Category: people

The core of our practice is our valued staff, and at HMFH emerging professionals represent not only the future of our firm but the future of the design industry. Under the guidance of HMFH Associate Caitlin Osepchuk, a former AIA New England Young Architects Regional Director, the firm actively encourages young staff members to grow professionally and develop expertise and leadership both within the firm and in the profession at large. The range of opportunities for professional development include:

• Active involvement in various committees
• An annual stipend for professional education and research
• A supported path to licensure with prep materials, study groups, online classes, and guidance from senior colleagues
• Involvement in the BSA’s annual Young Designers Professional Development Institute (YDPDI)
• Paid expenses for active membership in professional activities
• One-on-one check-ins to foster our culture of inclusion and support

Congratulations to all 2021 Emerging Professional Friendly Firms!

The first stop on the bus tour was Phase II of Arlington’s new 408,500 sf, all-electric high school, which is tracking LEED Platinum certification. Although the project will not be complete until 2025, portions of the school are already open to students due to the carefully planned phased construction. Phase II, the project’s largest phase, includes a central ‘spine’ that accommodates a 30-foot grade change and connects the school’s academic wings with circulation and shared spaces such as the primary dining area, forum stair, and media center. The tour also covered the new humanities wing, courtyard, pre-school, and administrative spaces scheduled to open this Fall as part of Phase II.

Next, HMFHers headed downtown to see our first high-rise school. Rising eight stories tall on a 0.9-acre site, the new Josiah Quincy Upper School supports the City’s commitment to equitable education and student well-being with common areas such as the gymnasium and auditorium available for community use, a spacious double-height lobby and dining area, and light-filled classrooms surrounding collaborative project areas. When the school opens in the Fall of 2024, students will have access to a rooftop learning and gathering space, which offers impressive views of Boston’s skyline.

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of one of HMFH’s founding partners, Stephen Friedlaender, FAIA. Steve had a voracious intellectual curiosity. He was interested and knowledgeable about just about everything, whether architecture or almonds, baseball or Bach, raising roses or researching restaurants. Steve was always up for the conversation and the discussion would always be fun and memorable.

He cared deeply about design and engaged fully with clients, consultants, and colleagues in seeking the solutions that were elegant, innovative and appropriate. When selected for the Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects (AIA), his citation stated, “Stephen Friedlaender has elevated public school design to a high level of significance and excitement. His architecture has transformed the image of the school house and become a beacon of hope for both urban and suburban school systems”.

While leading the firm, guiding his family, and serving on boards for both the Boston Architectural College and New England Conservatory, he always maintained a strong moral compass. His high ethical standards, professionalism, and empathy help set the foundation for HMFH’s practice today. We will remember the way he served up large portions of decency, human kindness, and generosity on a daily basis, always acting as a role model for how to live life with fullness and grace.

The new Chapman Middle School, which will open to students this coming fall, is the largest middle school in Massachusetts and supports a unique curriculum centered around exploratory labs that act as a feeder for the high school’s career technical programs. HMFHers James Liebman, Sara Rosenthal and Matt LaRue led a comprehensive a tour showcasing the school’s exciting new spaces including the Town Square, a central dining area shaped by the volumes of the school’s exploratory labs; the new auditorium, which will support Weymouth’s robust theater arts program; and neighborhood collaborative areas that serve as shared, flexible space for learning outside of the classroom.

Our next stop was to visit Phase I of the new Arlington High School. Arlington team members Stephanie MacNeil and Alan Pemstein led tours of the new STEAM and performing arts wings, highlighting prominent features including an expansive lobby with bold graphic signage, light-filled classrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a multi-story lightwell that draws natural light deep within the footprint of the STEAM wing. While students enjoy the state-of-the-art new spaces in the STEAM and performing arts wings, construction continues on the remaining phases, which include the central spine, cafeteria, library, courtyard, and athletics wing.

Great design is achieved through close collaboration between a diverse group of critical thinkers, and at HMFH, we are committed to advancing the profession by making it more accessible. Through community outreach and mentorship opportunities, we continually strive to inspire a passion for design in the next generation of architects.

Made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Boston Private Industry Council, Boston Society for Architecture, Finegold Alexander, Goody Clancy, and Sasaki, Design Thinking Bootcamp brings awareness and valuable insight into architecture as a career pathway by offering a comprehensive understanding of the design profession that includes programming and sustainability; concept design and model building; design development and interior design; and construction and documentation.

For our third year participating in Design Thinking Bootcamp, HMFH took BPS high school students through in-depth presentations of current HMFH projects including Fales Elementary School and Chapman Middle School to reveal all that goes into designing a school building, from detailed drawing sets to coordination with consultants and engagement with stakeholders.

The latter portion of the session was an interactive activity where students had the chance to work on a design project of their own. Tasked with designing a workspace, the activity encouraged students to think creatively and consider a variety of design elements such as materiality, function, use, and aesthetic. Using an array of mediums from sketching to collaging, each student produced impressive workspace designs.

After more than a year apart, HMFHers were thrilled to spend a day together for our annual bus tour, where we learned about the work of our colleagues and were able to experience these spectacular spaces first-hand!

The bus tour provides a perfect opportunity for project teams to share their creative work with one another and inspire future innovative designs. The tour brought the firm through Bristol County Agricultural High School and Fales Elementary School, both of which are currently under construction and set to open later this year.