Union Studio Architecture & Community Design

Union Studio Architecture & Community Design Places of Value. Value of Place. We use the power of design to enrich lives & strengthen communities.

07/15/2026

On Taunton Avenue in East Providence, an angular, raised building — a child of the 1970s, with all the swagger of its era — is finding a new groove!
More than half of Union's Providence office recently walked the Center City Apartments site with our project leads, catching one of the buildings as it takes shape.

The campus draws three parcels into one place for One Neighborhood Builders, with Crossroads Rhode Island , Family Service of RI , and Foster Forward. At the center, the existing structure is being carried into its next chapter — its ground floor reimagined as the civic heart of the site. Two new buildings rise to either side.
Long-term affordable homes, paired with the support that lets people stay.

(A well-earned stop at Myrtle Rhode Island followed. 🍻)

Traditional Building Magazine's June 2026 issue features our team's reconstruction of the Veranda House on Nantucket.Aft...
07/13/2026

Traditional Building Magazine's June 2026 issue features our team's reconstruction of the Veranda House on Nantucket.

After a 2022 fire completely destroyed this beloved boutique hotel—known for its distinctive wraparound porches since the 1860s—Union led the architectural design of its restoration. Despite every exterior element requiring Historic District Commission approval, the building was reconstructed in record time—19th-century character intact, modern code met.

Thank you to Traditional Building for sharing this story.

https://unionstudioarch.com/2026/06/30/traditional-building-magazine-features-the-restoration-of-the-veranda-house/

07/06/2026

Groundbreaking for Union Street Mixed Use in New Bedford!

If you're from the area, you might know this site. For years, neighbors have called it "the hole" on Union Street, ever since the original Keystone Building came down. But that building meant something to this community, and its absence has been felt by the people who live and work here.

One of our architects on the project, Taylor Hughes, put it perfectly:
"We're not just patching a hole in the streetscape, but offering a link between the past and the future of New Bedford."

We're grateful to be part of this community's next chapter.

07/01/2026

At the GrowSmartRI "Power of Place Summit," Union Senior Associate Joel VanderWeele shared a story about a resident in one of our projects, someone he worked to house for three years but had never actually met. The opening line of her story: "she was unpacking for the first time in her life." That's who this work is for.

Joel spoke about a disconnect at the heart of affordable housing work: the people who show up to public meetings are rarely the people whose lives actually change because of it. The people most impacted by a project, its future residents, rarely get a seat at the table to advocate for what they need.

“Pride is an invitation for reflection: to honor previous generations who kicked down the doors, to celebrate the impact...
06/23/2026

“Pride is an invitation for reflection: to honor previous generations who kicked down the doors, to celebrate the impact and presence of the current LGBTQ+ community, and to look out for, and lift up, those who are still on the margins.”

Ben Willis Associate Principal and the Director of Union’s Philadelphia office, has been featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2026 Business of Pride series, an annual recognition highlighting LGBTQ+ leaders driving meaningful impact across the region’s business community.

Read more, and access the full interview in our post below:
https://unionstudioarch.com/2026/06/22/ben-willis-featured-in-philadelphia-business-journals-business-of-pride-series/

06/01/2026

Ribbon Cutting | Meshacket Commons, Edgartown, MA

Martha's Vineyard has long struggled to provide housing for the people who actually live and work there year-round, and Meshacket Commons is a real step forward.

Union designed a neighborhood of multifamily buildings that weave into the existing fabric of Edgartown. 36 rental units across 8 buildings, plus 2 affordable homeownership duplexes with dedicated yard space. The site centers on a large common green with a community building and communal porch, designed for the kind of everyday life that makes a neighborhood feel like one.

Building designs are rooted in the vernacular architecture of Martha's Vineyard, and all-electric systems with on-site solar are sized to cover heating, cooling, and hot water costs, keeping living affordable beyond just the rent.

Welcome Peter Bontempo!Peter believes good architecture serves the people who live, work, and grow within the places it ...
05/26/2026

Welcome Peter Bontempo!

Peter believes good architecture serves the people who live, work, and grow within the places it shapes. With over a decade of design experience, research, and teaching, he brings a deep technical foundation and a steady commitment to that idea at every stage of a project. Grounded in history and driven by community, his work is about earning the trust of a place as much as designing within it.

Peter grew up in one of New Jersey's historic shore towns, where an early fascination with architectural character and well-designed places took hold. That curiosity led him to the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his Bachelor of Architecture and a lasting love for traditional and vernacular design. After six years in Washington, D.C., he spent a year and a half traveling the country—studying towns and cities firsthand and collaborating with local communities to exchange design ideas.

Outside the studio, Peter walks the streets of Providence with a sketchbook or camera, documenting the urban moments that inspire him. An Eagle Scout at heart, he's equally at home outdoors—and always on the lookout for a great sandwich.
Peter, we're delighted to welcome your talent and perspective to Union!

Our Associate Principal Kara Babcock has been invited to Advancing Resilient Communities: A Travelers Across America Inn...
05/22/2026

Our Associate Principal Kara Babcock has been invited to Advancing Resilient Communities: A Travelers Across America Innovation Lab, June 1–2 at Mystic Seaport Museum 🏛️🌊
The Lab is part of Travelers Across America, an initiative launched in 2025 to mark America's upcoming 250th anniversary, dedicated to restoring and protecting historic landmarks across the country.
Kara leads our resiliency planning work, including the coastal climate adaptation masterplan for the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA — helping one of America's most storied historic sites prepare for rising seas and stronger storms.
We're proud to see her join a national conversation on protecting the places that matter.

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02903

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