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A practice that functions like a school. We teach, we mentor and we give back to strengthen our firm culture, our profession and our community. We are an Academic Practice that engages deeply with the profession and the academy through our uncompromising commitment to design,… [...]

June 3, 2025 Curated Abstraction: the Design and Construction of the Ragon Institute Exhibition Model March 20th, 2025 Architecture is for people – A conversation between Associate Emily Miyares… [...]

The site for the ISTHMUS Studio project was in Nubian Square in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Originally the terminus of the Washington Street Isthmus, over the course of its 394-year history, Nubian Square has gone through many transformations: it has changed from farmland to suburb, suburb to city,… [...]

Promoting healing process through nature We think of the hospital as a small city. The analogy is a powerful one, a continual reminder that it is first of all a place of human relationships. We conceive of it as a community of neighborhoods, formed around gardens and plazas-moments… [...]

Fostering Shared Agency Through Making fabrication at payette When someone enters our studio, they are immediately greeted by a row of intricately crafted artifacts, abstractions of our work that capture the imagination, inspire curiosity, and demonstrate our attention to detail and rigorous design approach. Architectural Fabrication is integral to our design process at PAYETTE and is how we explore concepts in a real-world setting. We produce physical tools to communicate ideas and invite design agency, both internally and with collaborators. our workshop culture Prototypes, models and custom products are designed and fabricated in-house. Through these physical explorations, we learn, synthesize, validate, and create innovative solutions for complex design problems. Having the ability to do so enables swift project iterations and facilitate conveying novel ideas. Our workshop culture is supported by a dedicated fabrication team of architects and designers fueled by a passion for craftmanship. payettepeople View Mar 11 Open Sandrine Héroux, Sophie McKenzie, and Emily Chowdhury are each members of our in-house Fabrication team. Their day-to-day work centers on a simple question: what changes when design becomes something people can physically test?These women challenge the notion of fabrication as a support service, framing it instead as an essential component of architectural authorship, a way to test ideas, share agency, and widen the boundaries of what architectural practice can include.In our most recent blog, they discuss their individual paths in architecture and reflect on their experience using fabrication as a tool for fostering shared agency, community engagement and broadening the role of the architect. Link in bio!#designalways #artofmaking #architecture #madamearchitect #womeninfabrication #fabrication #bostonarchitecture #bostonfabrication #archdaily #archisource ... #sb_instagram #sbi_load .sbi_load_btn:hover{ outline: none; box-shadow: inset 0 0 20px 20px #E8E8EB; } #sb_instagram .sbi_follow_btn a:hover, #sb_instagram .sbi_follow_btn a:focus{ outline: none; box-shadow: inset 0 0 10px 20px #005B8C; } Broadening the Role of the Architect Fabrication Feature: Metal Ceiling for The 105 BLOG POST Fabrication Feature: Metal Ceiling for The 105 Fabrication Feature: Henqin ICTR Model BLOG POST Fabrication Feature: Henqin ICTR Model architects as makers Fabrication at PAYETTE is a dynamic initiative. We position our in-house team to leverage our agility and energy for maximum impact in the context of evolving aspirations and opportunities. We make things to support of our broader priorities: How do we make both our architecture and our design process more engaging, thoughtful and beautiful? Fabrication is the key. enabling the conversation Presenting design options and reviewing them with clients and builders is optimal when ideas materialize. Scale models and mock-ups are easily understood; having a physical object to review is an accessible means of communication and allows all key clients voices to be empowered to contribute. Similarly, a built prototype will support a novel construction detail or material approach to a builder to facilitate productive discussions. In-House Capabilities DIGITAL FABRICATION AND TRADITIONAL MACHINES PAYETTE's in-house capabilities are powered by state-of-the-art digital fabrication equipment and traditional tools from two locations. Our office is home to a fully equipped model shop with wood working equipment, 3D printers and laser cutters. We teach and welcome all of our staff to use these resources. The second fabrication space hosts our welding equipment, a Bridgeport milling and a CNC router. Our trained fabrication team operates these machines to make models, prototypes and finish custom pieces for PAYETTE's projects. what we make At PAYETTE, we build models for a variety of purposes: campus and site planning to understand context, full-scale mock-ups to examine how an element or a space will feel in its final form, detail models to engineer how specific components will come together, custom pieces that preform a function in our final buildings, and exhibition pieces that represent a holistic vision of project with our highest level of craft. A curated selection of work examples is listed in the last section of this page. Retooling Community Engagement Serving our communities As architects and planners, we have agency to shape the built environment and a responsibility to support and guide positive growth with an awareness of the diverse constituencies served by our shared spaces. Our public art projects leverage our in-house fabrication capabilities and our strong community relationships. We build the creative process with stakeholders as our foundation and strive to create inspirational pieces for all together. retooling education PAYETTE regularly uses our fabrication resources as an entry-point to introduce local youth to careers in design and construction. We have hosted workshops and internships that use small fabrication projects to teach design skills and foster an affirming connection between the mind and the hand that is especially valuable in our hyper-digital world. This outreach extends into collegiate architectural education through during the fall semester, when host a full studio in our Boston office, where students work side-by-side with our designers and architects. Selected Work The following is a curated list of projects that support our workshop culture and engagement within our communities. Full Scale Work Healthcare Mock-Ups Part I: Physical Mock-ups PAYETTE Fabricates Planters at 105 by Breakthrough Sho-Ping Chin Exhibit: WLS 2023 1:1 – Designing with Mock-ups Community engagement Free-for-All: Art and the Built Environment Dancing Dragon OpenLAB Studio Aladdin Set Winthrop Street Community Garden: Black Panther Commemoration Project MLK Day of Service prototypes Wesleyan: the Story of a Façade Designing a Nurse Station Fabrication Feature: Boston Children’s Hospital Needham Façade Fabrication Feature: NU EXP Ceiling – a Non-Directional Design Direction Models Curated Abstraction: the Design and Construction of the Ragon Institute Exhibition Model When a Diagram Becomes the Model Exhibition Model : Fifth Xiangya Hospital [...]

