Simons Architects

Documentation, documentation, documentation! We recently invited one of our favorite photographers, Ryan Bent, to capture stunning images of some of our completed projects. Two projects that Ryan visited this spring are the Seavey Terraces apartments in Westbrook and the Rice Public Library in Kittery.

Photography:
Ryan Bent,

Seavey Terraces Contractor:
Hebert Construction,

Rice Public Library Contractor:
Wright-Ryan Construction,

We had perfect weather yesterday to celebrate the Groundbreaking for the new Kiwanis Pool in Portland, Maine! Architects Austin Smith and Julia Tate, and Designer Noah Jacques were excited to attend. The new facility will provide an accessible pool experience for all with a zero entry pool, a walking lane, dedicated lap lanes, a new splash pad, sun shades, and water slides. In tribute to the old pool, in service for an impressive 64 years, 64 pennies and a commemorative City of Portland coin were thrown into the foundation formwork.

Representatives from the City of Portland, Portland Parks Conservancy and local non-profit In Her Presence spoke. In addition to recognizing the amazing and dedicated work of the City's Parks and Recreation team, many thanks are extended to the Portland Parks Conservancy for their fundraising efforts that helped close the funding gap to make this a reality. SA thanks the consultant team for their support and collaboration: AKLA, Alpha One, Counsilman-Hunsaker, Gorrill Palmer, PCM, Salas O’Brien, Thornton Tomasetti and TRC.

We have been so fortunate to work with YMCA Camp Huckins in Freedom, NH on several projects over the last few years. The renovations are wrapping up on the Snell Dome Fieldhouse, and we wanted to share the transformation! The first photo shows the space before renovations, and the following two photos show the space after renovations! The project focused on new program space on the mezzanine, added equipment storage, and increased natural light, ventilation, and acoustic improvements. All of these changes allow for more flexibility and use of one of the largest gathering spaces on the campus. Big thanks to Mark Cadman for capturing these photos. Have a great summer season, Camp Huckins! 👏🏼

After many years of collaboration with the faculty and staff at Tilton, most recently on the Beaumont Dining Hall renovations, we are finalizing construction documents for upgrades and improvements to one of the most iconic campus buildings, Knowles Dormitory. 🏫

This beautiful building is the largest dormitory on campus and houses almost half of the student body and 12 faculty members on 3 floors. Upgrades include finishes throughout, as well as new bathroom and laundry facilities on each floor and wing to modernize the amenities for the students and offer gender-neutral accommodations, while still honoring the historic character of the space. We are excited to be working with Milestone Construction on the project, which is set to begin construction this summer and continue through the Summer of 2023. 👏

June is Pride Month, and we want to recognize the Art for All Initiative, supported by our friends at the Portland Museum of Art. 👏 In 2020, PMA approved a new Strategic Plan that reaffirmed its commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion of art from people of all backgrounds and walks of life. You can learn more about this initiative by following the link below.

Photo by Ryan Bent Photography.

https://www.portlandmuseum.org/art-for-all #:~:text=Art%20for%20All%20supports%20the,bonds%20and%20bring%20us%20together