What Finegold Alexander Architects does

Finegold Alexander Architects is a privately held, women-owned business enterprise (WBE) architecture firm headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1963. The firm delivers comprehensive architectural services spanning programming, design, and construction administration for institutional, governmental, religious, and private developer clients. Its practice is organized around specialized service areas: Library Design, Historic Preservation Design, Religious Facility Design, Civic Building Design, Higher Education Design, K-12 School Design, and Adaptive Reuse, with a client roster spanning Harvard University, Boston University, Tufts University, the City of Holyoke, the City of Cambridge, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Temple Israel Tulsa, and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. The firm is led by a principal team that includes Rebecca L. Berry (President and Director of Sustainability), Regan Shields Ives (Principal and Secretary), Ellen K. Anselone (Principal and Vice President), Tony Hsiao (Principal and Design Lead), Christopher P. Lane (Principal), and Clair Colburn (promoted to Principal in June 2026).

The firm's technical platform is anchored in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and computational design tools, supported by in-house coding specialists building proprietary project delivery workflows. The firm deploys 3D scanning for precise existing-conditions documentation and drone photography for hard-to-reach assessments in historic structures. A dedicated FA ENERGY division delivers sustainability and decarbonization consulting, targeting institutional clients with carbon-free facility mandates. Project credentials include LEED Silver (Holyoke Public Library, Christa McAuliffe Branch Library) and LEED Certified (Westwood Public Library) certifications, with the firm aligned to the AIA 2030 Commitment and a JUST Label from the International Living Future Institute. Notable landmark projects include the US Holocaust Memorial Museum (associate architect to Pei Cobb Freed and Partners), Harvard Memorial Church (a 30-year, five-phase engagement), the eight-phase First Church of Christ, Scientist restoration, and the Tufts University Eaton Hall renovation.

Finegold Alexander operates on a project-based professional services revenue model, with fees structured as a percentage of construction cost or hourly rates negotiated per project. Multi-year contract cadences are standard for complex preservation and phased restoration engagements. The go-to-market combines competitive bidding for public-sector RFPs at the municipal and state level, direct commissions from private developers and religious institutions, and repeat engagements from long-tenured institutional clients. Geographic reach spans multiple northeastern US states with selected projects in the Midwest (Illinois, Oklahoma, Nebraska), Mid-Atlantic (New York, Washington DC), Southeast, and Toronto, Canada. The firm has operated continuously for more than 55 years without disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or institutional ownership, indicating an organic, principal-led growth model.

Name

Finegold Alexander Architects

Legal name

Finegold Alexander Architects Inc.

Website

https://faainc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Finegold Alexander Architects is a Boston-based, women-owned architecture firm founded in 1963 providing design, preservation, and adaptive reuse services for higher education, K-12, civic, and religious clients across the northeastern US and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH), Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Historic preservation architecture
• Adaptive reuse design
• Sustainable building design
• Institutional architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Maussane

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Professional architectural fees for design, planning, and construction administration services. Revenue generated through project-based engagements for institutional, municipal, and private clients across civic, educational, religious, and development sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Finegold Alexander Architects is a Boston-based architecture firm offering comprehensive architectural design, preservation, and planning services for institutional clients. The firm specializes in library design, historic preservation, adaptive reuse, civic buildings, higher education, K-12 schools, and religious facilities, with a dedicated FA ENERGY division supporting sustainability and decarbonization across projects.

