The New Year is typically a time where we take a moment to look back on the year, to thank everyone we’ve worked with, to reflect on our accomplishments and collaborations, and to look forward to the next year. I enjoy writing this piece every year, as it gives me the chance to express how the entire STA team truly appreciates our relationships, and how grateful we are to design for you!
But this is 2020, and everything is different. Early this year, we were all thrust into an unimaginable situation, one that is still hard to comprehend. But when we look back, what we’ve realized is that our appreciation for our partnerships, our gratitude for the opportunities, and our immense respect for the important work that our clients do is stronger than ever.
We kicked off the year with great celebrations – openings at STA projects for MassRobotics, and new Back Bay restaurants Grand Tour and Krasi; Felice and David being honored by Design Museum; and by early March we had welcomed four new awesome team members, Gloria, Derek, Imran, and Yingli!
Then, in mid-March, our collective world turned upside down. We were suddenly in a pandemic. On March 16, we locked up our beautiful office and split off into our homes. We grabbed our technology and used our design talent to turn our living rooms, our bedrooms, and our dining room tables into office space.
In the midst of a world of uncertainty and fear, the STA team persevered, and thrived. Although we were in different places, the team was more of a team than ever. With a little help from collaborative technologies, and a lot of help from Zoom, the team pivoted, and jumped into action, never skipping a beat, continuing to design, collaborate, problem-solve and create, with each other, and with our clients. We even welcomed another new team member, Nathalia, and welcomed back Lindsey during this time!
And we were busy! Our projects this year include a new center for nonprofit companies for the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, the Greentown Labs expansion to Houston; many projects up and down Newbury Street; childcare and education spaces for Little Sprouts, 108 Newbury Street, People Inc, East Boston Social Centers, Wellan Montessori, AOPS and For Kids Only; a new community music workspace for The Record Co, and the completion of Vega Brothers in Roxbury, as part of Bodega Makeover (catch the pilot premiere here!), to name a few!
Whatever the project type, our mission is always to create spaces that enhance the lives, health, experiences and well-being of people, and to build community. This year more than ever, we were truly inspired by our clients whose vision is the inspiration for our design. We were honored to help our clients envision creative design solutions to make spaces safe, while still being true to their vision and mission.
Working remotely did not stop us from staying connected, and from continuing our involvement with organizations and students. We virtually met with students from the BAC, Texas State, RISD, and Miami University, and have more student meetings on the books for 2021! We presented at conferences, including BAC Talks, IIDA / KI Community as Strategy, and the Design Museum Everywhere Workplace Innovation Summit. We continued our tradition of weekly living labs, looking forward to connecting with our team for some social, creative and inspiring fun!
In October we safely gathered to celebrate our 24th anniversary, and to launch our 25th year. And as we close out 2020, we look to 2021 with hope and excitement – stayed tuned for a year of celebrating our 25th with virtual (and hopefully some in-person) events, knowledge sharing, retrospectives and a vision for the future.
Recently I spoke at the Design Museum Workplace Innovation Summit, and I noted that “Disruption Leads to Creative Thinking and Innovation”. This could not be appropriate to describe how the STA team, and our clients, responded to the challenges of the year. We are so grateful for each of you, and we so look forward to partnering, designing, innovating and creating with each and every one of you in 2021!
Felice, Tom, David, Andy, Joe, Gloria, Imran, Derek, Yingli, Nathalia, Lindsey and Caryn
