PERSPECTIVES

RODE is proud to announce the promotion of Amanda Sanders to Associate. With 18 years of industry experience focusing on historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and institutional projects within the higher education field, Sanders has been instrumental to the firm’s success with her contributions to design excellence, and also as a mentor in the studio.

By elevating Sanders to an Associate, the firm is recognizing her exhibited leadership in the studio and on project work. She will continue to lead the Sustainability Committee, ensuring that all of the firm’s projects and internal operations meet established goals. Sustainability has always been core tenant of the firm, and Sanders recently led the firmwide initiative of signing on to the AIA 2030 Commitment.  

Since joining RODE in 2021, Sanders has worked on notable projects at RODE Architects, including 1515 Commonwealth Avenue, RODE’s largest project to date; two adaptive reuse mill projects in New Hampshire; and projects for Harvard University and the Harvard Arboretum.

“We’re excited to announce the promotion of Amanda Sanders, who has quickly made an impact at RODE, exhibiting what great leadership is by sharing her passion for sustainability and creating strategic goals for our team,” said Kevin Deabler, AIA, LEED AP, Principal & Co-Founder of RODE Architects. “We are excited to continue our growth and Amanda will help us tackle complex projects in our city and beyond.”

Originally from Iowa, Sanders studied at Iowa State University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Architecture degree. Prior to joining RODE, she was a Senior Associate at Goody Clancy, where she worked as part of the preservation practice group and served on the sustainability committee. Sanders is a member of the Boston Preservation Alliance, where she is an active participant on the Advocacy Committee and Awards Committee, and the Association of Preservation Technology Northeast Chapter. She has worked on several significant historic restoration projects including Boston Symphony Hall, University of Virginia’s Academical Village (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and Jose Lluis Sert’s New House on MIT’s

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RODE is thrilled to announce that our proposal for 157 West Springfield Street was approved by the South End Landmark District Commission after more than a year of development and discussions with the City of Boston and the South End community.

The design team met with the Landmarks Commission for two advisory hearings over the course of a year before the formal hearing took place on August 2nd. RODE engaged in a productive conversation with the Commissioners that led to the more refined details for the renovation and an improved material palette for the addition. The Commissioners “found our responsiveness refreshing” and really appreciated RODE’s approach to the restoration of this historic building.

The Ebenezer Baptist Church was founded by a group of former slaves from Virginia who began worshipping in a member’s kitchen in 1847 before moving into the church at 157 West Springfield Street in 1887. The congregation left in 2020 for a larger space better suited to the needs of their changing membership.

The renovation and two-story addition to the Ebenezer Baptist Church is an exciting opportunity to restore a historic building and create nine new residential units on site. The project will restore the existing brickwork while creating a new architectural intervention that will be respectful of the existing structure. On the front façade, the stone stoops will be repaired, the gardens revitalized, and the front doors restored to reflect their historic appearance. SEDLC commissioners loved the fact that RODE “put renovation first” and appreciate the designs clarity between renovated existing building and the contemporary addition.

The addition is formed by pulling up the four corners of the existing roof to create large dormers, allowing light and air into the new units. Following the structural rhythm of the original roofline, the ridge line of the existing roof is referenced in the forms of the new addition. The glossy materials under the new roof reflect the context back into the neighborhood, suggesting the new roof is floating over its historic base.

157 West Springfield Street

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"Mike is positive and passionate, and that attitude motivates his students in a big way. I find that Mike also motivates me with his excitement for design. He can really run a class, too by keeping his students interacting all the way through the evenings. The work students accomplish under his teaching is usually extraordinary as he shepherds the breakthroughs in Arc1 Studio. As a whole, Mike is an all-around exemplar of a practicing instructor that the BAC embraces.”  

