As the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston houses some of the most attractive and popular establishments in the state. From its thriving economy to its bustling communities, the city serves as a wonderful place for both interested residents and corporations. Other great features that enable it to prosper are its innovative sectors, such as education, transportation, and culture sector. It is also the state’s most populous city, which means it has that many more potential customers.
Some big-time companies have already discovered the potential in Boston and have either relocated or expanded their businesses. Other interested firms, big or small, are also looking into the area and attempting to develop their own spaces. But choosing the right workplace to promote productivity and engagement is a difficult task, especially for inexperienced people. That’s why our editors have compiled this list of the best office architects in Boston, Massachusetts, to provide effective solutions to these issues. They were chosen for their history, years in business, expertise, and awards.
Elkus Manfredi Architects
25 Drydock Avenue, Boston, MA 02210
Elkus Manfredi Architects serves the Boston area as a full-service architect that offers excellent services from master planning to graphic design. It’s an internationally renowned architectural practice that has completed projects both in and out of the country. As a result, the firm is known for its varied work and capabilities in diverse, mixed-use planning for its designed projects. From technology centers to educational institutions, it has displayed great architecture that lets its designed establishments stand out in communities. The firm has multiple accreditations, including AIA, BSA, SARA, BSLA, and LEED Gold/Silver.
Publicis Groupe is an amazing workplace that can easily house over 1,500 employees. The office was designed to enhance work productivity while providing a comfortable platform for its personnel through its employee-specific choice of where and how they would work. Additional areas—such as multiple cafe spots—were added for its users’ convenience. The office’s amenities include a lab, meeting rooms, conference centers, and even amphitheaters for functionality and entertainment.
Sasaki Associates
64 Pleasant Street, Watertown, MA 02472
Sasaki Associates is defined by its principle of developing lasting spaces that positively impact the communities it works in and the users it houses. Its design approach results in effective spaces that flawlessly maintain great practicality while being visually appealing. It offers a wide array of expertise, everything from architectural planning and design to engineering services.
Throughout its 69 years of service, Sasaki Associates has long become a multi-award-winning firm with accolades at a number of different levels. The firm has earned local, regional, and national awards, which include the Boston Society of Landscape Architects’ Honor Award and Merit Award and the National Urban Design Awards’ Award of Excellence for Sustainable Development.
Cambridge Consultants signifies the client’s work philosophy of noteworthy product development and technology consultation. The architects opted to emphasize that aspect to spearhead the space’s design. This design is characterized by its apparent engineering concept and open layout. The materials also have a neutral balance between transparency and privacy to provide wide views while preserving each employee’s peace and personal space. It also includes the proper amenities, such as conference areas, private offices, and desk spaces.
SGA
200 High Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02110
SGA is a one-stop-shop for clients looking for a complete set of design and construction services. Among the many interdisciplinary services offered by the firm are architecture, interior design and planning, and virtual design and construction. SGA is a pioneer that uses tech-forward designs through its intensive breakthrough project visualization. It has completed projects across various markets, including commercial, academic, and mixed-use, so clients can rest assured of its architectural proficiency.
Autodesk Build Space underscores the imminent industrialization brought by changing times. This workshop’s distinctive design highlights distinctive manufacturing elements through its diverse equipment, robots, and technological features. It also has glass windows that promote transparency and collaboration in the workspace. The firm added the necessary utilities and amenities to support each function, from woodworking to fabrication. The building was also thoroughly reinforced to support all its machinery and systems.
Handel Architects
69 Canal Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02114
Handel Architects is a community-driven firm that highlights accomplished projects as not only shelters for users but also catalysts for change. The firm has almost three decades of first-hand experience and over 200 employees; it has the capabilities to design perfect spaces for its clients. Master planning, urban structures, multi-family, and corporate projects are among the several specialties of the firm. The firm always considers sustainability to be an essential goal. The firm is known on a global scale, and it has worked on a number of overseas projects. Its efforts have been recognized by The Boston Real Estate Times, The Architect’s Newspaper, and the New England Real Estate Journal.
Winthrop Center combines elegance with modern elements to provide a bustling gathering space. The project was set to enhance the area’s atmosphere and vitality in the city’s financial district. Aside from its high-rise status and grand size, the office also links several structures and spaces, resulting in a massive hub for public interactions and gatherings. Because it is LEED Platinum calibrated, the project is certified as a Passive House— also the largest passive house in the world— which means it meets the highest energy efficiency standards out there.
Arrowstreet
10 Post Office Square, Suite #700N, Boston, MA 02109
Arrowstreet houses a diverse team of architects, interior designers, planners, and graphic designers with their own expertise that branches out beyond Boston. The firm can thus produce a wide variety of design-solution options for its clients. Arrowstreet is as creative as it is progressive; using the varied perspectives of its professionals, it employs dynamic solutions to exceed clients’ expectations and continues to develop the skills of its team.
With over 62 years of service, the firm has won a number of awards and certifications. Some of their accolades include the First Award for Signage Design (Built) in the Rethinking the Future Global Architecture & Design, the IIDA NE Humanity of Design Award, and ArchFrame Design Awards Gold. Their certifications include NCARB, AIA, LEED Platinum/Gold/Silver, and USGBC.
