A community-based design process, mountain-inspired roofscape, and “light” mass timber strategy characterize William’s historic renovation of two existing student buildings and an energetic new bridge between them. With a proactive emphasis on sustainability at all scales, the project is expected to gain Living Building Challenge Petal Certification and net-zero embodied carbon by the end of the year.

Read feature here: https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/17213-the-new-davis-center-at-williams-college-features-charred-wood-cladding-and-a-folded-roofline 

In October, Andrea Leers traveled to Tokyo to attend the memorial for Fumihiko Maki. While in Tokyo, Andrea met with Gary Kamemoto, who will now lead Maki Associates, pictured here at Hillside Terrace. Gary worked with Leers Weinzapfel Associates on the MIT Media Lab completed in 2009.

Andrea was one of the five invited to write an essay for the A+U Architecture and Urbanism October 2024 Special Issue in memory of Fumihiko Maki. Her essay, “Inquiry then Invention” recalls his life, work and their friendship over more than 40 years.

Area A-7 East Boston Police Station has received a 2024 Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award in the Government and Civic Buildings category.

Located on a waterfront site along the Chelsea River, the new Area 7 police station will create enhanced community access, improved dispatch response times, and a sustainable, resilient facility for the East Boston neighborhood.  Developed in conjunction with the City of Boston Public Facilities Department, the community institution will act as a mediator between the industrial, commercial, and residential uses in that part of the city.

Learn More

Tom Chung will be speaking at the Mass Timber Maine Conference at the Portland Museum of Art along with leading experts on mass timber. The conference will touch on the future of mass timer technology, offering lectures, discussions, and a field trip all at the museum.

Wednesday we hosted @BSA MakeTANK in our office, showcasing the Complex Timber Joinery of our National Museum of Forest Service History (NMFSH) Conservation Legacy Center project and debuting our new 3D Fabrication Lab.

LWA Associate Chiajung Andy Wen presented on the intertwined process of blending digital and physical study, from design and model-making to construction documentation for the NMFSH. We also showcased a large 3D model of the wooden columns designed. Our Fabrication Lab Manager Collin Vermilyea led tours of our new makerspace to provide a walkthrough of our process. We had a great time hosting the MakeTANK and look forward to sharing more about our Mass Timber research.

We are excited to announce that Boston Public Library, Roslindale Branch has received the AIA New England Architecture Honor Award 2024!

“Don’t judge a book by its cover: while the Roslindale Branch’s exterior is richly authentic, it contrasts strikingly with its interior, which offers an ethereal experience of simplicity and light—like being immersed in a great book. This public library project skillfully combines rich materials and textures, sidestepping conventional library design to craft a serene and inviting space. It’s more than just a repository; it’s a vibrant community hub with minimalist design. Seamlessly integrating with its neighborhood, the branch stands as a compelling and engaging amenity that balances evolving community needs and services.” – Jury Quote AIA New England Architecture

Learn more

Last month, Leers Weinzapfel Associates Principal Tom Chung , FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, presented at “Taking on Climate Change and Affordable Housing with Mass Timber” hosted by WoodWorks and the New England Forestry Foundation. Over 90+ attendees joined the workshop at Boston University, where the agenda focused on wood as a “right now” solution for housing and climate crisis, highlighting the use of locally sourced timber and wood’s carbon-sequestering benefits. Tom Chung presented on the firm’s role in the NEFF Climate-Smart Commodities grant, detailing how findings from the program’s housing study and prototype project could help attendees incorporate mass timber into the design of upcoming projects.

Leers Weinzapfel Associates has been recognized as a 2024 AIA New England Emerging Professional Firm! Firms are chosen for this designation for their display of outstanding commitment to developing its Emerging Professional staff.

Our Boston-based practice, founded in 1982, has had two fundamental goals since its inception: to create bold and refined architecture for the public realm and to create a collaborative workplace inclusive of the diverse voices and talents of our colleagues.

“This program has an ability to attract and retain employees by sending a message to current employees, future employees, and other regional firms that the firm has evaluated their policies from an emerging professional lens, the firm recognizes emerging professionals at their firm, and the firm values Emerging Professionals development to sustain the future growth of their practice.” – 2024 New England AIA Components Emerging Professional Firm

Please join us in welcoming five talented colleagues into new leadership roles within the firm. Juliet Chun and Ben Wilcox have been promoted to Senior Associate, and Danica Kane, Matthew Vocatura, and Chiajung Andy Wen have been named Associates. Our new leaders will deepen and enrich our commitment to advancing architecture and urban design of the highest quality for years to come. Their work at LWA enables us to create spaces that enrich the human experience and strengthen our social fabric.

The Kreher Preserve & Nature Center’s  Environmental Education Building at Auburn University (KPNC EEB) advances two-way span capability of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) with all wood point supports and cantilevers, while at Cornell University, The Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science (Bowers CIS) embraces mass timber in its most cost efficient and largest carbon storage strategy as CLT floor and roof panels on a steel frame structure.

Kreher Preserve & Nature Center, Environmental Education Building
Auburn, AL

The KPNC EEB is made with all local wood, Alabama’s southern yellow pine for cross laminated timber, glulams and other wood framing. Lifted off the ground, it eliminates concrete slab on grade and with butterfly roofs and high clerestory operable windows and fans, it advocates for a holistic sustainable strategy for low embodied and operational carbon.

Learn More