News
Teaming Up: A Message From Jeff Pelletier
When the opportunity to advance our plans to expand our green and sustainable practice arose, it was too good to pass up. We feel fortunate to welcome Living Shelter Architects to our team — a dedicated group of designers whose mission and values align so well with our own. Sometimes, things just fit!
March 29, 2022
I’m really excited to tell you how Board & Vellum decided to join forces with Living Shelter Architects.
Joining forces with another architecture firm wasn’t really on my bingo card for this point in my life, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself and makes a lot of sense. I am an analyzer and a planner, so making a decision like this wasn’t something I approached casually.
I believe deeply that collaboration is at the heart of great design. I’ve always subscribed to the belief that a collective of dedicated people with diverse perspectives provides a better answer than a single visionary. This is why we have a multidisciplinary team at Board & Vellum, and why, at project start-up, there are almost always three disciplines in the room. We know we challenge each other and that it elevates the designs we’re able to deliver to our clients. In thinking about the future of Board & Vellum, knew we wanted to further elevate our approach to sustainability, and that doing so would require some dedicated team members to spearhead the effort.
We’ve baked sustainable practices into our entire project approach across all our sectors. Board & Vellum has a broad platform to speak on the benefits of sustainable and high-performance building design, as well as a passionate team of designers trained in sustainable practices across our disciplines. As a Certified Passive House Consultant, I’ve designed and worked on numerous deeply sustainable projects, yet as a company, our built work is rather limited. And there’s some truth to the phrase, “If you build it, they will come.”
We had been making consistent progress toward our multi-year plan to expand our portfolio in the sustainable space. But as anyone who has worked here can tell you, we tend to move quickly once we set a goal. The running joke is that a five-year goal becomes a five-month reality.
That’s why, when discussing our situation with an outside colleague, I was intrigued to hear about a wonderful firm, Living Shelter Architects, which was doing sustainably-focused work and advocacy and looking to partner with a larger firm. We started a conversation and, though it seemed like a long shot, as we got to know each other, we realized there was a lot of potential for a partnership and kept the process moving.
Both firms have gathered teams that are natural matches and share similar values. We all care deeply about how the built environment impacts communities and are passionate about providing client-focused service, and delivering beautiful projects. Together, we crafted a way to team up, leveraging the strengths of both firms to provide a deeper resource for our clients and communities.
Board & Vellum believes helping people is always the right thing to do, and that sustainable design is the key to ensuring the health of our neighborhoods and communities. Whenever we make a decision, we look to our firm values to ensure we’re on the right path – welcoming Living Shelter to the team aligns with both our values and our goals.
In the months and years ahead, we are excited to provide additional helpful resources for our communities, clients, and colleagues, and help do what we can to elevate high-performing sustainable design.
This post is a companion to our other posts about Board & Vellum and Living Shelter Architects teaming up.
More on Board & Vellum and Living Shelter Architects Joining Forces
Teaming Up: A Message From Terry Phelan
Terry has spent 30 years building a career and business focused on accessible sustainable design. Now, as her retirement approaches, Terry is looking toward a future that protects her legacy while expanding the amazing work she and Living Shelter have started. Read more about Terry’s thoughts and perspective on this great news in Teaming Up: A Message From Terry Phelan.
Living Shelter Architects and Board & Vellum Join Forces
We’re delighted to finally be able to share the news – Living Shelter Architects and Board & Vellum are teaming up! This joining of forces is a step toward both firms’ goals of deepening and extending our sustainable practices. Find out more about this exciting news in Living Shelter Architects and Board & Vellum Join Forces.
