We walked the site with Church Community Housing Corporation and Behan Bros. Inc. — and came away reminded of why this work matters. Named after a local artist who believed beauty belongs to everyone. The result is a place that holds all of them.
Five years in the making, the Ade Bethune House on Bristol Ferry Road is nearly ready to open its doors. 54 affordable apartments for older adults. A fully reimagined senior center. One site, one community.
What has occupied our hands and minds of late? Herein, a faithful record. (link in thread)
"Easy reading is damn hard writing!" - Nathaniel Hawthorne, Author of The House of the Seven Gables
"I was honored to serve on this jury with such an esteemed group. Seeing the breadth of great work submitted was inspiring, and has me looking even more forward to this year's Congress."
— Jeremy Lake, Principal & Director of Community Design, @unionstudioarch.com
Jeremy Lake, our Principal & Director of Community Design, recently served on the 2026 @cnunewurbanism.bsky.social Charter Awards Jury—and came away inspired by the breadth of great work advancing equitable, sustainable, connected communities.
#CNU34 #NewUrbanism
"This project sets a clear precedent, and is the first of many as we continue shaping a more sustainable built environment."
Joe Haskett, Principal & Director of Sustainability, UNION
#phius #passivehouse
"Alanna and Joel embody the bright future ahead for Union Studio Architecture & Community Design. Their work, good humor, and commitment to community enrichment reflect the very best of who we strive to be."
—Donald Powers and Douglas Kallfelz, Senior Partners
We're so pleased to announce the promotions of Alanna Jaworski to Associate Principal and Joel VanderWeele to Senior Associate. 🎉
—Our Philadelphia office recently earned the AIA Philadelphia's EPiC Award for the second year in a row, and our Providence office was awarded the Emerging Professional Friendly Firm Award from AIA New England for the 7th consecutive year.
"I feel definitely supported by the things we have in place here that I think make us a little unique from other firms."
- Nicole Pearson, Designer
Developing the next generation of architects is central to who we are. We're honored that AIA continues to recognize this commitment.
@dwell.bsky.social Magazine featured UNION’s Co-Founder Douglas Kallfelz in a piece on designing affordable housing that feels truly part of its neighborhood. As Douglas notes: “People want affordable housing that doesn’t feel separate from the community.”
Read more here:
unionstudioarch.com/251210
We remain very grateful to Southside Community Land Trust for the opportunity to support the vital work they're doing to build a more equitable and accessible food system in Rhode Island.
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Union is recognized with a 2025 AIA Philadelphia Merit Award for Equitable Communities in the Historic Preservation / Adaptive Reuse Built Category! We are honored to be recognized by our peers in Philadelphia.
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“The Jury loved the connection and impact the preservation of this building had to the community. Not only is SCLT a wonderful and important organization, the architectural and urban response was impressive yet humble.” - AIA Philadelphia 2025 Design Award Jury
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With gratitude for the people behind our work—those who make it possible and those who make it matter. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at UNION.
Projects, people, progress and press - see what we've been up to! unionstudioarch.com/newsletter/q...
This hands-on visit showed the complexity of uniting three buildings from different eras and why it matters: we’re not just renovating a space—we’re strengthening a community resource that serves 2,600+ youth each year.
Partners: Behan Bros. Inc., SCM, LLC.
Eighteen of us from Union toured the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County renovation, seeing months of design work take shape—from new interior layouts to the preserved 1873 Thayer School facade.
ChatGPT said:
Tiverton Public Library is celebrating 10 years! 🎉
“Ten years on, our library remains the heart of the community Union Studio helped bring to life — a welcoming, functional, and lasting asset for Tiverton.”
— Catherine Damiani, Library Director
Welcome Esteban Salazar! 🎉
A first-gen Colombian American, Esteban brings a deep belief that housing shapes identity & community. With experience from Notre Dame to Berkeley, Rome to Pasadena, he’s dedicated to reimagining resilient, sustainable neighborhoods. Thrilled to have him at Union!
"What's exciting about Veridian is the idea that we can offer a sustainable neighborhood that is also affordable. That we can do a net zero neighborhood in a cold climate, that we can do this and we can do this now."
- Ben Willis, Associate Principal & Director of Philadelphia office, UNION
"Veridian represents what we... aspired to do - to bring all of our various missions and directives into one project. The placemaking, social vision, walkability, energy efficiency, sustainability, material palette - they all come to bear in this one project.
- Don Powers, Founding Partner, UNION
And - the community extends sustainability beyond energy. Thirty percent of the landscape supports food production, while car-free paths connect residents to miles of wooded trails.
Veridian at County Farm is a 170-home mixed-income community that proves how ambitious sustainability goals and beautiful, authentic neighborhoods can coexist. Every residence runs entirely on solar and battery storage, regardless of income level.
In 2016, we joined Thrive Collaborative for a design charrette that would become Veridian at County Farm — now making headlines as one of America's first #netzero communities. We're thrilled to partner with Thrive, serving as master planner & architect for this groundbreaking development in Michigan
Welcome Scott Toth!
Scott brings design sensitivity, technical rigor, and environmental awareness to Union, with experience in affordable housing and historic preservation. Outside the studio, he’s often outdoors—backpacking, surfing, climbing—or making music. Thrilled to have him on the team!
“At UNION, our mission has always been to shape spaces of meaning and belonging... The Tanner House is a vessel of memory, a testament to Black brilliance and resilience... We are humbled to stand alongside The Friends of the Tanner House.” —Victoria Bryant, Union Studio
Veridian is leading the way and getting international recognition for answering the simple question: what does good look like?
In the past couple of weeks it’s been written about in over a dozen media outlets!
Here’s the latest from today
www.homes.com/news/free-of...
@unionstudioarch.com
