Case Studies: Blanchette McKinney

Thinking as an Institution Firm Organization, Adaptation and Longevity

By Hope Blanchette and Brad McKinney

Shepley Bulfinch Marketing Postcard1

Table of Contents Abstract

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Preface

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Learning Objectives

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Introduction

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Firm Overview

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Perspectives

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Investigation A. Re-Organizing Firm Hierarchy into an Effective Business Model B. Thinking like Businessmen, not Architects C. Thinking with the Future in Mind D. Maintaining Relationships E. History + Reputation vs. Future + Innovation

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Conclusion

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Citations

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About the Authors

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Website Information

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Thinking as a Lasting Institution

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Abstract No single decision can directly be linked to the success of a firm or corporation. An institution prevails because of a series of decisions made in order to ensure longevity through an anticipation of change. Our architectural firm of study has overcome a variety of obstacles which all companies must face, including business cycle fluctuations, rotating clientele, management transitions and technology innovations. This firm has sustained a series of transformations over the past 125 years and is continuing to improve and position themselves for the future. Shepley Bulfinch is a prime example for study because they have the perspective and mindset for future success, they have developed strategies for maneuvering upcoming obstacles and for their continued prevalence in the Boston market.

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Preface We would like to thank all those at Shepley Bulfinch who have helped us during our research on this project. Without their assistance, our aspirations to make NUcase a critical platform for architectural and design practice issues would not have been possible. Thank you for helping us push forward the realization of our efforts.

To the reader: We have decided to keep part of this case study anonymous as we feel the names aren’t important. This case study looks to uncover issues, practices and solutions. It is not about who the important people are, but rather about what the members of the firm are doing.

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Learning Objectives The objective of this case study is to act as a guide of business practices involved in running a successful architecture firm, concluded from an investigation of a nationally recognized firm with an institutional longevity of practice and operations.

How does a firm....          

become a lasting institution adjust and adapt practices as needed separate one’s history and future incorporate design principles into firm mentality at various levels plan for the future position oneself in order to succeed fiscally as an enterprise generate the best corporate structure generate a more productive and flexible workforce operate like a business maintain relationships over time

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Introduction What is an Institution?

Institution: noun.

1. an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, especially one of a public, educational, or charitable character.

2. the building devoted to such work.

6. any familiar, long-established person, thing, or practice; fixture.

7. the act of instituting or setting up; establishment: the institution of laws. 2 Institutions are the backbones of civic societies influencing the lives of generations of people. Being known for their longevity and ability to navigate varying economic cycles through time, solidifies their roles as cornerstones of public life and economic spheres. Successful institutions are characterized by their flexibility and perspective that guides them as an entity through business cycles, social progress and political reform. Institutions provide an encompassing organization for a wide array of individuals all working towards a common goal.

Decisions made on behalf of these people can have wide ranging effects; therefore it is essential that a long term mindset be held in order to cultivate the nourishment of the institution. The decisions made at the leadership level of the institution become the guiding force behind the reflexes and agility of the entity.

Understanding the effects and ramifications of decision making processes in terms of responsibility of the welfare and longevity of the institution in practice, is pivotal in determining forces that shape the economic plan of the institution. This study aims to uncover aspects of these elements in order to gain a higher understanding of the decision-making processes at an institutional level.

Our research has focused around a large Boston firm that has a well known pedigree and notable portfolio. The firm has a substantial repetitive client-base and is a forerunner in its field of expertise. This firm has undergone many corporate structure adaptations since its initial founding in order to remain a flexible and competitive entity. The decision-making processes enacted by the leaders of this firminstitution have led this particular example through economic hardships and laid the foundation for prospects in the future.

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Firm Overview

Shepley Bulfinch, Inc. Location: Boston, Massachusetts; Phoenix, Arizona Total Years of Operation: 137 years (since 1874) Services: Full Service; Architecture; Planning; Interior Design; Renovation; Programming; Design Research; Graphic Design; Sustainable Design; Building Science; Visualization Stance: Mission: To be leaders in the architecture profession, advancing our clients' visions and bettering the human experience through exceptional design.

Vision: To be noted for excellence in design and delivery by: delivering thoughtful, innovative design solutions challenging ourselves and our clients to explore the transformative qualities of design partnering with clients who are thought leaders and who share our appetite for innovation.

