A curious architecture firm

...with equal passion for the vision and the nuts + bolts.

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Architecture and design that delights

...with rigor, creativity, and deep knowledge of construction.

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Featured work

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Custom Residential

Lexington Avenue 2-Family

The first time we walked into this house, we could see its potential - hidden under layers of unfortunate DIY renovations over the years was a beautiful, solid house with great bones. With clever design strategies, and a client willing...

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Custom Residential

Machinist Chest House

Kinetic architectural elements transform a dated penthouse into the ultimate space for entertaining When we first toured this penthouse unit with our clients, the most impressive thing was the view….the interior was dated and dark, and not functional for entertaining...

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Custom Residential

Allston Street

Our most ambitious remodel yet, this project involved lifting the entire house to create a livable basement! Originally a rather dilapidated 2 family, we worked very hard within Cambridge’s zoning code to keep this project by-right, adding every square foot...

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Commercial + Industrial

Outdoor Recreation Center

The charge from our client was to convert a cluttered storage barn into a fully functional outdoor educational facility for students, complete with indoor climbing wall – such a fun project! Working in an existing high-bay structure, we found ways...

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F.A.Q.

Legally speaking, you may or may not need one—many residential projects don’t require an Architect’s involvement by law. Any project over a certain size, or that includes any zoning analysis, does require one. But we encourage people to think of this question differently. Your house is likely the most valuable thing you own, and you and your family spend your life there. Or for business owners—your space is a critical piece of infrastructure, and deserves proper consideration to maximize output, profits, and employee retention.

Rather than ask what the bare minimum by law you can get away with, we encourage clients to ask a different question: “Do I need help thinking about how to use my space better?” If the answer is “yes,” then you can use an Architect!

We focus on three types of projects:

  • Custom residential remodels, additions, and ground up construction: Representing about half of our work, this is where our construction experience and first-hand knowledge of old buildings combines with a hands-on design process to create fully custom, beautiful, practical spaces for our clients. We focus on projects that are transformative to the house, are full gut renovations, and/or are complicated. Need to lift your house in the air to create a full basement underneath, or need to gut your whole house inside and out? That’s us! We don’t generally take on smaller projects, though feel free to reach out to see if it might be a fit.
  • Multifamily residential/mixed use projects: Steeped in the practical concerns of developers, we bring our deep knowledge of unit layout, egress optimization, care for the urban realm and neighborhood, and creative approaches to zoning, massing, and challenging lots. We often consult with developers in their pro-forma development stages, work behind the scenes with larger firms on multifamily projects, or team with other smaller firms to do this kind of work.
  • Commercial/Industrial: Our commercial and industrial clients are passionate business owners who see our combination of creativity and practicality as an asset to their unique projects. From breweries, distilleries, and retail spaces to concepts for a drone delivery facility or vertical boat storage facilities, and from cannabis dispensaries to waste recycling plants, we love working with our clients to keep their work going, expand their production, amplify their vision, and marshal engineers and experts to get their projects done.

We are also active in our local Architecture schools teaching and sitting on reviews, have done in-house research related to building science and climate resilience, and consult on all kinds of topics. If you’re thinking we might be a good fit for you, just reach out and we’ll go from there!

First, ask your friends, family, colleagues, neighborhood groups, etc. Chances are, people you know and trust have worked with Architects or know people who have. Ask them who they worked with, whether they would recommend them, how the project went [both during design and construction phases], and what services the Architect provided. Think about when you need a new dentist or accountant – you ask your friends! Most of our work is through referrals like these – it works well for everyone, as the conversation starts out with a mutual, trusted referral.

Next – Google them! Do you like their work? Do they have a blog or Instagram, so you can see how they talk about their work, and where you can get a sense of their personality, values, and priorities? If you like what you see, then ask for an interview, and ask them about their process. They should include you in their process, and should have a proven track record with other clients—ask for references! [We have a document posted on our website under “Resources” that provides a list of questions you can ask potential architects, to make sure you’re covering your bases!]

And finally, you should choose someone you think you’ll be able to work well with. The Architect-Client relationship is intense during the project—think about your energy and theirs, about their demeanor and yours. You want to work with someone you’ll get along with, who’s good at helping you make decisions [there will be LOTS!], and who makes you feel confident, reassured, and inspired. It’s not enough that they know their stuff – they should be a good fit for you personality-wise as well!

