How the Coronavirus is Reshaping the Office
Ellen Belknap and Kate Everett spoke to the Portland Press Herald last week about how the shift to all-remote work has changed the discussion around the future of workplace. “This is the greatest experiment we never thought we would have,” said Ellen. With increased productivity, flexibility and carbon-reducing benefits, the experience has offered some real…
SMRT Portland is on the Move!
SMRT Portland is moving this week!! As a 136-year-old firm with more than a century of history on the Portland peninsula, it’s fitting for us to re-purpose the old Nissen Bakery Building at 75 Washington Avenue for our new offices. As we make the transition, please note that our email and phone server will be…
Design of the Times – SMRT in Mainebiz
Ellen Belknap, President, and Jeana Stewart, Workplace Studio Leader, spoke to Mainebiz about how SMRT has transitioned to fully-remote operations in the face of the coronavirus and how workplace design may be affected in the near future. “I can see how this is really going to create less travel, and people are going to be…
COVID-19 Update March 26, 2020
To SMRT’s Clients, Business Partners and Colleagues: As we begin week two of business during the COVID-19 pandemic, SMRT has successfully transitioned to a 100% work from home status. This transition went very smoothly thanks to our robust IT infrastructure and flexible can-do attitude. We are fully operational and are doing everything possible to keep…
An Announcement About COVID-19
SMRT is working to ensure the health of our employees, clients, colleagues and partners as we navigate the challenge of COVID-19. We are focusing on providing ongoing business continuity to the greatest extent possible while at the same time making necessary changes to the way we conduct our work. Our offices remain open but we…
Histories Meet in SMRT’s New Portland Office
Finding our diamond, er, bakery in the rough. After 18 months of searching for a new office space, we began to fear we’d have to leave the Portland Peninsula, our home for the last 136 years. When 20,000 s.f. of high bay, raw space opened up on the Washington Avenue corridor (or, “WAVE”), we immediately…
Shared BIM Expertise Across the Pond
SMRT’s John Tobin, AIA, was recently invited by the British Standards Institute (BSI) to share his expertise at The Digital World: BIM, in London. See John’s conference report where digital twin, ISO standards, blockchain and data were the hot topics, in the latest issue of Building Design + Construction.
Flyleaf—A Modular Ode to the Paper Book
In our daily design practice, we balance a multitude of parameters on behalf of our clients. Stringent timelines intersect with tight budgets and even more challenging sites. But what if you were able to design a space free from parameters? How would this affect the creativity and inventiveness of your design? Architecture competitions allow design…
SMRT Relocating New York Office to Downtown Schenectady
SMRT is on the move. After vetting potential locations, we’re excited about transitioning to the heart of downtown Schenectady, a vibrant and growing community. We believe that meaningful space inspires meaningful work, and we can’t wait to bring this light, airy and open new space to our employees. The office’s central location means easy access…
Architects and Engineers Look to Embrace New Technology
Mainebiz interviewed 20 business leaders about their outlook on the coming year. Ellen Belknap, our President, spoke about Maine’s strong position for green technologies, particularly cross laminated timber, as the whole architecture / engineering / construction industry works to reduce carbon emissions.