The Architectural Team names new principal and elevates three to associate

Chelsea, MA The Architectural Team (TAT) has promoted four longstanding team members. The newly promoted leaders include Thomas Schultz, who has been named a principal, as well as Elizabeth Peabody, Venket Holi, and Matthew Duggan, all of whom have been named associates at the 100-person firm.

These new appointments reflect an emphasis on innovation and advancing core practice areas while cultivating a creative and diverse leadership team. TAT is also recognized for its national expertise in the areas of historic preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse.

According to TAT’s senior principals, the recent promotions recognize the contributions that these four leaders have made to the firm’s ongoing success and their role in the future of TAT’s pursuit of new business, client engagement, and design excellence. In their respective new roles, Schultz, Peabody, Holi, and Duggan will continue their project-based contributions alongside greater operational, business development, design, and mentorship responsibilities.

“These well-deserved promotions exemplify TAT’s commitment to strategic leadership succession and underscore the firm’s continued evolution,” notes TAT senior partner and design principal, Michael Liu, AIA, NCARB. “Our proactive approach to identifying, nurturing, and elevating top-tier talent is an essential part of TAT’s business strategy, enabling the firm to adapt to our clients’ ever-changing needs. It is evident that this particular group of four professionals brings diverse perspectives, innovative approaches, and positive energy that will be essential to TAT’s ongoing success.”

“Tom, Liz, Venket, and Matt are fully dedicated to TAT’s mission and core values, and we look forward to the creative ideas they’ll contribute as they embark on these new roles, said TAT senior partner and managing principal Michael Binette, AIA, NCARB.

“These four talented practitioners are deeply focused on the quality of our work, the relationships we foster, and the well-being of our firm’s culture. They bring unique aptitudes and perspectives to the firm that will enable TAT to continue cultivating a growth-oriented mindset, expanding our culture of continuous learning, and building meaningful connections with developers across the East Coast.”

“As we continue to expand our leadership team, these types of strategic promotions exemplify TAT’s commitment to sustaining our reputation as trusted advisors to our clients and to advancing our mission of creating positive and lasting transformation in the communities we serve,” said TAT principal Edward Bradford, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP. “A heightened focus on elevating new voices and perspectives will enhance creativity within our multifamily, assisted living, hospitality, and mixed-use design practice. I have full confidence that the enthusiasm and unwavering dedication of these professionals will unlock new opportunities for growth and success.”

About the people

Thomas Schultz, AIA, NCARB, CPHC, principal:

In more than two decades at TAT, Schultz has led design and project management for over 3 million square feet of built projects in New England alone. A well-regarded national expert in multifamily housing design, urban infill development, senior living, and adaptive reuse project types, his experience includes work for major national developers including Lennar, Toll Brothers, Hines, Davis, and Greystar.

In his new role as a principal, Schultz will take on expanded managerial, mentorship, and client relationship responsibilities. He will remain directly involved in the planning and design process for key projects, continuing to build on an award-winning portfolio that includes the global headquarters for apparel brand Converse at Lovejoy Wharf; creative residential conversions combining adaptive reuse and new construction, such as the 100 Shawmut condominium project; and the large-scale transformation and revitalization of an affordable housing district, Flat 9 at Whittier, in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. Known for longstanding partnerships with public agencies, nonprofits, housing authorities, and top national developers, TAT has designed tens of thousands of housing units nationwide, broadening residential options across all income levels. With his deep multifamily expertise, Schultz will play an essential role as TAT continues this trajectory. Frequently quoted in the media on topics related to urban development trends, adaptive reuse, and commercial-to-residential conversions, Schultz is recognized as a valuable resource on many of the building industry’s most important and timely subjects. His perspective has been featured in publications such as Bloomberg, Buildings magazine, The Construction Specifier, and the American Institute of Architects’ Topic A.

“Tom’s broad understanding of the industry makes him an invaluable resource for our team and our clients alike,” says the TAT senior partner and managing principal Binette. “His contributions extend beyond a profound understanding of developers’ needs; he also brings substantial experience with key funding agencies and exhibits a keen interest in the operational intricacies that are essential to a successful architecture practice.”

