Legacy

What Endures. Time has given us space to recognize and appreciate how Bob’s legacy endures in the company he founded and shaped. Architect’s legacies are commonly measured in award-winning buildings, and certainly Bob’s can be measured in that way, in the hundreds of historic buildings he saved and repurposed, and the thousands of families who found quality affordable homes in the housing he created. All that is a matter of record, but what also endures is the ethos of the firm he created and loved.

Some of you may never have met him. But you know him in the culture of the company. It is a culture derived from the fierce joy he took in the challenge of getting buildings built, of being able to take the work seriously without taking oneself too seriously, and of seeing the humanity in every person, whether colleagues, clients, contractors, or the communities served. Those of you who never met Bob may think you don’t have a sense of him, but in fact you do. If you’ve ever reflected on the consideration TAT colleagues show one another, of the passion with which they throw themselves into their work, and of the humor they bring to everyday challenges, then you know him. His spirit endures in the firm’s work and how we work with one another.

Michael E. Liu

AIA NCARB | Senior Partner + Design Principal

Impact | Bob as...

Press

Over the course of a career spanning more than 50 years, Robert J. Verrier, FAIA, NCARB emerged as one of the country’s most widely cited experts and spokespeople on historic preservation and adaptive reuse. A gifted storyteller and an articulate, passionate believer in the potential of architecture to build community spirit, his perspective has been sought out by journalists nationwide, helping to bring the concept of adaptive reuse to mainstream prominence. Verrier walked with television news anchors through Boston’s Charlestown Navy Yard, contributed op-eds to The Atlantic, and provided authoritative insight and commentary for countless readers of the architecture, real estate development, and business media. In every possible instance, he described the tangible and intangible benefits of reimagining our country’s architectural heritage for urgent new uses — and a growing portfolio of award-winning residential conversions and other popular works led to new project announcements generating intense interest in local, regional, and national press. Just as important, Verrier’s dedication to the social value of architecture influenced the generations of professionals he mentored at The Architectural Team during his lifetime.

Leader

The Multiplier Effect. Creative, generous, and eager to bring new life to abandoned historic buildings — these are attributes that distinguished Bob. People admired Bob because his ego was not what you met first. You met his ideas. You also met his ebullience, optimism, and passion particularly for reusing buildings that others would have had deemed obsolete. He fostered and nurtured a firm of highly skilled professionals who pride themselves on pragmatic and innovative solutions to complex historic restoration projects. In rehabilitating and repurposing these buildings, Bob inevitably provided the most artfully efficient reuse of historic buildings, without fail.

Through the historic reuse of architectural assets as multifamily housing, commercial and community centers, Bob’s work directly influenced stabilizing marginalized communities and improved the quality of life for many families and the communities they served. He had the confidence, skill, and foresight to find value in New England’s abandoned industrial and shuttered public buildings that lined the rivers, harbors, canals, decaying city streets and small-town centers. While developing these physical resources, his work spurred the economic vitality to these second-tier cities and towns by creating new housing resources, revitalizing local building trades, and spawning the growth of local economies. The multiplier effect of his work is no less an important component of his success.

Anybody that knew Bob understood that if they needed his help in any away, he would be right there, ready to support you. His work as the founder and managing principal of one of Boston’s most vibrant firms, fostered the successful careers of many architects. His legacy must include appreciation of his nurture of practitioners who have become the next generation of weavers and restorers of communities by rebuilding, restoring, and valuing historic precedent. Bob was passionate about looking to the past for inspiration and relishing a new future full of possibility. He was an original talent that enriched the profession and countless people’s lives.

Diane Georgopulos

Former Manager, Design and Construction Department, MassHousing

Personal Recognition

    • 2021

      TAT commemorates its 50th anniversary Bob celebrates his 81st birthday

    • 2016

      Bob receives his tenth J. Timothy Anderson Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association

    • 2013

      Boston’s Planning Office for Urban Affairs, a social justice organization, honors Bob for his considerable affordable housing achievements

    • 2012

      Bob is elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architecture (FAIA) for his range of work and unparalleled depth of experience in historic preservation and adaptive reuse

    • 2011

      Bob receives an Industry Excellence Award from the Rental Housing Association

    • 2010

      Habitat for Humanity honors Bob with the American Dream Award, recognizing his contribution to the improvement of the Greater Boston community

    • 2008

      Boston Architectural College honors Bob with a Distinguished Alumni in Practice Award, awarded for his significant impact in the design community while promoting and improving the design profession through his leadership

    • 1988

      Bob receives a National Historic Preservation Award personally awarded by President Ronald Reagan for the preservation and adaptive reuse of the Baker Chocolate Factory Complex

    • 1984

      Bob moves the firm to the restored 1840s-era Commandants House on Admiral’s Hill in Chelsea, changing its name to The Architectural Team (TAT) to reflect its broad geographic reach

    • 1971

      The Boston Architectural Team (BAT) is founded by Bob and three other architects

    • 1967

      Bob graduates from Boston Architectural Center, now Boston Architectural College

Awards

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