We are pleased to announce that Williams College Davis Center, Kreher Preserve & Nature Center, Environmental Education Building and Ohio University Chilled Water Plant #3 have all received the  Citation Award from the AIA New England 2025 Awards!

Ohio University – Chilled Water Plant #3: Citation Award

“The jury commended Ohio University’s Chilled Water Plant #3 for transforming a utilitarian program into a bold and expressive work of architecture. What could have been an anonymous service box is elevated into a sculptural landmark through its copper-toned façade, perforated rooftop enclosure, and the dramatic use of glass that reveals the mechanical systems within.

The project balances form and function with clarity. By raising equipment nine feet above the floodplain, the facility demonstrates resilience to climate impacts, while its deeply recessed glazing, natural ventilation, and sound-mitigating rooftop wall ensure comfort and safety for both users and nearby neighbors. The decision to place technology on display; visible through large glazed doors and transparent facades; turns the plant into an educational and civic presence, engaging both campus and community.” – AIA New England Jury 2025

Leers Weinzapfel Associates has been recognized as a 2025 AIA New England Emerging Professional Firm! Firms are chosen for this designation for their display of outstanding commitment to developing their Emerging Professional staff.

Creating a collaborative workplace, inclusive of the diverse voices and talents of our colleagues, has been at the core of the firm since its origin in 1982.

“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.” – 2025 New England AIA Components Emerging Professional Firm

For more information about the award here

LWA Principal Tom S. Chung, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C will be a panel speaker at the 2025 BSA Housing Innovation Symposium, kick starting the symposium with the first panel discussion  “What’s Blocking Bold Design? Mapping the Constraints” from 9:15–10:15 AM at the BSA Space. It is set to be an insightful discussion on Mass Timber Housing, Constraints and Opportunities.

“The Housing Innovation Symposium opens with a contextual framing of the state’s housing realities. Gail Sullivan FAIA, Paul Karakusevic, Tom Chung, FAIA, and Fatima Ali-Salaam, will delve into these critical concepts within and outside of our regional context. The panel will explore projects, processes, and policies at varying scales, from local neighborhoods to international case studies, to identify what has blocked bold design strategies and what has enabled innovation. Through these discussions, participants will gain a shared framework for thinking about design quality, social and cultural dimensions of housing, innovative building methods, regulatory structures, and financing mechanisms.” – Boston Society of Architects

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We are excited to present at the 2025 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit next week! Principals Jane Weinzapfel, FAIA and Ashley Rao, AIA, LEED AP, Phius CPHC along with Associate Zhanina Boyadzhieva, AIA and Architect Maryam Karime, AIA will weave some of their personal stories, followed by a panel discussion at “Four Generations of Women Challenging the Architecture Status Quo” at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia on November 3-5.

“Four generations of women in architecture—a pioneering firm founder, a next-generation principal, a mid-career design leader and equity activist, and an emerging professional—come together for an honest conversation about identity, leadership, and defining success on your own terms. Each panelist will share personal insights on navigating career milestones and cultural shifts—through motherhood, licensure, health, and more. Representing a broad spectrum of identities and lived experiences, the speakers will reflect on what it means to lead with authenticity in an evolving profession. This powerful session offers real stories, practical strategies, and fresh perspective on building flexible, values-driven careers that reflect the full complexity of life and leadership.”

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Williams College Davis Center, Auburn University KPNC Environmental Education Center, and Ohio University Chiller Plant #3 all received AIA New England Citation Awards. The firm also has been awarded an Emerging Professional Friendly Award.

The Harvard University District Energy Facility (DEF) has received a 2025. Built Design Award. Harvard DEF is a Winner in Architectural Design – Industrial Category. The 56,000 sf District Energy Facility (DEF) sets the stage for a state-of-the-art, cost effective, and sustainable utility generation and distribution system for Harvard’s Allston campus that also makes a significant contribution to its urban design.

Learn More Here

Last week, our office visited the construction site of the School of Public Health & Health Sciences HUB at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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.

One of the most important and growing schools at the University of Massachusetts, SPHHS is a national leader in finding ways to improve public health and quality of life for all, with a focus on reducing inequities. The 26,800 sf Hub will house team-based learning classrooms, seminar rooms, collaboration spaces, advising offices and at its core, a school-wide Commons space that overlooks and engages with the exterior entry plaza.

Learn more about the here

We are excited to announce that Kreher Preserve & Nature Center (KPNC) Environmental Education Building at Auburn University has been awarded the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Sponsored Award in the 2025 Wood Design & Building Awards Program.

“This prestigious awards program recognizes and celebrates the outstanding work of architectural professionals from Canada and around the world for excellence in wood design and construction” – Canadian Wood Council, Wood Design & Building Awards

The KPNC Environmental Education Building was selected amongst 140 submissions. This project sought to promote wonder and exploration of the natural world and cultivate a sense of stewardship toward our community and environment.  Constructed from locally sourced timber, the building celebrates the potential of wood – aesthetically, economically, and environmentally. The preschool will incorporate cross laminated timber (CLT) produced in Alabama with southern yellow pine as a demonstration of this new, sustainable building product with great potential for the region’s forestry-based industries.

“The diversity and creativity in this year’s winning projects demonstrate how wood can connect people with nature,” says Martin Richard, Vice President of Communications and Market Development at the Canadian Wood Council (CWC). “These designs not only showcase wood’s versatility, but also create spaces that enrich daily life and support community well-being. They are high-performance solutions that respond to today’s urgent need for housing, schools, and community spaces.”

Learn more about the project here

See award announcement here

Our recent interior renovation at the Harvard Science Center is featured in The Architect’s Newspaper September issue.

As a continuation to Leers Weinzapfel Associates’ interventions at Harvard Science Center over a period of 20 years, this project has two distinct goals: 1) to create an inviting, comfortable, and engaging entry and public experience of the building and 2) to reflect current pedagogy in flexible lab design and student life, emphasizing the social nature of learning with diverse individual and group spaces outside of classrooms and labs. The 44,600 SF renovation peels away the original solid walls and celebrates science on display with newly configurated labs, offices, and classrooms. It transforms the original corridors of the modern landmark building designed by Josep Luis Sert in 1973 from passageways to welcoming places with new lounges, study nodes, and touch-down meeting areas.

“We were interested in putting science on display, In terms of materiality, we searched for minor but impactful insertions we could make.” – Zhanina Boyadzhieva, as quoted in The Architect Newspaper

Check out the feature here

Leers Weinzapfel Associates has been featured in Construction in Focus September issue highlighting the firm’s recent work and collaborative culture.

“Every project is an opportunity to create something meaningful, to uplift a community, to care for the environment. That’s what motivates us every day” – Tom Chung, as quoted in Construction in Focus

Check out this feature here