Elizabeth Peabody, AIA, NCARB, associate:

A respected design leader and project manager with more than a decade at TAT, Peabody is known for her skill in managing a wide range of multifamily, senior, and assisted living project types, from conceptual design through all phases of construction. Clients value her collaborative problem-solving abilities, while colleagues and project partners rely on her expertise in construction administration. Highlights of Peabody portfolio include a number of significant large-scale multifamily communities, such as the 11-building Modera Needham development in Needham, Mass.; the 13-building transit-oriented Avalon Piscataway complex in New Jersey; and Alexan Harrison, a new upscale multifamily development comprising 400 units in New York’s Westchester County, with longtime client Trammell Crow Residential. In her expanded role as an associate, Peabody will play a role in guiding quality assurances/quality control initiatives, fostering client relationships, and nurturing a firm culture of engagement.

“Liz is a trusted advocate for our firm, our clients, and the pursuit of design excellence,” states TAT principal James Szymanski, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP. “Her exceptional communication skills, longstanding client relationships, learning agility, and mastery of critical practices such as construction administration are emblematic of the value she brings to TAT’s work.”

Venket Holi, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, CPHC, associate:

With nearly two decades of project design experience, Holi is one of TAT’s most esteemed and innovative architects. Known for his adept problem-solving capabilities and his thoughtful approach to design leadership, his design acumen has made Holi a highly sought-out resource for influential national developers, including AvalonBay Communities. Venket’s project portfolio includes notable works, such as the transformation of a former research campus into a 250 unit, 31- building apartment community in Sudbury, Mass., the redevelopment of a former retail hub into a mixed-income, 181-unit multifamily property, and the design and construction of an innovative 15-story cast-in-place concrete mixed-use infill development in Quincy, Mass., now the city’s tallest tower. In addition to his project work at TAT, he has served as a zoning board member for the town of Arlington, Mass. As an associate, Holi will continue to help the firm create innovative design solutions for clients, expand his mentorship responsibilities for emerging talent, and take on expanded internal management and design quality assurance/quality control responsibilities.

“Venket is an immensely talented and resourceful designer and problem solver,” affirms the TAT principal Bradford. “All of our clients trust his knowledge and skill, and I am confident that Venket’s well-earned reputation as a sought-after resource and advisor will continue to benefit our firm for years to come.”

Matthew Duggan, AIA, associate:

Since joining TAT in 2006, Duggan has played an instrumental role in many of the firm’s most significant new construction, renovation, and historic adaptive reuse initiatives. Highly regarded by colleagues and clients alike for his creative approach to design challenges and his enthusiasm for collaborative teamwork, Duggan is one of TAT’s most experienced project managers. His expertise spans a diverse range of work, from historic preservation tax credit applications to the zoning codes that drive an increase in innovative transit-oriented, mixed- use developments. His portfolio includes Net Zero communities such as Rhode Island’s Bourne

Mill Apartments Phase III, newly renamed Solara; Boston’s The Archer Residences, which combines two historic former university buildings into a single luxury condominium community; and Alta Union House, the first new multifamily community in downtown Framingham, Mass. in over 40 years, which has been hailed as a valuable model for transit- oriented, higher-density, smaller city centers. Duggan shares his perspective often in the design and real estate media, and recently participated on the design jury for the Multi-Housing News Excellence Awards. In his new role, he will continue to advance mentorship programs within the firm, actively engage in business development initiatives, and expand client relationships and design sectors.

“It’s evident why our team members value Matt as an exceptional mentor and why our clients recognize him as an outstanding architect,” said TAT principal Gary Kane, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP. “His willingness to share his wealth of expertise, including a profound understanding of the end-user experience and a holistic perspective on how each project integrates into its site and context, is truly commendable.”

“Over the course of more than 50 years, TAT has served as a powerful advocate for urgent issues such as improved housing and climate-resilient waterfront design, as well as a proponent of critical development tools like historic and low-income housing tax credits,” said Binette, AIA, NCARB, “As we enter into our sixth decade with a mission to support more livable, equitable, and sustainable communities – nurturing and supporting the talent and passion of tomorrow’s leaders becomes an imperative investment in a brighter and more just future for our cities and society as a whole.”