby

Quanterix Lab Space

Quanterix Lab Space

Photos by John Horner

GRLA Completes New Gymnasium and Parish Center at St. Joseph School in Webster, MA

Established in 1892, St. Joseph School is a Pre-K through 8 elementary school operating within a parish campus adjacent to St. Joseph Basilica and the parish rectory.

Beginning in 2008 as part of a substantial expansion project, GRLA worked closely with the building committee to develop a feasibility study and conceptual vision. Working with the larger community, including parents, teachers, students, and neighbors, GRLA and St. Joseph considered several site options before arriving at the final solution.

While programming the expansion project and developing conceptual options for the addition, GRLA reviewed materials and design elements that recall surrounding architecture and town landmarks, allowing the new building to look to the future of education. To accommodate funding, construction was divided into 2 phases beginning in 2013. GRLA also designed and produced St. Joseph’s fundraising material for the project.

The new gymnasium, full-service commercial kitchen, and parish center provides the school and parish with a state-of-the-art athletic facility and performance center as well as a spacious function hall and kitchen serving the needs of the school and the community at large. Project construction was by Lauring Construction Company, Inc.

St. Joseph Parish Center

Outside St. Joseph Gymnasium

Inside St. Joseph Gymnasium

Side Shot of Gymnasium

Performing Arts Stage

Modernized Kitchen

Photos by Gregg Shupe

EcoTarium: Welcoming New Cats

GRLA is proud to share in the excitement of the public opening of the newly created Wild Cat Station at Worcester’s EcoTarium.

Two mountain lions and several native bird species are at the center of Wild Cat Station, a new spectacular outdoor exhibit. Through innovative design and re-purposing of the former polar bear habitat, the mountain lion habitat ranges across two stories in height, offering multiple viewing stations for guests. 

One of the largest mountain lion exhibits in the U.S. at 18,500 SF, the exhibit meets all accreditation standards and USDA requirements to house large carnivores. Comprised of grass, trees, logs, rocky alcoves, and outcroppings that allow the cats to utilize their natural abilities of climbing, scratching, and jumping, the new habitat was designed with all four seasons in mind and includes a conditioned space to house the cats inside at night and during inclement weather events.

Photos courtesy of ecotarium.org.

The newest inhabitants at the EcoTarium Museum: wild cat siblings.

Multiple viewing stations offer visitors opportunities to enjoy the magnificent cats whose lives started out under less than ideal circumstances. The orphaned brother/sister pair were found emaciated and sickly in California; a team of wildlife keepers at the EcoTarium continue to nurse them back to health. The new enriching environment will allow for on-going behavioral training while providing guests an up-close perspective in a natural environment.

In addition to the two mountain lions, the exhibit will also include bird habitats and provide important educational information about rodenticide and the implications it has on a variety of species.

GRLA is a long-standing partner of the EcoTarium, having designed multiple projects for the last decade. Working with Cutler Associates to bring Wild Cat Station to fruition is truly a mission-accomplished.

Learn more at: https://ecotarium.org/exhibit/wild-cat-station/

GRLA is now licensed in the states of New York & New Jersey

Scott Richardson, AIA LEED AP, Principal of Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects, Inc. of Hopkinton, MA has recently garnered architectural registrations in New York and New Jersey in addition to current registrations in all 6 New England states.  This expands GRLA’s opportunities for design and tenant fit-out projects as well as building envelope services.

GRLA Announces 2019 Promotions!

GRLA is very pleased to announce the promotion of the following staff members to Assistant Project Manager.

James Blattenberger joined GRLA in 2016 with over eight years of experience in the residential/small commercial sector.  Since joining the firm, he has worked in all phases of design to produce detailed sets of construction documents and provide construction phase services for multiple commercial and residential projects including The Shoppes and Residences at Simonds Park in Burlington, MA and O’Brien and Sons Corporate Office in Medway, MA. James will be focusing on current projects such as a new customer center for Solect Energy in Holliston, MA and renovations at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Sarah Krawiec is pursuing her Masters of Science in Engineering Management at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (expected May 2020). Ms. Krawiec performs evaluations of failed and deteriorated building envelope systems, diagnoses issues, designs repairs, and manages construction projects from design to completion. She has worked successfully with universities, corporate facilities, and condominium associations. She is also an active Board member of the Boston Building Enclosure Council.