Values: A belief in the power of design; A passion for design excellence; A commitment to a culture of inquiry; A spirit of collaboration; A tradition of innovation.3 Brief History: Shepley Bulfinch was founded by Henry Hobson Richardson in 1874. It is now one of the “longest continuously practicing architectural firms in the nation” and the oldest firm in Boston, MA.3 It is a national practice that provides a variety of architectural and planning services. Shepley Bulfinch employs approximately 135 people between their Boston and their new location in Phoenix, Arizona.

Originally operating as a partnership firm, Shepley Bulfinch shifted to an incorporated, employee-owned and operated architectural firm in 1972. A board of directors was formed to provide a forum for strategy decisions functioning alongside an operational team consisting of the President, CFO and COO. The firm prides itself on bringing its “vision of innovation and legacy of design excellence” into their work and has received countless awards recognizing their expertise in such fields as sustainability, building envelope design, historic preservation and restoration/renovation.3 Today, the firm’s primary office is located in the up and coming Seaport District in one of their own building designs. Their office has been designed to add efficiency to their intra-office operations. The firm primarily focuses in the health-care and educational design fields. Over 50% of their working is in the health-care industry and 70% of their work is with repeat clients that the company has maintained relationships with over its long history.5

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Break-down of Project Types and Clientele

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Perspectives

Shepley Bulfinch Employees Interviewed This case study is written with the insight of three Shepley Bulfinch employees in a few interviews. The three people we chose to interview were the Firm’s Archivist (1981), the firm’s Communication Manager (2007), and the C.O.O./Managing Principal of the company (2005). While their experiences at Shepley Bulfinch may be varied, the mindset of the firm that we have discussed today holds true for all three of them.

As the most tenured of the three and through his unique position, the archivist has a privileged perspective of the firm. He knows the firm’s history, has seen hundreds of projects and is continuing to see the work the firm produces each year. He is an employee who is completely concerned with the past and the history of the firm, but for modern reasons. He makes an effort to show each new employee the firm’s archives to make them realize the firm’s elaborate history and know there is a lot of inspiration to gain from looking at the past. While the archivist may focus upon the past, he is able to see things with a larger lens, visualizing economic cycles, understanding the ramifications of various firm events and understanding the firm as a constantly evolving entity.

The Communications Manager was brought on in the 2000’s in order to streamline the way the firm was talked about and represented in the public eye. Her role was crucial following the re-branding of the firm’s identity and its’ separation the past. Her job is focused more on the current times and how the firm is being represented today.

The C.O.O., or Managing Principal, was brought on in 2005 with the purpose of improving the business and financial planning aspect of the firm. His experience in business and consulting was critical in the improvement of the firm and its’ true transition to a modern business. His insight and expertise have really pushed the firm into thinking for the future.

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Investigation A. Re-Organizing Firm Hierarchy into an Effective Business Model

Any lasting business entity owes its success to an effective leadership structure. Typically, architecture firms are led by a single person or group of principals that act as partners and make all of the business decisions for the firm. Shepley Bulfinch has set itself apart from other architecture firms by evolving its leadership and ownership structure by thinking about this hierarchy with a business perspective for the future.

In order to re-organize the firm’s structure into an effective business model, Shepley Bulfinch:   

Transitioned to a board-run incorporation Separated operational and strategic roles within leadership positions Streamlined the chain of command

Firm Ownership: Family Owned Practice > Modern Incorporation

Shepley Bulfinch has a rich history of family ownership, transitioning a number of times since its’ beginning as H.H. Richardson’s studio.

Project Team Organization: H.H. Richardson’s Studio

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The first transition to Shepley Rutan and Coolidge in 1886 started this tradition for the family, as George Shepley was Richardson’s son-in-law and Charles Coolidge was Shepley’s brother-inlaw. Following two more transitions from Coolidge and Shattuck to Coolidge Shepley Bulfinch and Abbott, the firm would acquire its final group of family owners and become known as Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott in 1952.6

Project Team Organization: Addition of Administrative Staff The boom of consumer versus provider responsibility lawsuits in the 1970’s encouraged a crucial structural change for SBRA, from a “family-run partnership to a modern corporation.” 6 Upon recommendation of the firm’s legal advisers, the current partners were replaced with a Board of Directors composed of the firm’s principals. In 1987, the firm elected its first Corporate President, the first time there would be no Shepley, Richardson or Coolidge family member as an owner in the firm.6 The most important structural change occurred in 1991 when the Board of Directors downsized from an inefficient 21-Principal Board to one with only 5 Principals and 3 outside advisers.

