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

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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.

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Eliot Church Affordable Housing has won the Future House International Residential Award in the Affordable, Social, and Community Living Housing category. Affordable housing at Eliot Congregational Church will help the underserved community of Roxbury, a neighborhood of Boston, MA.  A 4-story, 15-unit addition will occupy the 4,500sf portion of the site, currently a parking lot. The project’s scale is consistent with triple deckers and other multi-family housing in the neighborhood and is intended to be a prototype with multiple roof profiles, façade arrangements and cladding materials that can be tailored to similar small-scale developments on empty smaller lots across Boston.

“Future House International Residential Awards arise from the convergence of residential design and architectural vision, with the aim of championing and honoring novel and inventive residential projects on a worldwide level.” – Chicago Athenaeum & Global Design News – Future House International Residential Award

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Tom Chung, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C recently chaired one of the Advancing Mass Timber Construction Conference seminar tracks throughout the event and speaking at the Fireside Chat Panel to conclude the conference.

“The Advancing Mass Timber Construction Conference 5th edition in 2024, uniting over 160 designers, contractors, developers, and manufacturers to accelerate adoption, expand your project portfolio, increase your organisational expertise, meet your ESG goals, and deliver world class mass timber projects.

Whether you’re new to Mass Timber or an industry leader with specific design and delivery questions, our expert speakers and dual track program will provide the insights you need to expand successful mass timber Projects across you project portfolio.”

– Advancing Mass Timber Construction Conference

Leers Weinzapfel Associates celebrated the groundbreaking for National Museum of Forest Service History Conservation Legacy Center! LWA Principal Tom S. Chung, director Lisa Tate and board members broke ground with golden shovels for the soon to be constructed National Conservation Legacy Center.

The Conservation Legacy Center for the non-profit, National Museum of Forest Service History in Missoula, Montana will educate the public about the history and ongoing conservation work of the United States Forest Service (USFS). The design is inspired by the qualities of these forests as valuable recreational and economic resources throughout history; it also echoes features of the local surrounding mountain landscape.

The Center will be itself an exhibit, featuring representative wood species throughout the US, wood products developed with USFS Forest Products Lab, and an array of mass timber products such as glulams, cross laminated timber (CLT) and Mass Plywood Panels (MPP). Tree-like columns will exhibit timber craft and advanced engineering; these will showcase sixteen representative trees from national forests.

This week we celebrated the UMass Amherst School of Public Health & Health Sciences groundbreaking. University leaders, along with local and state officials, project teams, and community members, gathered to celebrate. Pictured here from our project team is Joe Balzano, Corey Salvatore, Ashley Rao, Josiah Stevenson, Ana Maria Siegel, Jared Gentilucci, Caroline Fitzgerald, Lucy Hawkins.

The HUB creates a unified gathering place for the dispersed School of Public Health & Health Sciences (SPHHS) – a new core where students can learn, collaborate, access support and advising services, and foster a stronger sense of community.

Leers Weinzapfel Associates took an office trip New Hampshire to visit the Zimmerman and Kalil Houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.