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We Are ...

Union presenting a project at an outdoor gathering of community members

Trusted Partners

who believe in “serving first”. It is through collaboration, empathy, and humility that we earn the opportunity to help shape the future for our clients and the communities we serve.

Leaders

and fierce optimists. We challenge ourselves and our colleagues to advocate for and create more beautiful, just, and sustainable places for this generation and the next.

Artists

who believe that beauty has the power to enrich and delight—to elevate the merely practical in order to touch the spirit—and we aspire to bring this artfulness to all that we do.

Stewards

entrusted with preserving and extending the accumulated wisdom of our profession in service of a more equitable, sustainable, and enduring future.

Grateful

and love what we do and who we do it with. We believe that creating places for people to thrive should be fun and enriching for everyone, and we find joy in working to make the world a better place.

 

Our Approach

Union is a nationally practicing, mission-based firm committed to designing sustainable places that will be loved for generations. Our work includes urban planning and community design, civic and institutional buildings, mixed-use developments, and housing of all types.

We bring a comprehensive approach to the design of buildings and places, infusing our work with rigorous technical detail while pulling from a breadth of design experience that integrates a broad understanding and respect for key building trades. Our expertise lies in understanding the overlapping and interwoven needs of community and client to shepherd the creation of new places that are financially and socially successful and benefit the community and the environment.

Our History

Union was founded in 2001 with one overriding goal: to use our skills as architects and urban designers to make a civic contribution to communities of all types.

Donald Powers founded Union in direct response to what he saw as the general disengagement of the profession from the challenges of urban sprawl. With a single employee and a willingness to confront entrenched perceptions, the firm earned instant recognition and a well-deserved reputation repairing fragmented communities in and around Providence, Rhode Island. In 2003, Donald was joined by Douglas Kallfelz, and the firm grew to include projects throughout the Northeast and across the country.

Together they envisioned a studio of designers working to improve communities using an integrated approach to architecture and urban design and who have a professional commitment to the civic realm. Over the past 20 years, our office has grown to nearly 30 architects and designers, all who contribute to furthering our mission.

In 2022, we changed our firm name to Union, reflecting our belief that exceptional work is achieved through the combined talents of many, and that the places we design bring people together.

 

Awards & Recognition

Hammetts Wharf wins Smart Growth Award Grow Smart RI - Outstanding Smart Growth Project 2022
Union Named Emerging Professional Friendly Firm AIA New England Emerging Professional Friendly Firm Award 2022
Two Projects Win Preservation Awards PPS Preservation Award 2022
See all awards