In an increasingly digital world, we are equally inspired by physical objects. We believe that hands-on exploration of shapes, textures, materials and details is a critical component of design. payettepeople View… [...]

Students in the OpenLAB program work side-by-side with our designers and architects, reinforcing a holistic curriculum. We engage in deep conversation on design, practice and philosophies for bridging the two with life. This is a chance for students to explore new ways of thinking and making and integrate them into… [...]

In 2022, PAYETTE selected three community partner organizations whose projects represented a range of scales and typologies, from streetscapes to graphic design. PAYETTE volunteers included 23 individuals drawn from multiple areas of our practice. They worked collaboratively with representatives from their partner organizations, arranging in-person site visits and virtual and… [...]

A new pedagogy for architectural education embedded in practice Integrating architectural education with the practice of architecture has always been a signature aspiration for the profession. Each year, OpenLAB Boston provides a unique collaboration between PAYETTE and the Virginia Tech School of Architecture, offering a radical new and effective pedagogy… [...]

Women in Design is an internal employee led group that serves to promote the professional development and advancement of women at PAYETTE through regular dialogues that encourage teamwork, collaboration, and learning in an atmosphere of collegiality. The group includes women professionals with all levels of experience, in all roles, who… [...]

Our Work Invents, Innovates and Inspires. We embrace a practice model based upon collaborative authorship, shared expertise and diverse voices to unleash our collective genius to create boldly original buildings with clear vision, exceptional execution and grounded by the experience of the people they serve. We embrace rigorous inquiry and… [...]

The partners at PAYETTE are pleased to announce the establishment of this annual memorial scholarship to honor their friend, colleague and fellow partner, Sho-Ping Chin FAIA. More information about eligibility and administration of the fund can be found here. RELATED LINKS… [...]