After four decades of distinguished architectural practice, the renowned Boston-based firm Machado Silvetti is undergoing a significant leadership transition as cofounders Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti announce their retirement. The firm, which has established itself as a leader in adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects, will transfer its leadership to longtime associates Stephanie Randazzo Dwyer and Jeffry Burchard, who have been with the company since 2000 and 2008, respectively.
Despite the change in leadership, Machado Silvetti will maintain its established identity and continue operating from its current location on Harrison Avenue in Boston. "We're maintaining the name Machado Silvetti, because that represents the office that we are and that we want to be," Burchard explained to Architect's Newspaper. "It has a really incredible legacy of not only touching a lot of architects and a lot of communities, but about creating buildings that are really reflections of the communities that they're in, or the institutions that they're for, or the people that they serve."
Since its founding in 1985, the firm has benefited tremendously from Boston's rich educational landscape, surrounded by prestigious design schools including Harvard Graduate School of Design, MIT, Rhode Island School of Design, Boston Architectural College, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. This academic environment has not only attracted exceptional talent but has also kept both Machado and Silvetti actively engaged in architectural education throughout their careers. "Rodolfo and Jorge had been super invested in the education of architects and the development of contemporary practice models over the past 40 years, and through their academic engagement and the work that the office has been able to do, and the contributions that they've made to the wider field," Burchard noted.
The firm's impressive portfolio reflects this academic connection, featuring numerous projects at universities and cultural institutions worldwide. Burchard's first project with the firm was New York University's Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life, which serves as a central hub for the university's religious programming. The firm's extensive body of work includes public schools throughout Boston, the specialized Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College, and the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin.
Machado Silvetti has built its reputation particularly on expansion and renovation projects at major cultural institutions, including significant commissions at the Denver Art Museum and other prominent venues. The firm takes special pride in its approach to historic preservation and adaptive reuse, as demonstrated in projects like the careful restoration of the Menokin House in Virginia and the thoughtful expansion of the Getty Villa in Los Angeles, which required making the historic site more accessible to the public while preserving its character.
"Our real passion for historic context, and always making contemporary projects that are improving their historic context, is something that is pretty consistent across the work," Randazzo Dwyer emphasized. This philosophy has guided the firm's approach across diverse project types, from major museum renovations to smaller community-focused developments. Recently, the firm completed a series of innovative pavilions for a park in Cary, North Carolina, an area surrounded by several universities, which exemplifies their commitment to enhancing public spaces.
Looking toward the future under new leadership, both Randazzo Dwyer and Burchard express optimism about continuing the firm's legacy of innovation and community engagement. "There's unlimited opportunity for us to innovate in our practices, innovate in the way that we design buildings, and innovate in the way that we construct buildings," Burchard stated. "I love the optimism that Machado Silvetti has had. It shows up in the work. It shows up in the way people talk about our projects, but it really shows up on the faces of the people who are walking through the building."
