BOSTON–ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge has appointed senior-level leaders Jan Taylor, AIA, LEED AP and Peter Reiss, AIA, LEED AP to principal.
“As we celebrate our 50th year, we are also thrilled to celebrate and recognize the achievements of our next generation of ARC leaders,” said firm president Philip Laird, FAIA, LEED AP. “The appointment of Peter and Jan as new principals reflects the important contributions each of them makes to ARC’s clients, staff, and workplace culture. From mentoring young staff to providing dedicated leadership on design and operations for the company, they continuously reach beyond the expected to create a better experience for everyone.”
The career path to architecture for both Taylor and Reiss included experiences in other fields that prepared them for success as design firm leaders at ARC.
Taylor, a biology major in college, worked as a research scientist for the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UNC Chapel Hill before following her passion for design and completing graduate studies in architecture. She applied her research experience on her first project at ARC, Harvard Medical School’s New Research Building.
Reiss attended the High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, majored in fine arts as an undergrad, and worked as an artist on the west coast. His love for all things arts and culture led him to a career in architecture, and to leadership roles on more than a dozen performing arts centers for clients including the American Repertory Theater, Deerfield Academy, and the Peddie School.
Taylor, who joined ARC in 2000, works with university and independent school clients to plan and design academic, science, and sports and recreation facilities. She is an expert in and advocate for sustainable design, with award-winning outcomes on projects including the country’s first LEED Platinum standalone arena for Bentley University and the middle school addition for Greenwich Country Day School, designed to meet nearly net-zero energy use and serve as a sustainability teaching tool. She instituted ARC’s monthly Technology, Business and Design Roundtable which provides a forum for discussions of those topics. She co-chairs the Boston Society of Architects’ Women Principals Group.
Taylor is a LEED-Accredited Professional and a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Boston Society of Architects and the US Green Building Council. She earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Texas Austin and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College.
Reiss, who joined ARC in 2005, provides planning, design, and project management for performing arts, health and wellness, and campus sports and recreation facilities. He is known for applying design and technical innovation to achieve sustainability goals for ARC clients. These initiatives are seen in the design of the new Thompson Fieldhouse for Phillips Exeter Academy, where the use of natural ventilation, rooftop solar arrays, and geothermal wells helped earn LEED Gold certification. He is currently spearheading the sustainable design work for the American Repertory Theater’s forthcoming center for research and performance. Collaborating with London-based lead architect Haworth Tompkins, ARC is part of a multi-firm team designing the A.R.T.’s future home slated for Harvard’s Allston campus.
Reiss is a LEED-Accredited Professional and a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Boston Society of Architects, and the US Green Building Council. He earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.
ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge is a nationally recognized architectural, planning, and interior design firm specializing in education, life science, sports and recreation, and multi-use campus facilities. Celebrating its 50th year of design and client service, the firm consistently applies a collaborative, sustainable approach to architecture.
