mary ann upton aia | partner, treasurer
Mary Ann’s passion lies in adaptive reuse, breathing new life into aging places.
She admires architecture that leverages context, recognizes legacy, yet is not self-conscious. She believes it is not possible to separate preservation and change. Mary Ann balances a broad vision with attention to detail in her approach to the design process & project leadership. She uses respect and clear communication to convert imagination and aspiration into reality. As partner, Mary Ann takes joy in cultivating a positive studio culture and advocating for high value, high impact transformations within each project.
Mary Ann is active in the Association for Preservation Technology International as a frequent speaker and as a member of APTNE. She enthusiastically shares the ideals of Critical Stewardship to broaden the discourse within preservation and what it means to communities.
Mary Ann earned her BArch degree from Rice University, which afforded an enriching term studying in Paris and a full year preceptorship working in New York City. It was surveying the abandoned warehouses of Bedford-Stuyvesant and the Bronx where she learned to love old buildings and all they might one day do.
Mary Ann enjoys running and writing (check for her entries in the Impact section). She lives in Foxboro with her husband Zeb and two snack-enthusiasts: James and Ceci.
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Roger Williams University, Firm-in-Residence Instructor, 2014
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Providence Preservation Society | Preservation Award for Community Design Providence Public Library: Empire St. Transformation, 2022
Chicago Athenaeum | American Architecture Awards Harvard University 485 Broadway Renovation, 2021
AIA Rhode Island | Merit Award, Architecture of Rehabilitation Providence Public Library: Empire St. Transformation, 2020
Boston Society of Architects | Interior Design & Architecture Award Wellesley College Schneider Student Center, 2015
Preservation Massachusetts | Tsongas Award Wellesley College Whitin Observatory, 2013
AIA New England | Merit Award for Design Excellence Wellesley College Whitin Observatory, 2012
Boston Society of Architects Citation | Honor Award for Design Excellence Wellesley College Whitin Observatory, 2012