HMFH Architects, Inc.

We are excited to share that the new Josiah Quincy Upper School (JQUS) has earned LEED Platinum certification! This all-electric facility sets high standards for efficiency, resiliency, and environmental health as the first City of Boston school to achieve LEED Platinum and one of the first projects to open under the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools. Designed for 650 students in grades 6-12, the high-rise school creates expanded opportunities for students and community members with spacious, light-filled learning and common areas. Despite the constraints of the school's one-acre urban site, the design maintains a connection to nature and prioritizes student well-being via an accessible rooftop. Complete with an outdoor STEM classroom, gardens, and walking paths, the rooftop provides space for movement, hands-on project work, and mindful contemplation. Pocket parks along the building perimeter introduce moments of greenery to the neighborhood and create places of respite for community members. An innovative and efficient HVAC system draws in fresh, highly filtered air for classrooms from well above the two major highways adjacent to the school, ensuring a healthy interior environment. Sustainable and renewable materials throughout the school further support student well-being. JQUS is powered entirely by electricity with efficient heat pump technology, meaning no fossil fuels are used for heating, cooling, or cooking in the school. A well-insulated envelope and optimal window-to-wall ratio minimize energy use, while academic spaces are primarily south-facing to create optimal daylighting and reduce the need for artificial lighting. Sited in a groundwater preservation district, JQUS features a stormwater detention system beneath the building designed to recharge groundwater levels to extend the life of wood piles supporting many historic Boston townhouses. Rooftop plantings slow stormwater runoff and low-flow fixtures in the school conserve about 240,000 gallons of water per year, more than the Boston Aquarium's Giant Ocean Tank! Skanska Turner Construction Company LeMessurier GGD Consulting Engineers, Inc. IBI Group Nitsch Engineering Soden Sustainability Consulting #sustainability #sustainabledesign #sustainableschools #leed #leedplatinum #usgbc #bostonschools #bostonpublicschools

Registration for the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design is now open! We're excited to participate in #AIA25 through one of the architect-led tours highlighting Boston’s most iconic and innovative architecture. Join HMFH on Wednesday June, 04 and Saturday, June 07 to tour the new high-rise, LEED Platinum certified #JosiahQuincyUpperSchool, one of the first projects to open under the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools initiative!

Join us in celebrating #InternationalWomensDay and uplifting all the women who shape our designs and practice, from directing 400,000+ sf school building projects to championing sustainability initiatives! HMFH is proud to be a women-owned business in a field where women are historically underrepresented. We believe that collaboration among people with diverse perspectives and backgrounds strengthens the planning and design process and strive to inspire the next generation of women in architecture through mentoring initiatives and programs to introduce students to career pathways in design, creating opportunities where young women can envision themselves as architects, engineers, construction managers, and more!

We are excited to announce that phase three of Arlington High School is officially open to students and community members! This new phase includes a flexible black box theater, a fitness room, and multiple gymnasiums that support the school's robust physical education program. With the school building now complete, only site work remains as the final step in this multi-phase project. The new 408,500 sf facility embodies Arlington's vision for high-quality education and town-wide resources. In the week since phase three opened, students and community members have already begun enjoying these state-of-the-art spaces with events such as basketball games, community education courses, and a pickleball club! Learn more about the latest stage in Arlington High School's multi-phase construction and how these spaces support the Town's educational vision: https://lnkd.in/ea8wfBbG Arlington Public Schools (MA) PMA Consultants Consigli Construction Co., Inc. #EducationalDesign #K12architecture

As #CTEmonth comes to a close, we're spotlighting #OldColonyRegionalVocationalTechnicalHighSchool, a CTE project that is gaining momentum! Our team is hard at work, collaborating with the school community, refining the building massing and space programming, and working through sustainable site strategies to deliver a new school that realizes Old Colony's vision of an integrated vocational and academic learning environment that fosters student independence and hands-on, exploratory education. PMA Consultants #CareerTechnicalEducation #CTEdesign #CTEarchitecture #HandsOnLearning

Over the February school break, HMFH participated in our sixth consecutive Architecture/Design Thinking Week, an annual program that provides Boston Public Schools students with hands-on opportunities to explore potential careers in architecture with young professionals from local firms. HMFH closed out an eventful week with an overview of the "build" phase of the design process, where students learned how to translate conceptual ideas into built architecture and put their skills to the test as they created a 3D model of their Downtown Teen Space design. With insights and feedback from HMFH designers Jaime McGavin, Jake Picariello, Hannah Keith, and intern Antonio Reyes-Rodriguez, students prepared for a final share-out presentation showcasing all they had learned throughout the week. As an educational design firm, we look forward to Architecture/Design Thinking Week each year for the opportunity to share our passion for design with the next generation of architects and increase access to the profession. Thank you to the Boston Society for Architecture and Boston PIC (Private Industry Council) for organizing this impactful event and to Sasaki Foundation, Goody Clancy, and Finegold Alexander Architects for contributing! #DesignThinkingWeek #Mentorship #DesignMentorship

As we celebrate #CTEmonth, a public awareness campaign by the Association for Career and Technical Education promoting the importance of career technical programs in a well-rounded education, we're highlighting the construction progress at #BristolPlymouthRegionalTechnicalSchool, where exciting new spaces for hands-on learning are taking shape! When the school opens in 2026, an expansive courtyard will connect students to nature, offer outdoor learning and dining opportunities, and feature a model house to foster cross-program collaboration. Double-height shops will support programs including Automotive Technology, Carpentry, Collision Technology, HVAC, and Plumbing with professional-quality facilities to prepare students for the workforce and beyond. PMA Consultants Consigli Construction Co., Inc. #CareerTechnicalEducation #CTEdesign #CTEarchitecture #HandsOnLearning

Please join us in celebrating the growth of our leadership team with the promotions of Robert Williams, AIA to Principal and Liza Bouton to Senior Associate! With these promotions we continue to evolve and diversify HMFH’s leadership while recognizing each individual's experience, expertise, and contributions to the firm. Congratulations! Read more about Bobby and Liza's roles in shaping HMFH's culture of creativity, collaboration, and educational design excellence: https://lnkd.in/e3-j_Gpj

As the year comes to a close, we're reflecting on the impactful community collaborations, outreach efforts, and design achievements that defined 2024. From sharing experiences in architecture with the next generation at local high school career fairs to designing sustainable environments for living and learning in communities across New England, these accomplishments would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of our clients and project teams. Together, we are committed to creating the best possible educational facilities for students. Here’s to building more supportive, resilient learning environments in 2025!

HMFH is #38 on Building Design+Construction Media's Top 160 K-12 School Architecture Firms for 2024! Since our founding in 1969, we have designed more than 150 schools across New England and continue this passion with notable projects such as the new #JosiahQuincyUpperSchool, an urban high-rise facility that was one of the first projects to open under the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools initiative, and #MiddletownMiddleHighSchool, which will break new ground as the first public school of its kind in Rhode Island. Whether creating child-centric elementary schools or large high school complexes, HMFH is committed to fostering academic success and student wellness through design. https://lnkd.in/efGm8hbJ