Showcased here is ezCater, a fresh new office for a client’s office expansion. The entire project spans four levels of Congress Square, linked via a monumental staircase. The space’s design has the client’s signature theme of a bright green and white color scheme; the result is a lush atmosphere. It has plenty of work space, including desks and meeting rooms. It also features relaxation or entertainment areas for breaks, kitchens, a library, and a roof deck with a beautiful view of the city.
SMMA
1000 MA Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
Founded in 1955, SMMA is a multidisciplinary design firm that offers integrated architecture, engineering, interior design, and planning services to clients in New England and beyond. SMMA has won several awards for its workplace design projects, most recently an IIDA New England Design Award in 2021 for a lab/office space in Cambridge. SMMA’s design focus spans seven markets: Corporate, Commercial, K-12, Higher Education, Life Science, Advanced Technology, and Federal Government.
The new Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) headquarters, designed by SMMA, occupies a full floor of a new 21,000 square feet building in Kendall Square. It provides an innovative and engaging culture for CMT staff and showcases their extensive portfolio of work on safe driving protocols to clients and visitors. A lively work café encourages socializing and collaboration—two vital elements of a post-pandemic workplace.
Bergmeyer
51 Sleeper Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02210
With a passion for serving its clients and strengthening the communities where its spaces are developed, Bergmeyer is dedicated to delivering influential buildings that enhance the area and its users’ lifestyles. The firm understands the importance of collaboration and exercises this principle between its teams of hard-working architects, strategists, brand specialists, interior and graphic designers, and its anticipating clients. The firm has proven able to produce successful outcomes through its responsive communication and intensive architecture and design services. It has AIA, IIDA, USGBC, and LEED Gold/Silver certifications.
WeWork Boston demonstrates the firm’s abilities. The office was designed to go against the conventional standards and features of commercial buildings. Instead of solely focusing on themes that grind employees for maximum productivity, the firm chose to lean more towards creative aspects. That way, the staff would be able to work at high performance while also feeling comfortable with their environment. An open floor plan provides an airy atmosphere strengthened by the area divisions of work desks and relaxation lounges.
Stantec
311 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
Stantec pursues creative architecture that transforms areas and clients altogether. Using ingenious designs and all-around approaches, its architectural and engineering expertise has set the tone in the industry. Its reputation isn’t limited to its great services, however, as it is also known as a community-shaping firm redefining standards in design and functionality.
Stantec has earned many awards: the ENR New England Best Projects Awards, the Best Landscape/Urban Development, and the Best Building Repositioning and Building Amenities. The firm has also been accredited by IIDA, ASLA, AIA, and LEED Platinum/Gold/Silver.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a prime example of Stantec’s office projects. This new space joins three distinct departments from the client’s initiatives. Serving as a common ground for these linked offices, the set features an expansive layout to give way to changing themes. A variety of offices and areas were provided for a multifunctional workspace encompassing dynamic styles.
AW-ARCH
650 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141
AW-ARCH is dedicated to the values of inclusivity and engagement. It is a firm where experts of diversified roots and professions are stimulated to give their dynamic perspective on all projects. As a result, an approach with several options for design and technique is given in accordance with its clients’ desired spaces. The firm understands the importance of engaging with communities, which is why it actively collaborates with its users. In its 30 years of service, it has built a large client base with loyal customers that approach the firm for repeat services.
The firm adheres to its work policy of developing resilient and lasting projects. An example of this policy is the VIA Art Fund, a picturesque office with a clean and calm atmosphere. The client works with contemporary artists and institutions, which is why AW-ARCH designed an open-floor office to support their profession. The airy layout is accompanied by a refined color palette and simple decor for a relaxing environment. It also has flexible elements to withstand potential changes in the space.
Cube 3
160 State Street, Floor 6, Boston, MA 02109
Cube 3 brings out each client’s imagination and uses that as the foundation for actualizing its projects. It employs a responsive team that personally connects with the clients, as it believes that understanding who they are helps them produce the most customized spaces. In every step of the architectural phase, the firm directly supervises the project management and promptly updates the client to ensure that the final product is achieved in its best possible version. The firm’s work can be seen in The Architect Magazine, Boston News Journal, and The Patriot Ledger, among other magazines.
NKT Photonics was designed to be a fresh new facility that handled a new department for sales. It was developed with a laboratory that performed laser production services. It now features reinforced surfaces and materials to withstand the space’s heavy equipment. Innovative and effective solutions were also applied to ensure the office had visually appealing elements while remaining durable and high-performance.
Perkins&Will
225 Franklin Street, Suite #1100, Boston, MA 02110
Of all the architects on this list, Perkins&Will is the only firm with over 87 years of consistent service. As a team of creative thinkers attracted to meaningful projects, the firm has devoted itself to the people it serves by creating spaces that positively reinforce and uplift communities. In those eight decades of working as an outstanding architect, it has honed its skills and expanded its knowledge base to handle projects of varying markets, sizes, and complexity. The firm has LEED Platinum/Gold/Silver, ASID, IIDA, and AIA accreditations.
Takeda Oncology Research and Development Headquarters is a massive office that doubles as a laboratory for its clients. The firm opted to seize the opportunity to turn its large size into a multidisciplinary science workspace. Its open layout has transparent materials to encourage users to interact with staff from each department. It also includes inventive themes, with an origami crane expression to pay tribute to a popular Japanese legend. The project won an Award of Excellence, as well as a LEED Gold sustainability certification.
