Kaplan Thompson Architects

Kaplan Thompson Architects has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Top 200 Residential Architects! For this inaugural list of architectural firms, Forbes evaluated more than 18,000 AIA-affiliated offices and invited approximately 750 short-listed firms to submit three recently completed residences that exemplify their work. Projects cycled through two rounds of review to a.) measure Stability, Unity, and Beauty and b.) evaluated against Forbes Architecture’s Residential Guiding Principles and Best Practices. Those are, as described by Forbes: siting and local context; architectural form and detailing; building materials and craft; spatial configuration; HVAC and tech; physical and psychological effects; and environmental/appropriateness to region and local climate zone. Per Forbes staff Robert Olsen: “More specifically, America’s Top 200 Residential Architects will point to the architects to whom you can turn, no matter where you are across the nation, to help you create a house that meets both your personal demands?and?the outsized existential demands of our times.”We are grateful to have been invited to submit and absolutely thrilled to have made the list for 2025, the first of many exciting Forbes Architecture lists and content to come! Read more and see the list here: https://lnkd.in/g_KwGN5W

Earlier this month Principal Jesse Thompson attended the AIA National Conference on Architecture & Design in Washington, DC. More than 485 sessions rounded out the 4-day event, but accepting his certificate of Fellowship - the AIA’s highest membership honor - was the highlight of his trip. He joined 99 other architects in accepting the award for their significant contributions to the profession, and got to don some pretty sweet new gear - shiny black robe, lapel pin, and a medal - for the occasion. To say we are proud is an understatement, and to think he has peaked is incorrect; those who know Jesse will definitely agree that he is just getting started!

Late last year, Cara Bionde (an Architectural Designer with Kaplan Thompson Architects) was nominated by an alumni of the program to participate in Leadership Portland's Class of 2024. The program creates a community of engaged and informed leaders by creating links between inquisitive and inspired citizens, the city's diverse industries, and the pressing issues we all face. From January through June, Cara attended nine full-day sessions of hands-on learning, taking a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities Portland faces as it looks to the future. At her graduation from the course, Cara noted: "Now that I know how intricately entangled & interconnected the dynamics & systems of our community are, I realize just how important each voice is and how communication between all is an integral part of change. The need for conduits between organizations, systems and people is visible and needed. Portland is a vibrant & caring city facing many issues that exist in communities, large & small, across our country. Being involved is paramount. I'm going to utilize my deeper understanding and broader perspective of the complexities that our City faces as I join the Board of Portland Society for Architecture & advocate for us to continue to become a more accessible resource for the entire community; vote in all elections, especially local ones, and talk about the issues within my smaller community to encourage participation; and allow for my new depth of knowledge of the community we are a part of to better inform my work in the design community."

In 2014, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association introduced a peer coaching and business development program - Building Energy Bottom Lines - to connect its members in groups that would support one another in pursuit of the Triple Bottom Lines (people, planet, and prosperity). A decade later, we are celebrating the friendships forged and lessons learned, as well as the countless ways in which our involvement in the program has helped shape the firm. Last week, some of our team slipped away to the Mount Washington Hotel for the Bottom Lines Ten Year Celebration and All-Group Gathering, where 130 participants representing more than 70 businesses convened for three days of reflection and visioning. The event centered around impact and asked us to consider the personal and profound progress we have seen in ourselves, our businesses, our industry, and the greater community. We were also challenged to identify goals for the next ten years and what further impact we are poised and prepared to pursue.Ideas were many and inspiration was abundant, and we left the White Mountains with a refreshed sense of excitement and ambition. We also left with an expanded network of like-minded folks to share ideas with, collaborate on both project and internal initiatives with, and hopefully share a meal with whenever they are in town! We extend our sincerest gratitude and respect for the brilliant minds in the Bottom Lines community, and look forward to the next ten years with everyone!!!

Last night, Kaplan Thompson Architects was thrilled to accept not one, not two, but three AIA Maine Awards for Excellence in Architecture! The Colby College Dormitories - the Paula Crane Lunder House, Jane Powers House, Carol Swann-Daniels House, and Jacqueline Nú?ez House - received an Honor Award in the Institutional + Commercial category. The West End Apartments accepted a Merit Award in the same category. And Studio 84 took home a Citation Award in the Single Family Residential category. The best prizes, however, are the opportunities we have to work with such incredible clients, contractors, and partners and professionals on projects that make the world a better place. We extend a special thanks to Colby College and Avesta Housing, as well as Consigli Construction, Allied-Cook Construction, and Benjamin & Company!

Principal Jesse Thompson spoke with author and environmentalist Bill McKibben last week about energy efficiency for affordable housing; read more in the New Yorker: https://lnkd.in/e8z4fMES

Congratulations to Emily Greene for achieving licensure and her new title of Senior Architect! Emily received a Master of Architecture from Princeton University in 2010, graduating with top honors and the Henry Adams AIA Medal for academic excellence. Her portfolio includes more than ten years of professional experience and projects at every scale, including residential, institutional, and high-performance multi-family housing. She joined Kaplan Thompson Architects in 2021 and wasted no time in getting up to speed. Among her first projects were The Paula Crane Lunder House, Jane Powers House, Carol Swann-Daniels House, and Jacqueline Nú?ez House at Colby College; with Emily serving as Project Lead, the project designed and delivered four high-performance residence halls in just 15 months! https://lnkd.in/eGe39zWU https://lnkd.in/egQY6YyA

We are proud to announce that the 2024 Jury of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) elevated our very own Jesse Thompson, FAIA, LEED AP, CPHC to its prestigious College of Fellows! Friends, this is a BIG DEAL. As the organization’s highest honor, Fellowship is awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the profession and to society, who exemplify architectural excellence, and whose work has had a profound influence or ripple effect. We have always known that he’s a superstar, and the architecture community agrees. Only 3% of the AIA’s 98,000+ national members have earned the distinction of Fellowship. In 2024, 96 AIA members were elevated to this honor. He joins six other Fellows in the state of Maine, and is the first to be recognized in the state since 2016. Jesse was recognized in the category of Design, Urban Design, or Preservation, in which candidates must demonstrate how they have promoted the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession. The submission was based on his commitment to designing for ecology, change, and equity. Through industry leadership, individual mentorship, and high-performance architecture expertise, he inspires others to rise to the challenge of creating spaces that are beautiful, sustainable, and attainable. Jesse is in excellent company in the Maine architecture community, including his sponsor Scott Simons, FAIA, who encouraged Jesse to apply and provided a steady guiding hand throughout the rigorous submission process. Jesse will accept the award at an investiture ceremony held during the AIA national conference on June 7, 2024 in Washington, DC. He will wear a robe. We will get pics. Congratulations, Jesse! https://lnkd.in/egnufZyb