Shepley Bulfinch Celebrates 150th Anniversary: A Legacy of Design Innovation

Celebrations kick off with a site-specific exhibition celebrating a legacy of visionary design.

Shepley Bulfinch is celebrating its 150th anniversary of continuous practice, commencing with an exhibition at The Boston Architectural College’s (BAC) McCormick Gallery to celebrate the firm’s forward-thinking buildings and spaces that have inspired living, learning, and healing since 1874. 

"We are thrilled to kick off our 150th year with an exhibit at the BAC’s McCormick Gallery,” says Angela Watson, FAIA, LEED AP, president and CEO, Shepley Bulfinch. “As one of the oldest architecture firms in the United States, we couldn’t be happier to return to the BAC with this custom installation to celebrate our collective history and our commitment to the built environment.” 

"As we embark on a new year, the BAC community takes great pride in inaugurating the exhibit A Legacy of Design Innovation: Shepley Bulfinch at 150 + Beyond in our McCormick Gallery," says Dr. Mahesh Daas, president, BAC. “Celebrating our 134-year partnership with Shepley Bulfinch, this exhibit honors our shared legacy and its significant impact not just in New England, but globally. Together, we will lead the design of our communities towards an equitable and innovative future.” 

The exhibit traces the evolution of Shepley Bulfinch, starting with its formation in the Boston neighborhood of Brookline, Massachusetts, by Henry Hobson Richardson. The award-winning architecture practice has influenced health and science design paradigms, from hospital campuses to teaching facilities. An education legacy with a specialization in library design has evolved to encompass a commitment to housing and urban development for a regenerative and equitable future. 

Today, the firm thrives as a women-led architecture and interior design firm. Visitors can see original models and ephemera from some of the firm’s historic and on-the-boards work with site-specific installations created specifically for the gallery.  

The exhibit also contains access to a self-guided walking tour that brings participants to Shepley Bulfinch-designed sites across Boston through the app AdventureLab©. The Adventure will be available to the public through the app on February 28, 2024. 

The exhibit is open to the public daily from February 24, 2024, to May 7, 2024, at The Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115.  

Check Events | The BAC (the-bac.edu) for monthly programming.  

About Shepley Bulfinch  

Shepley Bulfinch is a national architecture and design firm with studios in Boston, Durham, Hartford, Houston, and Phoenix. Founded in 1874, the firm has a notable legacy of challenging convention, pioneering visionary design ideas, and collaborating with clients who seek to drive measurable change. Shepley Bulfinch architects and designers are regarded for their expertise in tackling complex projects, especially in education, healthcare, and urban development. For more information, visit shepleybulfinch.com.  

For images, reach out to press@shepleybulfinch.com

About The Boston Architectural College 
Founded in 1889, The Boston Architectural College (BAC) is an internationally recognized institution of spatial design with a diverse student and alumni population representing more than 54 countries. Providing excellence in practice-integrated design education, the BAC was Ranked #1 for Best Graduate School in Architecture for Earning Potential and #4 for Best Architecture School Offering Bachelor's Degrees in the U.S. in 2020 by GradReports. The BAC offers bachelor and graduate degrees in architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, and design studies as well as offering continuing education certificates and courses, and pre-college programs. The BAC upholds the importance of inclusive admission, diversity, innovation, dedicated faculty, and the intrinsic value of both academic and experiential education.

Contact: Nancy Finn, Director of Marketing and Communications, Communications@the-bac.edu 

Source: Shepley Bulfinch