Regarded as a noted authority in the restoration and reuse of historic buildings, Jim has over 50 years of expertise in designing and preserving significant landmark buildings. Jim’s work has been acknowledged by numerous prestigious awards; he and Finegold Alexander received the first AIA Honor Award for Extended Use for the 1976 conversion of Boston’s Old City Hall to private office and restaurant use. Jim remains dedicated to sharing his experiences and engendering conversation on the subject; he speaks regularly on preservation and design for a variety of organizations and audiences, and he is actively involved the Boston community groups dedicated to these subjects. In 2019, he was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Massachusetts Historical Commission for his advocacy and design contributions.
Jim graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, and studied at the Architectural Association in London, England.
Boston Society of Architects
American Institute of Architects
Boston Preservation Alliance, former board member
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Citizens’ Housing And Planning Association (CHAPA)
Ellis Memorial / Eldredge House, Inc., board member, former President
Preservation Massachusetts, former Chairman of the Board
South End Historical Society, co-founder, former President
Boston Landmarks Commission, Former Member
Bostonian Society, Advisor
Historic Haverhill
MassArt Architecture Tuesday Talk, October 2019: "Do Real Architects do Preservation?"
American Institute of Architecture Students, Northeast Quad 2019: "Preservation as Design"
What motivates you to work hard? Forming a firm with associates who share the goal of creating building designs that are valued over time.
Favorite mode of transportation? Top-down country drive in my 1950 Willys Jeepster.
If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be? Frank Lloyd Wright, Eileen Gray, David McCullough, and Eric Larsen