Firm Organization: “21-Principal Board”

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While this decision was not a unanimous one, they were able to compromise by requiring that all decisions be approved by 4 out of 5 Board members, alleviating the concerns of the many principals who were not on the Board.7

Decision Making Process: Board vs. “Dynamic Trio”

The new Board of Directors transitioned to a strictly strategic function, “evaluating the firm’s destiny” and questioning “what is Shepley Bulfinch going to look like in the future.”7 While all of the Principals and leaders in the firm are making decisions, the Board is thinking about the future and direction of the firm.

The operational duties of the firm now rest with the President, Chief Operating Officer (Managing Principal) and Chief Financial Officer. While the Board had previously maintained the budget, this responsibility now rests with the new C.F.O. position. The President and C.O.O. “primarily run the show at Shepley Bulfinch, working well as a team and balancing one another out.”7 The President has a unique legacy at the firm as she started working there in her days as a BAC student and was elected as the firm’s first woman President in 2004. The C.O.O has a business degree, in addition to an Architecture degree that he earned after working in business operations for 20 years. His experience and mindset has significantly advanced the firm to a more businessfocused operation.7 The Board of Directors and Operational Officers act as separate entities with specific roles and objectives. For instance, the Board did not play an active role in the decision to acquire the Phoenix studio.

Streamlining the Chain of Command

Shepley Bulfinch’s transitions from family-owned practice to incorporation, from partners to Board-operated, from 21-person to 5-person Board and from integration to a separation of strategy and operations are all a part of the larger process of streamlining of the chain of command. The roles of leadership at Shepley Bulfinch are becoming more established with each new phase and transition.

For many years before incorporation, the partners of the firm acted separately, as if they were isolated entities with their own staff and offices. After the Board was established, it was responsible for the strategic, operational and financial functions of the firm. The decision-making

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process of the 21-principal Board was ineffective due to the independent nature and differing perspectives of the acting principals.7 Shepley Bulfinch’s current structure is a successful culmination and result of these previous structural changes, limiting power in some places, transferring responsibilities between parties and more effectively organizing the inner functioning of the firm.

Firm Organization: Current Structure

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B. Thinking like Businessmen, not Architects

Architects generally possess amazing problem solving skills and an ability to synthesize large amounts of information into a communicable form. Where they often face shortcomings is in the field of business management. While larger companies have the capacity for a separate arm to tackle business management issues, smaller companies have the potential to become distracted with everyday operations related to design and lack time to successfully plan their operational expenses and invest in their own success. The longevity of success is often determined by the business organization of a firm, not the design success, although both are co-dependent on each other’s success.

There are several initiatives that any company can do to diversify its financial plan. In our examination of Shepley Bulfinch, we were able to determine several in-house initiatives implemented by their leadership that helped them overcome potential set-backs in their economic fortitude. Having the freedom and ability to act and move financially when your business needs to expand is a vital virtue for any growing company.

In order to transition the firm into acting like a business with a long-term perspective, Shepley Bulfinch implemented a few initiatives that include:   

Specializing in a particular field of work Cutting costs Efficiency planning

Specializing in a Field of Work

It is beneficial to match potential project jobs with the particular skill set of a company for obvious reasons. Specialization is often standard for most companies, but with architecture, design crossovers in different sectors are common. However, marketing yourself as a particular brand of architecture has the potential to draw in clients who aim to use your particular skills. Some firms have the luxury of turning down projects that are not relative to their expertise because it simply does not fit in their portfolio, but others have a more inclusive approach to incoming projects.

As it stands today, Shepley Bulfinch specializes in the civic, educational and institutional sector as well as their appraised research in building envelope technology.3 Their architectural focus and position on incoming projects is a result of in-field experience through boom and bust periods

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of the economy over their long-spanning history. During the Great Depression in the 1930’s, the firm believed corporate architecture was too risky to invest in because of the boom/bust nature of the commercial industry and decided to avoid such jobs.6 This resonated with the firm’s ideology over several decades. Because of their focus in large scale institutional projects, they have had a supportive lifeline of steady incoming work.