Product overview

Finegold Alexander Architects is an architecture and design firm offering comprehensive services across multiple specialized practice areas. The firm operates through distinct service lines including Library Design, Historic Preservation Design, Religious Facility Design, Civic Building Design, Higher Education Design, K-12 School Design, and Adaptive Reuse services. A dedicated sustainability division called FA ENERGY supports the firm's commitment to sustainable design. The firm is a women-owned business enterprise (WBE) based in Boston, MA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Design Services Comprehensive architecture and design services for public, academic, and private libraries, including renovation, addition, and new construction projects with community engagement and accessibility focus.
• Historic Preservation Design Historic preservation and restoration services for National Register and Landmarked sites, integrating sustainable design strategies, inclusive design, and modern technology while honoring architectural character.
• Religious Facility Design Design and preservation services for religious facilities including synagogues, churches, temples, and memorial museums, creating spaces that embrace community values and spiritual missions.
• Civic Building Design Architecture services for civic infrastructure including courthouses, municipal buildings, city halls, and public facilities that serve communities.
• Higher Education Design Architecture and design services for colleges and universities, including academic buildings, residence halls, student centers, and campus master planning.
• K-12 School Design Educational facility design services for elementary, middle, and high schools, focusing on innovative learning environments that support student success.
• Adaptive Reuse Transformation of existing historic structures into contemporary functional spaces, including church-to-residential conversions and historic building revitalization projects.
• FA ENERGY (Sustainability Division) Energy and sustainability consulting division that helps institutions meet carbon-free future commitments through energy-efficient design strategies and low-carbon material recommendations for historic and new buildings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Holyoke Public Library renovation achieved LEED Silver certification while preserving 40,000 SF of historic Greek Revival architecture
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Shawmut Design and ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction manager for The First Church of Christ, Scientist restoration project. Implemented preservation work to restore the building to its original state while leaving no trace of invasive work completed.
• Simpson, Gunderson HagercoreTechnology or IntegrationBuilding envelope and structural engineer for The First Church of Christ, Scientist restoration, working on exterior restoration while Finegold Alexander focused on interior work.
• KEMS CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew England-based private development and construction firm developing La Victoire at 25 Isabella Street project - adaptive reuse of former church into 18-unit residential.
• Simpson, Gumpertz and HegercoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering collaboration on Cambridge City Hall restoration project.
• ARUPcoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering collaboration on Cambridge City Hall restoration.
• Pei Cobb Freed and PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead architect on US Holocaust Memorial Museum with Finegold Alexander serving as associate architect for the 250,000 SF Washington Mall museum.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sasaki Associates: Watertown, MA-based planning, urban design, landscape, and architecture practice. Overlaps with Finegold Alexander on university campus planning, civic projects, and adaptive reuse commissions.
• Payette: Boston-based architecture firm with significant higher education, healthcare, and institutional portfolio. Comparable institutional client focus but broader scope and larger scale than Finegold Alexander.
• Einhorn Yaffee Prescott (EYP): National architecture, engineering, and planning practice with deep higher education and civic presence. Larger firm serving similar institutional clients but with broader geographic and service-line coverage.

Direct peers

• Goody Clancy: Boston architecture and planning firm with parallel civic, institutional, preservation, and higher education practice areas. Competes for similar municipal, university, and adaptive reuse projects in the Northeast.
• CBT Architects: Boston-based architecture firm serving higher education, public, and institutional clients. Overlaps with Finegold Alexander on university and civic projects and competes for similar regional RFPs.
• Ann Beha Architects: Boston-based preservation-focused architecture practice serving higher education, cultural, and civic clients. Comparable in scale, preservation specialization, and institutional client base within the Northeast market.
• Bruner/Cott Architects: Cambridge, MA-based architecture firm with comparable focus on historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and institutional/cultural work including college and university clients. Direct competitor for civic and educational commissions in the same New England geography.

Regional players

• Page & Turnbull: San Francisco-based architecture and planning firm specializing in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and cultural resources. Mirrors Finegold Alexander's preservation niche on the West Coast with non-overlapping geography.

Emerging players

• John Canning & Co. Historic preservation and restoration contractor with adjacent decorative finishes, murals, and conservation services. Partner/adjacent ecosystem participant for the same religious and civic preservation projects Finegold Alexander designs.

Others

• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE): National engineering, architecture, and materials science firm specializing in investigation, repair, and rehabilitation of existing structures. Frequently a peer engineering partner on preservation projects similar to those Finegold Alexander designs (e.g., Cambridge City Hall, First Church of Christ, Scientist).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/faainc
• Facebookfacebook.com/faainc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Finegold Alexander Architects