Latest Work
Latest Work
In response to the Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Pandemic many businesses have had to adapt and practice resiliency in order to survive. This is especially true in the restaurant industry. One of our long-time clients, Brothers Tarverna of Salem was one of those businesses hit hard by the need to shut down for several months and with no outdoor dining available to the restaurant’s layout the challenge to reopen was mad emore difficult. In response, Derby Square Architects and The Makers Guild completed a Design+Build for Brothers Taverna Restaurant in Salem, MA. With a tight timeline and the goal to create an attractive outdoor dining patio within (5) parking spaces, we worked quickly to deliver a finished product to help one of our local restaurants increase their outdoor seating capacity. Using a modular system of adjustable pedestals, 2×2 ipe decking tiles, and outdoor fiberglass planters, we were able to create a small urban oasis for diners to enjoy, with the added bonus of enhancing the streetscape along Derby Street in Salem.
This project is a great example of when design-build makes good sense! It also emphasizes the importance of proper planning, iterative design, and quality craftsmanship!
A big thanks to Brothers Taverna, and to the City of Salem for providing local restaurants the space they need for patrons to dine safely.
Principal-in-Charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
General Contractor: The Makers Guild
Photographer: Erin Murphy
Brothers Tarverna – Salem
This project included eight, one-bedroom units ranging from 500 to 700 square feet on a one acre site. The ground floor units offer universally accessible units and designed with consideration of the 1880’s victorian home on the same project site.
Market Street Multi-Family Development
This two phase project included a three story 7,200 square feet mixed use building with five two-bedroom condominiums and 1,000 square feet of commercial space facing downtown Ipswich. The second phase of the project, which is currently underway, includes a two-unit duplex, townhouse style with attached garages and two-three bedroom units. This modern take on Georgian Style architecture is a reaction to the rich architecture of the building’s context and the developers intended brand and architectural image.
Central Street Mixed-Use Development
The project involved a interior renovation of a 2,000 square feet space to house a new dental office in a retail strip mall in Billerica. This particular dental office is the second location for Excel Dental, the first being in Lowell. The office is equiped with five exam rooms, imaging lab, sterilization lab, two consultation offices, and ample seating area in the reception lobby. The project called for extensive renovations to a retail space previously serving as a video rental store and later on a professional office. This conversion of the building’s use called for comprehensive changes to the building systems, in terms of plumbing and conditioned air. The client asked for a simple and repeatable arrangement that macimixed the use of the space and offered them the most flexibilty.
Principal-in-Charge: Bill Peterson
Interior Design: Kontseptual
Photographer: Jessie Wyman
Excel Dental of Billerica
The Bellingham Fire Department Station No. 1 is a historic structure that was in desperate need of upgrades. The second floor auditorium was under used and lacked any sleeping quarters for the fire fighters. The first phase of this building renovation focused on converting the second floor auditorium into a dormitory with four bedrooms, a day room, a small gym, and locker room/ laundry room. The first floor kitchen and dining room also saw a face lift. The multi-level 3-bay apparatus bay garage received a new and safer stairway connecting the two levels. The project depended on a very modest budget and required creative solution that may not result in a glamorous design, greatly improve the quality of life and safety of the fire fighters.
Principal-in-charge: William Peterson, AIA, NCARB
Bellingham Fire Station No. 1 – Renovation Phase 1
This high-end pizza restaurant is housed in what was once a retail store which we converted as an adaptive reuse into a unique and warm feeling restaurant in downtown Salem. The true centerpiece is the rustic masonry pizza oven bolstered by reclaimed wood post and a sturdy background of exposed brick walls.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Photographer: Bill Sumner
Bambolina Restaurant – Salem
This Asian Street food restaurant is housed in what was once a commercial laundry facility which we converted as an adaptive reuse into a lively and vibrant restaurant in downtown Salem. The kitchen is housed in a reused metal storage container with greenery growing around its edges. The true centerpiece is the cast-in-place concrete counter-top bar which snakes along the length of the space and faced by candy apple red metal panels.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Artistic Consultant: Studioful
Photographer: Bill Sumner
Kokeshi Restaurant – Salem
We were tasked with converting one of the one-bedroom elderly housing units of Cole Court in Holliston to be AAB/ADA Compliant, in other words, designed for universal access. The design needed to conform to HUD Severe Use design guidelines as well as DHCD design standards. The bathroom was renovated to include a zero clearance roll-in shower with a flush trench drain. We designed the space with both geriatric and bariatric design principles in mind. We have since been hired by the Holliston Housing Authority to renovate another 15 units.
Principal-in-charge: William Peterson, AIA, NCARB
Holliston Housing Authority – Kitchen & Bathroom Renovation
The project included a tenant fit-up of a 1,000 square feet space in a strip mall in North Andover to host a frozen yogurt shop. The design centered around a gently curved wall to host the yogurt machines which cradled around the main seating area flanked by the toppings station. We worked closely with our client, a franchise owner and the Zinga corporation to integrate their design standards, colors, and finish selections.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Zinga – North Andover
We worked with the owners of the Howling Wolf of Salem, MA and the Wolf Express of Marblehead, MA to create their third location in North Andover, nearby Merrimack College. The space was previously used as a frozen yogurt shop and called for an overhaul of most of the space. At the same time, to work within the clients budget we found ways to reuse key finishes like floor tile, ceiling grid, and essential plumbing locations. The result is a dynamic space for take-out, eat-in, and a full-service bar.