In the past, monster civic projects guided the firm through rough times. See Timeline. New York Hospital in the 1930s; Northeastern in the 1960s; Harvard in the 1970s; all carried Shepley Bulfinch through rough economic times.6 Institutional work is typically the most stable sector and often weathers well in economic downturns. This was well and true through the 1990s and the firm had little trouble obtaining work. However, with the current economic conditions there is proof that specialization is not always a win-win situation and that firms must be willing to innovate their marketing and willing to focus on various project types.

Currently, with changes in how institutional entities are structuring their debt and the potential changes in the health-care system structure, institutional clients are behaving differently than they once were. The institutional client now has more restrictions than earlier predecessors and is looking more at the bottom line in projects under their direction. Shepley Bulfinch has recognized the changing economic atmosphere and client behavior and has altered their approach for potential new projects to be focused on ideas rather than previous relations.

Cutting Costs

As with any financial endeavor, finding areas in operational expenses to trim cost is beneficial to the overall machine. One endeavor Shepley Bulfinch embarked upon was diminishing its output costs by finding ways to minimize their operational costs and maximize their profit. As a result, an alternate solution to their transportation expenses was established.

As a large company with needs for reliable transportation between job sites and client meetings, often at a moment's notice, having company cars was necessary. However, car lease, insurance costs, fuel, maintenance and parking costs were beginning to eat away at the company’s overhead. With Zipcar, they discovered a reliable way to get their employees to meetings and job sites, while eliminating insurance and maintenance expenses. They gained other financial benefits as well: "We've cut the time my people used to spend tracking expenses and managing the company cars by 95%."7 This has become an easily available, cost-effective, and reliable way of creating company transit.

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Efficiency Planning

There are two types of efficiency organization: operational and logistical. Both of these elements have a key presence in the way a company operates. Disorganization between intra-office departments or inappropriate layout sequences can lead to communication pitfalls and misappropriated worker time. As many architects can attest, location and how you operate within a space is everything. Efficiently planning time and logistics can lead to better production techniques and saved time. In our research, we uncovered two examples of how a company has successfully mitigated around constraining logistical and time management issues.

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance issues often arise as team-members learn new software. Having a “go-to” person provides a channel which team-members can use when complications present themselves. Although this is useful to the party in need, this can be disruptive o the parties responsible for giving advice. Small firm team-members often wear multiple hats, so although a technology question could be a pressing affair, it will ultimately pull resources away from another project.

One observation of technical assistance at Shepley Bulfinch is their approach to Revitinspired questions by team-members. They laid out a revolving non-verbal system amongst Revit experts. Although comic, they use a simple character “Mighty Mouse” sign to indicate who, amongst the group of Revit expert team-members is the “go to person” of the day. This minimizes disruptions of multiple members throughout the day and provides a streamlined form of communication to all firm members about who they can approach.5

Intra-Office Flexibility & Mobility

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A major transition in firm culture at Shepley Bulfinch was due to its relocation to the Seaport District of Boston in 2006. This acted as huge makeover to the daily operations and team logistics of the entire firm, completely altering their spatial and communicative organization. This office relocation would facilitate team interaction, productivity, communication and learning. The transition from old space to the new well-designed space dramatically altered the surroundings of team-members and the leadership alike.

The old Ames Building office was broken up onto multiple floors and separate units. In the Seaport office, the entire staff would be located on the same floor, with an open plan concept of shared spaces and no offices, similar to H.H. Richardson’s original studio layout.

