Simons Architects

Simons Architects (SA) is a fifteen-person (four partners & eleven staff) architecture, design, and planning firm located in Portland, Maine.

Background
SA was first established in New York City in 1983 by Scott Simons, FAIA  and has since produced a  body of work that includes cultural, institutional, academic, and residential projects of great substance and beauty. The studio is credited as the designer of LEED Platinum certified Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Bosarge Family Education Center in association with Maclay Architects. It became the "greenest building" in Maine and was awarded "Net Zero Energy Building of the Year" in 2012 by the North East Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA). SA is also the architect of record for the 2010 renovation and addition to the Portland Public Library, many other Maine libraries,   educational buildings, and the 2014 renovation and addition to the "transformational" Casco Bay Lines Ferry Terminal. Staff from the firm have also participated in juries for national library awards as well as many regional and statewide AIA awards programs. The work of this firm has been recognized nationally for innovative design, its great attention to detail, and inclusion of multiple stakeholders on public projects, and is seen as one of the key architects in the area. In 2015, Simons Architects developed a Master Plan for the Portland Museum of Art, which includes a 1981 addition designed by Henry N. Cobb of I.M. Pei & Partners. In 2017, the firm designed the Brattleboro Music Center and Chamber Music Hall in Vermont that was recognized with design awards from AIA New England, AIA Vermont, and AIA Maine. Since its founding in 1995, the Portland, ME studio has been recognized with over 25 design awards.

Notable projects

 * Portland Public Library - Portland, Maine
 * Bosarge Family Education Center (Net-Zero Energy, LEED Platinum) - Boothbay, Maine
 * Casco Bay Lines Ferry Terminal - Portland, Maine
 * Brattleboro Music Center - Brattleboro, Vermont
 * Pondicherry House (Net-Zero Energy, LEED Platinum)- Mount Desert Island, Maine
 * Franklin Theater (LEED Silver) - Portland, Maine
 * Hillside House - Yarmouth, Maine
 * Waynflete Arts Center - Portland, Maine
 * Freeport Community Center - Freeport, Maine
 * Tilton Academic Building - Tilton, New Hampshire
 * Knox County Courthouse - Rockland, Maine
 * SMCC Lighthouse Art Studio - South Portland, Maine
 * Baxter Building Renovation - Portland, Maine
 * Ronald McDonald House - Portland, Maine
 * Portland Museum of Art Campus Master Plan
 * Bangor Public Library Renovation and Addition
 * Portland Public Library - Burbank Branch
 * Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences - Dormitory and Visiting Scientist Residence
 * Patrons Oxford Insurance Offices

In progress

 * Falmouth Memorial Library - Falmouth, Maine (2016)
 * Rice Public Library - Kittery, Maine (2018)
 * Tilton School Student Center - Tilton, New Hampshire (2018)
 * Ecology School Dining Common (Living Building Challenge) - Saco, Maine (2015)

List of awards and honors

 * 2009 AIA New Hampshire Excellence in Architecture Award
 * 2010 Learning by Design Citation of Excellence
 * 2010 Outstanding Design, American School & University Educational Awards
 * 2010 Greater Portland Landmarks, Preservation Honor Award
 * 2011 Maine Preservation Honor Award
 * 2012 Maine AIA Honor Award for Design Excellence
 * 2012 AIA Vermont Award for Design Excellence
 * 2012 AIA New England Award for Design Excellence
 * 2013 The Phoenix Best Non-Gallery Art Space
 * 2013 Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) Zero Net Energy Award
 * 2013 AIA Maine Committee on the Environment (COTE) Residential Merit Award
 * 2013 AIA Maine Committee on the Environment (COTE) Institutional/Commercial Citation Award
 * 2014 AIA Maine Design Merit Award
 * 2014 AIA New England Honorable Mention
 * 2015 ACEC of Maine Special Recognition Award
 * 2015 AIA New Hampshire Honor Award
 * 2015 Maine Preservation Honor Award
 * 2016 AIA Maine Honor Award
 * 2017 AIA Maine Honor Award for Design Excellence in Unbuilt Design: Jesup Memorial Library
 * 2018 Wood Design National Award: Green Building with Wood
 * 2018 Greater Portland Landmarks Award: State Theater
 * 2018 AIA Maine Award for Design Excellence: Brattleboro Music Center
 * 2018 AIA Maine Award for Design Excellence: Patrons Oxford Insurance Office Building
 * 2018 AIA Maine Award for Design Excellence: Shimmield Residence Hall at Bigelow Labs