Principal-in-charge: William Peterson, AIA, NCARB
General Contractor: CM&B
Photographer: Bill Sumner
Howling Wolf Express Taqueria – North Andover
This project involved an exterior renovation to an Elderly Housing 667-1 Project for the Lynnfield Housing Authority with the design work done by Richard Griffin while principal of Richard Griffin Architects. The project included roofing placement, siding replacement, and associated flashing for a renovation to the building’s exterior.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Lynnfield Housing Authority Exterior Renovation
This project involves the conversion of an 1889 abandoned school building that will be adaptively reused into multi-family housing for 12 units made up of spacious one and two bedroom units. The design calls for sensitive modification and repair to the façade, dormer additions, extensive site work, and the addition of a fourth floor in the existing attic of the schoolhouse among other extensive interior renovations.
Principal-in-charge: William Peterson, AIA, NCARB
General Contractor: Castagna Construction
Maplewood School Residences
The Research Place Building is a three story, 44,000 square foot, office and electronics manufacturing building that was built for Tektronixs Corporation and Designed by Richard Griffin in 2000. Since that time, it was converted for medical office use. The building was a steel, moment framed building, enabling large partitionfree expanses in open floor plans. A water source heat pump system was installed that facilitated simultaneous heating and cooling to different zones in the building, due to varying climate demands and the need to counter certain point source heat loads. A two story glass entryway provided a pleasant, well daylit, greeting to visitors and tenants, while a discreet loading dock in the rear provided ample area for shipping and receiving. Construction cost in 2000 was approximately $4,000,000.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Research Place
This Building for Middleton Family Medicine was completed in 2008. Although the majority of the 14,500 square foot building was of steel frame, bar joist construction, this was relieved by a cathedral ceiling atrium in the waiting area, a large, gable roofed skylight over the nurses’ station, and an employee roof deck for use in the warm weather. The doctor/owner further added the personal touches of an aquarium and water sculpture to enhance the patient experience of warmth and delight when visiting the facility. Construction Cost was approximately $2.5 million.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Middleton Family Medical Center
This project involved the conversion of an 1800’s abandoned industrial building that was adaptively reused into multi-family housing. The design called for some modification and repair to the façade, private gardens, extensive site work and extensive interior renovations.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Cousins Street Development
The Bellingham Public School system established a special education high school for at-risk youth. The school had previously been housed in a worn down and unused elementary school building and the program was quickly busting at the seams. The town tasked us with converting a former high school, currently being used as the school’s administration building, back into a high school. This conversion triggered a change in building use and thus required significant upgrades including a new entrance accommodating universal access to all students and staff.
Principal-in-charge: William Peterson, AIA, NCARB
Keough Academy, Bellingham
We were tasked with designing the interiors of the new facility, in particular the lobby and waiting areas. The client requested that we create a jungle gym sculpture that could also serve as a impromptu bench while parents wait for their children to finish their classwork. Through the client a stage set builder was tasked with building our “KIDS” inspired jungle gym as this is not your average piece of casework. We hope the design captures the vibrant spirit of youth and fulfills the basic program requirements as requested by our client. The project also included a comprehensive code review to allow the client to run a pre-K daycare program as well.
Principal-in-charge: William Peterson, AIA, NCARB
YAK Academy Day Care, Arlington
The TWK Restaurant in Winchester, MA was our team’s second restaurant project with the Serenitee Restaurant Group. The challenges were to transform the existing Asian restaurant into a new high-end restaurant and bar complimented by a function room to host live entertainment. The space was originally designed as Filene’s Department Store and had a split level ground floor creating both dynamic and challenging space to design within. The interior included all new light fixtures, artwork, paint, and furnishings.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Project Manager: Craig Herrmann Design
Interior Designer: Amanda Greaves & Co.
General Contractor: C. E. Cyr Construction
Photographer: Bill Sumner
TWK Restaurant, Winchester
This project involved an extensive interior renovation of an existing building to provide a new Outpatient Clinic for the Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center in Downtown Gloucester. This 5,000 square foot facility includes a community-based VA outpatient clinic which provides essential assistance to area veterans. The building is owned by a private developer local to Gloucester with the VA as the tenant.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
General Contractor: Groom Construction
Photographer: Horne Visual Media
VA Outpatient Clinic, Gloucester
We worked closely with the owner of Ipswich Ale (AKA Mercury Brewing) The Brewer’s Table Restaurant in Ipswich, MA inserted a full-service restaurant and bar inside an industrial brewery. The design concept centered around the beer being showcased partnered with a casual dining attitude complemented by a game room, family tables, and a fun mix structure and sculpture. The interior included all new light fixtures, artwork, paint, and furnishings.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Interior Designer: Amanda Greaves & Co.
Photographer: Bill Sumner
Brewer’s Table Restaurant, Ipswich
The design includes a sushi bar kiosk in the food court of Super 88 in Allston’s Packard’s Corner. The concept of the business plan revolves around fresh and healthy seafood served in a food court saturated with Asian food making the need to stand out from the crowd paramount. The kiosk will call for plumbing and electricity, provided to the location, but will not require any additional mechanical ventilation or air supply. There will also not be any need for gas, heat, cooling of any kind. Any heating elements needed for food prep will be entirely electric. The design of the kiosk will be integrated with the brand design of the sushi bar and include a mounting mechanism for the food menu, with all graphics and signage designed by the Client.
Principal-in-charge: William Peterson, AIA, NCARB
Geido Sushi Food Court Kiosk, Boston
DSA Principal, Richard Griffin, AIA, was were hired by design architects Carpenter & MacNeille to produce the construction documents for the 20,000 sq.ft. addition to the Diane M. Halle Library at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. Originally a nondescript brick building, the library was enlarged to house a new technology center with computer labs, faculty offices and an alumni center. A colonnaded porch entrance adds organization and formality to the courtyard facade. The interior is enriched in fine wood paneling and large windows allow light into the space and provide campus vistas from the interior.
Principal-in-charge: Richard Griffin, AIA
Design Architect: Carpenter & MacNeille