The new office was designed to be as open as possible, using few partition walls and avoiding the use of cubicles in order to encourage transparency and collaboration amongst team members. Flexibility was another important aspect of the new office layout. All of the furniture in the office is mobile, from desks to a video conferencing unit to file cabinets. This allows project teams to be grouped together and adjusted dependent on the workload of the firm. The new office has improved productivity and collaboration within the firm and represents their own designs for flexibility and adaptation.8

C. Thinking with the Future in Mind: Financial Planning, Marketing and Investments

The fiscal operations of a business have a large role in the outcome of activities that the company is participating in. Effectively planning ahead and seeing a longer term perspective of how a business will grow over time can only prepare a company for the uncertainties of the future. The construction and design industries respond to the natural economic business cycles with boom and bust periods of prosperity. This unpredictable dynamic can cause disruptions in any field, but with architecture firms it directly correlates with incoming work and the amount of staff needed to accomplish the tasks. There are a number of ways to bring a company to a financial position in order to weather these cycles, although there is no guaranteed method of application. A diversity of approaches is usually the design of choice resulting in carefully devised plans in marketing and investments.

Shepley Bulfinch’s long-term perspective has led the firm to consider the following within their current business practice:   

expanding marketable presence technology mind investments

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Expanding Marketable Presence

Businesses generally aim to expand where their work is in demand and expanding. Large architecture firms tend to have multiple offices across the country, or even globally, expanding to flourishing markets. Shepley Bulfinch had recognized a recent growth in the health-care industry in the Southwest and Texas, leading to their strategic plan for expansion to the area. The projects that Shepley Bulfinch was seeking in the Southwest required working with a local Associate Firm and proving difficult to acquire.7 Rather than the less-effective method of moving employees to a studio across the country, Shepley Bulfinch acquired a small, 5-person firm in Phoenix Arizona in 2009. Merzproject had previously been named Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard Firm,5 but was suffering due to the recent recession. While struggling, Merzproject was nimble and had “a lot of visibility in the area and a compelling design voice. They had the perfect mix of a good design sensibility and a prime geographic location.”7 This satellite office would now be known as Shepley Bulfinch Phoenix, with the two previous principals now Shepley Bulfinch principals.

The addition of this firm was not a huge financial risk but is proving to be a success as the Phoenix Studio has helped Shepley Bulfinch land two health-care clients in the region.

Merzproject had a different group of clients, followers and knowledge base that they can bring to the table. Shepley Bulfinch has welcomed the “enthusiastic young additions to the staff”7 and is benefiting from the more creative architectural climate of Arizona.

Technology

Technology is the unfortunate crutch in which our society currently leans upon. Its ever-changing persona requires a quick turnaround on learning curves in order to maintain a steady output of work-production. Having up to date software and systems is key to keeping up with the pace of the consumer and design market and can provide efficient shortcuts to usually daunting tasks or procedures. Investing in technology benefits the firm by leading to better designs and improved time management while minimizing the risk of technological failure or obsoleteness.

One technological advancement that Shepley Bulfinch integrated into their practice and operations is digital communication. They utilize video conferencing as a main tool to communicate with their Phoenix office and clients, which negates traveling costs and increases

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the communication flow between offices and individuals. Shepley Bulfinch is also willing to invest in updating and maintaining their computer operating systems, the most recent upgrade was an upgrade of two levels. The firm also keeps up with cutting edge software trends as they were previously using Microstation but have transitioned everyone to Revit three years ago.

Mind Investments

Not all investments are fiscal or material. Some investments are linked to brain-power and manpower. Firms approach hiring with different strategies relative their needs. One method of retaining new ideas and unspoiled perspectives is hiring fresh minds. Who one hires determines the base in which a company stands. Surrounding yourself with young brilliance equals young brilliance.

There have been many instances throughout Shepley Bulfinch’s history where serious consideration and thought were put into training and cultivating the future leaders of the firm. H.H. Richardson died at a young age, leaving three young successors to take over the firm.6 For many years, the firm would not hire recent graduates and would only hire architects with 10+ years of experience. This created a group at the junior level who were treated more as administrative staff rather than for their fresh, new perspective on practice. The firm has since realized the opportunities that young professionals and recent graduates provide. The leaders recognize the importance of growing the firm, thinking ahead and preparing the future leaders of the firm.

