Pirie Associates Architects

07/21/2026

PA is very pleased to announce that Pirie Associates has been selected by the City of Torrington for the ACTIVATE MAIN STREET BROWNFIELD PLANNING PROJECT! Teamed with BJH Advisors and Tighe & Bond, we are delighted to kick off this incredible opportunity to activate the city’s cultural, natural, and historic assets, its growing small business community, and smart development strategies to center people and vibrancy as Torrington’s greatest resource. We look forward to meeting the community, rolling up our sleeves, and getting to work! Thank you, William Wallach and City of Torrington, CT, for the opportunity to collaborate!

06/13/2026

It's great to see this project completed!

06/13/2026

Congrats again to Paul!

Onto the Awards of Merit for 2026!

Congratulations to Paul Butkus (Pirie Associates Architects) - architect, advocate, accomplished volunteer, and building whisperer! We couldn't ask for a better person this year to give an Award of Merit!

Another thanks to our ceremony sponsors:
Visionary Interiors Architecture
GULICK & Co. LLC
Mary Jean Agostini, Realtor
Cirrus Structural Engineering
Svensk & Company
Babbidge Construction Company

06/12/2026

Set quietly within the rural landscape of East Haddam, the Palmer-Warner House stands as a layered record of history.

In a time when visibility for same-sex couples was constrained by societal norms, Palmer and Metzger cultivated a private world that offered something rare and essential: belonging. Their home became a quiet but powerful refuge for the LGBTQ+ community. Friends, creatives, and visitors were invited into an environment where they could live authentically, often for extended stays, finding freedom and connection far from urban centers.

This history of refuge is central to how we understand it today.

At Pirie Associates, our work with Connecticut Landmarks on the Palmer–Warner House builds on this legacy of care and inclusion. The physical environment itself tells the story. A series of thresholds across the site gently differentiates public and private realms. Moving from open landscape to garden, from exterior to interior, this progression and the transition to safety is not only symbolic but spatially experienced to echo the lived realities of those who once sought comfort and community here.

LEARN MORE: https://www.pirieassociates.com/blog/at-the-threshold

Pirie is a firm focused on philosophy, innovation, and empowerment. We are a mission-driven organization that uses impact as a metric for our success.

06/10/2026

BJH Advisors and Pirie Associates Architects recently presented the 'Revive and Renew Routes 163 & 32' initiative to the Town of Montville's Council. This plan seeks to capture the fastest growing demographic (young adults aged 20-34) and capitalize on this growth. New residents means economic vitality, increased cultural vibrancy, and an expanded public realm that prioritizes quality of life, connection to nature, and activity.

"After the presentation, Mayor Lenny Bunnell Lenny Bunnell said 'it's just important to remember this isn't going to happen tomorrow. It's going to be a long-term plan,' he said. 'If you don't have a plan, you don't go anywhere.'"

READ MORE: https://theday.com/news/899800/montville-could-become-the-hot-place-to-live/

Laura Pirie
images are copyright of Pirie Associates

01/30/2026

In Part 2 of Making Places on Purpose, we put our design philosophy into action.

We’re sharing a cross-section of projects from the past decade: spaces taking space right now, projects delivered last year, and work completed nearly ten years ago.

What has stayed constant over the years is our commitment to designing with intention by helping people do what they do better through spaces purpose-built to support their mission.

Click here to read Part 2:
https://www.pirieassociates.com/blog/making-places-on-purpose-part-2

01/30/2026

Pirie Associates is thrilled to share that Amy Albandoz, Designer and valued member of our team, has joined the Board of the National Organization of Minority Architects - Connecticut Chapter!

Amy brings thoughtfulness, curiosity, and a deep commitment to community-centered design to everything she does. Her passion for equity, sustainability, and creating meaningful connections within the built environment makes her an inspiring leader.

We’re proud to see Amy step into this impactful role with NOMAct, an organization dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in architecture throughout Connecticut.

Please join us in congratulating Amy on this exciting new chapter!

👏 Congratulations, Amy! We can’t wait to see the positive change you help shape.

01/09/2026

In 2025, we celebrated many exciting milestones! Here's a recap:

- Pirie Associates became B Lab U.S. & Canada B Corp Certified! https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/pirie-associates-architects-llc/

- Laura Pirie, AIA, LFA, IIDA was recognized by Professional Women in Construction Connecticut Chapter for Excellence in Mentorship.

- The New Haven NCD Playbook received the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA) 𝙄𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙: https://lnkd.in/eAjpMxXz

- Glastonbury Design Guidelines received the CCAPA 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙄𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙: https://lnkd.in/e_vfypWX

- Pirie Associates Architects was named a 2025 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙄𝘼 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙢.

- We helped several of our clients receive 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬-𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 for public realm and placemaking projects from the Community Investment Fund.

- We successfully led 7 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 for municipalities across Connecticut, helping hundreds of valued community members put a stake in the ground for the development of their built environment.

We have loved every minute that we have worked with our clients, partners, and colleagues - the smiles, tears (of joy), and heartfelt conversations have warmed our hearts and fueled our passion as designers and neighbors. Our community is what makes us resilient, and we hope to continue returning the favor in 2026!

Pirie Associates Architects, LLC is a Certified B Corporation. Pirie Associates Architects is a multi-disciplinary, award-winning practice that envisions, plans, and designs inspiring built environments for positive impact. With experience ranging from tactical small-scale interventions to comprehen...

01/06/2026

Purpose inspired us. Intention is transformational.

Throughout the rollercoaster of 2025, we found a foothold by staying true our mission at Pirie Associates: to design built environments that support wellbeing and strengthen a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable living system.

As we step into 2026, we're taking a moment to reflect on what grounds us and what propels us forward in a two-part mini blog series: Making Places on Purpose. It is an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to all of you and share the ethos behind our practice.

Read more at: https://www.pirieassociates.com/blog/making-places-on-purpose-part-1

Making Places on Purpose creates more than the physical built environment. It creates places where people feel connected.

01/05/2026

Happy New Year!
As we all return to our offices, we would like to extend a heartfelt ＴＨＡＮＫ ＹＯＵ to everyone who made 2025 memorable. To old friends and new, we are excited to continue nurturing our relationships as we set out to have a positive impact on the world around us. Year in and year out, without you - our collaborators, our partners, our clients - we could not learn and grow and share as we do.