Dina Soliman is a passionate designer who approaches projects from conceptual design to the last detail with a commitment to provide creative ideas at every step. She finds pleasure in connecting with clients and in working collaboratively with them towards successfully achieving their project goals.

Dina has over 10 years of experience in the design and construction industry. She is well versed in construction documents preparation, construction administration, and project management of various types of projects.

Ty Spencer has served as a Designer and Building Envelope Technician on a variety of projects since joining GRLA in 2015, Ty is a key member to the various testing services offered by GRLA, while also contributing to both BES and Architecture design and project efforts through all phases.

Jessica White earned her Interior Architecture / Design degree at Mount Ida College in Newton, MA and joined GRLA in 2012. Working extensively in each phase of the firm’s interior projects, Jessica is involved in design through construction. She has acquired many client relations over the years working on projects for Cognex, Duffy Properties, Subaru, WCVB, PerkinElmer, and more.

Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects Completes MetroWest YMCA Locker & Shower Room Renovation

Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects and Rubicon Builders recently completed a renovation to the MetroWest YMCA locker & shower rooms in Framingham, MA.

Located at 280 Old Connecticut Path, this main branch of the of Y houses a pool, fitness center, child-care facilities, as well as hosting classes in dance, gymnastics, youth & teen wellness programs, and many others. The YMCA is a cause driven charitable organization that is dedicated to providing programs and services that build a healthy mind, body, and spirit for all.

The men’s locker room received reconfigured & renovated shower areas, a new sauna, updated lighting fixtures, new floors, as well as a more modern, and comfortable locker room to enjoy. In addition, the women’s locker room now has reconfigured showers for more privacy, modern lighting fixtures, updated lockers, ADA accessibility improvements, and new floors. 

GRLA made these enhancements to modernize the YMCA of MetroWest’s locker rooms, bring them up to ADA current standards, and add a more contemporary look and feel, as well as increased privacy for all.

Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects Completes WCVB-TV News Room Re-Design

Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects recently completed an entire re-design of the WCVB-TV & Chronicle newsroom space. The 22,550 square foot channel 5 headquarters are located in Needham, MA and is home to the NewsCenter 5 Team, as well as the evening “insider’s guide” to New England show Chronicle.

GRLA was challenged to create a space that encouraged collaboration and productivity while still living within the existing footprint. They were also tasked with a need for natural daylighting as well as state of the art office systems, conference spaces, editing rooms as well as new and exciting locations to shoot breaking news stories outside of the regular TV studio spaces.

This was achieved with sleek fixtures and furniture, flat screens with live feeds of the news broadcast, and open work areas. It also features large "ribbons" of the Channel's signature red woven throughout the space for visual excitement.

The design solution centered on the main newsroom space which was phase one of about 14,000 SF of renovations and provided an open floor plate that had 4 main access routes. The GRLA Team developed these access routes representing the North, South, East and West winds to symbolize the fact that news is garnered from the 4 corners of the world and then focused the center of the space as the main information desk.

Gorman Richardson Lewis wanted to give the news team a vibrant, open and inspiring space that would make them excited to come to work and help them be more productive. The most fulfilling comment we heard from news anchor, Maria Stephanos is: “the new space just makes me happy to come to work every day”. To us, this was success right there.

First Quarter 2018 News

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: WCVB-TV CHANNEL 5 NEWSROOM

GRLA has just wrapped up a major renovation to WCVB-TV's newsroom and Chronicle program offices. The existing space was a dark, dated maze of offices and conference rooms with multiple floor levels and ramps connecting different areas.

GRLA's design team has created a bright, modern space within the existing footprint, with sleek fixtures and furniture, flat screens with live feeds of the news broadcast, open work areas, and large "ribbons" of the Channel's signature red woven throughout the space for visual excitement. The new design encourages collaboration and productivity.

Check out the video below for a glimpse at the new space!