Shepley Bulfinch now looks to attract young, talented, forward-thinking designers with great potential.7 The firm is finally taking full-advantage of these young designers as they are given more responsibility and authority. One such example of a young “up-and-comer” is the Principal from the Phoenix firm that Shepley Bulfinch merged with. He is someone who is valued for fresh ideas, new ways of thinking about practice and his general “unspoiled” perspective. As the C.O.O. said, “It is critical to the survival of big firms to [constantly] have a new path.”7

D. Maintaining Relationships

An institution concerned with longevity, understands the importance of maintaining good relationships with everyone they work with including their own staff, as all relationships can be the foundations of something greater. These relationships often mitigate through potential business opportunities that benefit all parties involved. This not only holds true for business and corporations, but it relationship-building is

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also central for any Architecture firm. Architecture is an industry that is completely client-dependent and practice is not effective unless the staff can function well as a team.

In order to remain a lasting institution, Shepley Bulfinch recognizes the importance of the following groups and values their relationships with:   

clientele employees outside Board members

Client Relationships Long-lasting relationships provide client referrals, repeat clients and ultimately more work in the future. Shepley Bulfinch takes pride in the fact that 70% of its projects are with repeat clients; their rich history providing a long list of revolving clientele. Harvard University is one of their most valued clients, having collaborated on over 100 projects.4 There was a time when work was flowing in and they did not need to search far in order to find jobs, but that booming market is not the case today. Between Shepley Bulfinch and its’ institutional clientele, “there exists a values connection” because values and priorities are lasting and they “define who [Shepley Bulfinch] is as a firm” and what institutions are about.5 Shepley Bulfinch will still focus on institutional work and clientele, but they are at a point when they must put in more effort to get jobs and begin developing new relationships. One observation of how Shepley Bulfinch maintains good relationships with their clientele is how they re-organized their project team structure to suit the needs of a client. Each project team includes a Principal in Charge, Design Principal and Project Manager, with all three leaders acting as the main points of contact with the client. This structure enables the client to always have someone to contact whenever they have a question or concern.

Project Team Organization: Current

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Intra-Office Shepley Bulfinch is concerned with maintaining good relations with its staff and has a general commitment to take care of them. The firm respects its’ employees, wants them to do well and makes sure to reward them for their time and contributions. Shepley Bulfinch is an equal opportunity employer and has created an environment that welcomes diversity. In 2004, the firm elected its’ first Woman President and currently, more than half of the staff is female.5 Strong, progressive females certainly have their place at Shepley Bulfinch and are bringing new ideas and mindsets to the table.

Outside Board Members With any major entity, having sound advice and outside perspectives to help guide oneself while making business decisions is important. Shepley Bulfinch recognized that it did not have the expertise or education to run such a successful institution on its own and wanted input from other experts. One adviser is a former professor at Harvard Business School; another is a retired Construction Manager from a large construction management firm in Boston; and the third is a knowledgeable consultant from the health care industry.7 These three members give the firm insight and outside perspective that they had never previously had. The three advisers have proven to be a very insightful and an overall beneficial decision for the future longevity and success of the firm.

E. History + Reputation vs. Future + Innovation

H.H.Richardson Portrait4 A 136 year old firm, known for its history and reputation, has the unique challenge of not letting this become a liability or be considered an “old firm.”5 Many in the firm consider themselves to be “blessed and cursed by its’ long history.”7 Ultimately, over the past century, Shepley Bulfinch has developed a true balance between its’ history and future.

There are many clients who value the firm’s history and tradition. “I think it is important to realize that we are probably the oldest contingency practicing firm. Therefore, there is a history, and that reconfigures in our client base in terms with the work of institutional clients for that time, and so we are looked to as an office that is going to hold sacred their sense of legacy because we share a common history.”9 But, there is a new type of clientele who aren’t interested in portfolios, but

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rather concerned with ideas, concepts and innovation. Shepley Bulfinch “doesn’t think history will save them anymore”5 and they recognize the need to adjust to the spirit of the times. Shepley Bulfinch values its’ “tradition of innovation” and has certainly used this to set itself apart from the rest.3 It has survived and succeeded because of its “enduring ability to grasp the spirit of the moment.”6 While there will always be a consideration for history and reputation, “each succeeding generation respects the firm’s legacy and fundamental values and feels free to adapt its practice to changing times.”6 One drawback of tradition is innovation itself. Younger, revolutionary firms are more about ideas and inventing the wheel but Shepley Bulfinch needs to think about reinventing the wheel and changing the way things had always been done. There were periods that took Shepley Bulfinch a longer time to adjust to the new advances in practice. But, Shepley Bulfinch has made a significant effort in the past decade to generate a new identity and embrace its changing future.