- Lee Peters, Director of Foundation Studios, Boston Architectural College

We are proud to announce that RODE Associate Michael DelleFave, AIA is this year’s recipient of the Boston Society of Architecture Award for Excellence in Teaching! The Boston Society of Architects (BSA), a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, awards this merit to faculty members in Architecture or Liberal Studies for their commitment to excellence in architectural education and contributions to the profession and to future professionals.

Mike was nominated by Lee Peters, Director of Foundation Studios at Boston Architectural College for the practice awareness he brings to the studio and his deep understanding of precedent and current design examples. A faculty member for 12 years, Mike infuses his industry experience into his classes, often sharing real projects he is working on at RODE, to help students understand the process and challenges of design.  

Many of our team members, both current and prior, are architects and designers by trade but also dedicate themselves to to being educators in their field. Rashmi Ramaswamy, AIA LEED AP, who has an advisory role within our firm, was last year's recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award. Infusing our studio with teaching DNA is a key part of our studio culture. We are honored to have team members who inspire us to pass our knowledge and expertise on to future generations of talented architects and designers.

Congrats, Mike!

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RODE Architects, Bald Hill Builders, BLW Engineers and RealFood are proud to announce the completion of a new kitchen space for the Gavin House, a recovery building for Gavin Quincy, an acute and clinical stabilization treatment center for men and women seeking to recover from the effects of alcohol and other substances. The project, which was made possible through the collaborative approach of several mission-driven partners, transformed the food service program, allowing Gavin Foundation to increase the comfort and care of their patients.

Freshly prepared food and nutrition are details often left out of the path to recovery from addiction in a detox facility, with facilities often relying on catered and frozen foods as the primary option. However, The Gavin Foundation understands that having access to good food and the means to prepare it is critically important to the recovery process. Thus, they sought to update their kitchen space, enlisting the partnership of RODE Architects, who pulled together a full-service team who donated their time to the nonprofit pro-bono.

“Gavin is most grateful to RODE for their generosity and professionalism throughout the design, construction and opening of the kitchen. Their team designed an affordable state of the art kitchen so our chef can prepare wholesome, well balanced, nutritional meals. Our patients and staff couldn’t be happier,” said Gavin Foundation president and CEO, John McGahan.

“When we find opportunities like this to use our design skills and expertise in such an impactful way, we don’t hesitate to dive in. In this case, renovating a kitchen and food prep area in a complex facility fit right into what we regularly do for our hospitality clients,” said RODE Architects Co-founder and Principal, Kevin Deabler.

RODE Architects brought together a full team of experts to help bring the project to reality, working together to renovate the kitchen space, without interrupting meal services during the process. To do this, they assessed the current conditions and studied alternatives for expanding or reconfiguring the basement food preparation area on a low to no cost budget through multiple revisions. Ultimately, the partners concluded that expanding the lower-level food preparation area would make it more versatile and efficient without cutting into critically needed recovery bed space.

Gavin Quincy accommodates 64 patients at a time, ranging for up to a month, aiming for restoration of dignity and self-respect in an understanding, supportive, and home-like environment. The updated kitchen allows for the Gavin Foundation to provide consistent service and increased comfort and nutrition to their residents throughout their journey to recovery. Ahead of their annual fundraising gala, Road to Recovery, the new kitchen space is open and fully operational. For those looking to learn more about The Gavin Foundation, please visit: http://www.gavinfoundation.org.  

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To celebrate Earth Day, we are doubling down on our commitment to sustainability.

Our team-wide summit last week gave us a chance to reflect on our sustainable initiatives as a firm and come up with ways to build upon these efforts through our commitment to the AIA 2030 Challenge. Our shared vision targets energy reduction, focuses on responsibly using local resources and materials, and strengthens our communities through thoughtful placemaking that improves health and well-being for all.

Our summit allowed us to re-center our mission around pillars of sustainability: society and place, water, energy, wellness, materials and resources, and economy. From there, we took a hard look at our body of work, celebrating the strategies we are already implementing, and identifying ways we can push the envelope for a greener built environment.

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