It was a special day at WCVB, as the brand new, cutting edge newsroom was officially opened. Subscribe to WCVB on YouTube for more: http://bit.ly/2526UpS Get more Boston news: http://www.wcvb.com Like us: https://www.facebook.com/wcvb5 Follow us: https://twitter.com/WCVB Google+: https://plus.google.com/+wcvb

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GRLA Welcomes New Team Members!

Meghan Lacoche, LEED AP, Assoc. AIA, has joined us as a Project Manager in the architecture studio. Meghan received her Bachelor of Architecture from the BAC, and has over a decade of experience focused on corporate and institutional projects for clients throughout Greater Boston. Meghan's expertise in all phases of design--from programming and space planning to overseeing the production of drawing sets and construction administration--is an important asset to our clients

Kevin Buckley has joined as Assistant Project Manager in the Building Envelope Sciences (BES) division. Kevin is experienced in all project phases, including building envelope investigations, production of drawings and details, bidding, and construction administration. Kevin is providing key production and project management support to our busy Building Envelope Sciences team. Kevin earned his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Roger Williams University.

Sarah Krawiec as Building Envelope Sciences Technician. Sarah received her Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UMass Lowell, and is currently pursuing a Master's in Engineering Management. She supports our Building Envelope Project Managers on site and in the office. 

Project Spotlight: Cognex Lobby Renovation

We recently completed a major renovation for Cognex's 4-story lobby in Natick.  Check out the photos below!

GRLA Receives AIA Central Massachusetts Merit Award

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Central Massachusetts Chapter has honored Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects with a Merit Award for their design of a sustainable corporate headquarters and distribution center that is among the greenest buildings in the United States.  The 160,000 SF project for Subaru of New England has been certified LEED Platinum—the highest rating awarded by the United States Green Building Council.  The client, Subaru of New England, set a mandate for the project: the new headquarters needed to meet the high standards for sustainability set by its parent brand, which is the nation’s first Zero Landfill automaker. 

The project is the highest rated LEED project in Massachusetts!

To meet this challenge, GRLA’s architecture, interior design, and building envelope teams got to work, providing a sleek, modern design with sustainable features throughout. The LEED certification process is rigorous, and awards points for building elements that increase efficiency, use fewer resources such as water and electricity, and make the indoor environment comfortable and safe with non-toxic and low-emitting building materials.  The Subaru of New England project received 86 points out of a possible 110.   

GRLA also worked closely with consulting engineers WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, Landscape Architect BSC Group, and Columbia Construction Company on the project.  The project includes solar panels, a highly efficient “chilled beam” heating and cooling system, a high-performing building envelope, drought-resistant landscaping, low-flow plumbing fixtures, recycled and sustainably-sourced building materials, and LED lighting throughout.  The project is the highest-rated LEED project in Massachusetts, and the largest privately-owned LEED Platinum* building in the U.S.!  

GRLA received its award at the AIA of Central Massachusetts awards dinner on November 19 at the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston. 

To learn more about the project and see photos, click here.

*For new construction, LEED v.2009

GRLA Celebrates 40 Years in Business with 40 Ways of Giving Back

Hopkinton, MA—As Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects (GRLA) celebrates four decades in business, the firm is embarking on a special program of volunteering, pro bono design services, and charitable giving.   Called the 40 for 40 Commitment, GRLA is working on forty initiatives that contribute to the community in a meaningful way—one for each year that the firm has been in business.  At the firm’s 40th Year Celebration Gala on June 6, GRLA Principals Mike Gorman, Scott Richardson, and Steve Lewis announced the program, challenging the firm to work with 40 different Non-Profit Organizations over the course of the year, offering services, raising money, and volunteering time.

Currently, GRLA is working with the MetroWest YMCA on interior upgrades, as well as assisting the Performing Arts Center of MetroWest on relocation options, and The Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest for temporary heating options.  GRLA also contributed services to the United Way’s Wheat Café in Clinton for their recent relocation project.

Since 1976, GRLA has nurtured a company culture that emphasizes service to others and working with organizations that contribute to the broader community.  In addition to an extensive portfolio of corporate clients, GRLA is proud to have worked with the EcoTarium Museum, Danforth Museum of Art, Hopkinton Center for the Arts, Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, SMOC, The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Chestnut Hill Foundation, Advocates, and many other not-for-profit organizations that positively impact life here in Massachusetts.