Their rich history has given Shepley Bulfinch time to perfect their practice. They talk about themselves and their history but also market their forward thinking and innovative design.5 As seen in their expansive in-house archive collection, there is a great emphasis on learning and being inspired by their past. The firm also has an extensive library of current periodicals, encouraging awareness of what is going on in the field of architecture and advocating inspiration from the present.

Following its’ move to a new office, the firm underwent a re-branding in 2005 that literally and symbolically represented its’ new identity. The re-branding included changes to the website, project selection, marketing materials, standard font, language and even the name. The standard font moved away from the more flowery Mrs. Eaves font to a more contemporary, streamlined font.7

Mrs. Eaves Font Style10 Shepley Bulfinch Richardson + Abbott would officially become Shepley Bulfinch, literally representing this separation from the past. This re-branding was a conscious effort to represent the firm’s innovative and fresh design perspective.

The 5 new Board principals would be referred to as the “5.2 Principals;” the 21 Principals considered the “5.1 Principals.” The “5.2 Principals” were recognized for ideas while the older Principals were associated with execution.7 This transition from 5.1 to 5.2 represented a larger phasing out of an old and dated mindset or dogma in the firm. These principals were stuck in their

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ways and unable to think differently. The 5.2 Principals represent the new, innovative and forward-thinking phase of this leadership at Shepley Bulfinch.7

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Firm Events Timeline

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Conclusion It is important to note that the changes over the past 137 years at Shepley Bulfinch have occurred in various phases. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Shepley Bulfinch was certainly not an instant success.

Unlike younger firms, Shepley Bulfinch has benefited from over a century of practice and has had the time to get things right. This rich history has enabled the firm to develop lasting relationships with its clients and staff, and these people, in turn have helped Shepley Bulfinch become the successful institution that it is today.

Over time, Shepley Bulfinch has developed clearly defined roles for its leaders, has separated the strategic and operational responsibilities between two leadership groups, has involved outside advisers and experts to help them grow the firm and has streamlined the chain of command. The best transitions and structural adjustments have been made to evolve the firm into an effective business model and contribute to its lasting success.

Operating both the design and business worlds are two separate paradigms. Shepley Bulfinch has developed a series of business principles based on their longevity and position in the architectural realm unique to their needs as an institution. Their perspective as long, enduring practice has given them the ability to navigate the design and business worlds cohesively as an entity.

Shepley Bulfinch is not afraid to learn from the past but will always look to the future. Each succeeding generation of leaders had to face the challenge of separating themselves from their history and association with H.H. Richardson, while still using their past to their advantage. The firm has always, and will always be looking for innovative solutions and ideas. They take the time to invest in markets that will keep the firm progressing, and cultivate the employees and future leaders that will run the firm in the future. It is a difficult line to walk but Shepley Bulfinch has finally found that balance.

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Citations 1. Marketing postcard, Shepley Bulfinch 2. Institution. Accessed April 17, 2011. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/institution.

3. Shepley Bulfinch, Inc. Accessed April 17, 2011. http://www.shepleybulfinch.com.

4. von Herkomer, Hubert. H.H. Richardson Portrait. Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC. Accessed April 7, 2011. http://www.flickr.com/photos/uncle_buddha/3548202912/.

5. Communications Manager and Archivist. Interview by authors. Boston, MA, March 15, 2011.

6. Heskel, Julia. Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott: Past to Present. Boston: Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott, 1999.

7. Chief Operating Officer. Interview by authors. Boston, MA, April 1, 2011.

8. Stein, Jeff. “Hub-Based architecture Firm Reinvents the Mobile Office.� Banker & Tradesman,(2007).

9. Adams, Jennifer and Michael Reis. Architects Roundtable: Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott, October 15, 2006. Accessed April 17, 2011. http://www.stoneworld.com/.

10. Mrs. Eaves font. Accessed April 17, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MrsEaves.png.

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About the Authors Hope Blanchette and Brad McKinney are students in Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Design. They are both candidates for their M.Arch degree. Neither author has worked for or has any affiliation with Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott. As part of their research they found this firm to be an exemplary example of the practices they wished to showcase.

Hope Blanchette

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Brad McKinney

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