We focus on three types of projects:

  • Custom residential remodels, additions, and ground up construction: Representing about half of our work, this is where our construction experience and first-hand knowledge of old buildings combines with a hands-on design process to create fully custom, beautiful, practical spaces for our clients. We focus on projects that are transformative to the house, are full gut renovations, and/or are complicated. Need to lift your house in the air to create a full basement underneath, or need to gut your whole house inside and out? That’s us! We don’t generally take on smaller projects, though feel free to reach out to see if it might be a fit.
  • Multifamily residential/mixed use projects: Steeped in the practical concerns of developers, we bring our deep knowledge of unit layout, egress optimization, care for the urban realm and neighborhood, and creative approaches to zoning, massing, and challenging lots. We often consult with developers in their pro-forma development stages, work behind the scenes with larger firms on multifamily projects, or team with other smaller firms to do this kind of work.
  • Commercial/Industrial: Our commercial and industrial clients are passionate business owners who see our combination of creativity and practicality as an asset to their unique projects. From breweries, distilleries, and retail spaces to concepts for a drone delivery facility or vertical boat storage facilities, and from cannabis dispensaries to waste recycling plants, we love working with our clients to keep their work going, expand their production, amplify their vision, and marshal engineers and experts to get their projects done.

We are also active in our local Architecture schools teaching and sitting on reviews, have done in-house research related to building science and climate resilience, and consult on all kinds of topics. If you’re thinking we might be a good fit for you, just reach out and we’ll go from there!

Short answer, no. We want to be involved from day one of the project through the final day of construction because we know from years of experience that that’s the way to deliver the best product. We want our clients to be thrilled with the results; we want things to run smoothly, and we know how to make sure that happens. If you’re looking for less than full services, we’re not going to be a good fit!

We break the project down into phases:

  1. Existing Conditions: We measure out the existing space, and create digital drawings [2D and sometimes 3D], mapping out everything we can see—including electrical, HVAC, and plumbing locations, structure, windows, doors, fixtures, etc. We do this ourselves, to learn about the building and get our heads into the project; not everyone does, but it’s integral to our process, and cuts down on surprises later.

  2. Schematic Design: We work through several iterations of the project, figuring out the layout of all spaces, including kitchens and bathrooms, and create a set of schematic drawings that are detailed enough to get some “ballpark” pricing from contractors.

  3. Bid Coordination: We provide a walkthrough for contractors to see the space and ask us questions, and then we help you review the bids that contractors submit. Our prior experience in contracting and as construction estimators really help here!

  4. Construction Documents and Interior Design: Now that we know the basic layout of the project and we have assurance that we’re in your budget ballpark, we create in-depth construction documents [plans, sections, interior and exterior elevations, electrical/HVAC plans, fixture schedules, etc] which also  include all fixture and finish selections—everything from paint colors, kitchen cabinets, tile, grout, sinks, faucets, floor materials, and everything in between! We’ll even help you with furniture selections and arranging your new space. These drawings are called the “construction set”, and they are also what we’ll use to apply for building permits, zoning variances if needed, and the like.

    Depending on the size and type of project, engineers may be engaged to help with structure, mechanical, plumbing, facade, etc.; generally, residential projects don’t require much engineering, while commercial and industrial projects do require an engineering team.

  5. Construction Administration: During construction, we’re there through every phase, from demo through finishes. We attend meetings with the contractor, answer questions that come up along the way, and deal with all the surprises that come up.

    We also review the contractor’s invoices, suggest substitutions for materials and fixtures if needed, and help resolve all issues that come up during construction. Contractor calls you saying the tile we chose is suddenly not available and they need a new selection right now? We’re on it. Contractor opens a wall and discovers a bunch of pipes that can’t be moved, and the design needs to change, but the cabinets have already been ordered? Been there, done that – we’ve got it!

    At the end of the project, we prepare a punchlist of items for the contractor to correct before they receive their final payment. In short, we’re your agent onsite, answering 95% of the questions that come up day-to-day, while only bringing you the ones we know you’ll want to weigh in on. And then, the building is yours!

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What our clients and contractors say

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Marilyn and the Runcible Studios team are a pleasure to work with. They bring creative energy, ingenious problem solving, and attention to detail that exceeds expectations. Their team understands how multi-family buildings are put together and how the spaces should..."

Marilyn and the Runcible Studios team are a pleasure to work with. They bring creative energy, ingenious problem solving, and attention to detail that exceeds expectations. Their team understands how multi-family buildings are put together and how the spaces should function. Marilyn is very adept at managing a project's budget and timeline, and is a forthright communicator who is able to deliver on her promises. Beyond the mechanics of design and project management, the Runcible team excels at imagining and crafting buildings that have a unique spirit and identity. 

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Sharon Gentges Principal, Joy Street Design, Boston, MA
I can’t imagine taking on another renovation project without Marilyn and the rest of the team at Runcible Studios. From the beginning, Marilyn took time to ensure we were comfortable with every step of the process and guided us in..."

I can’t imagine taking on another renovation project without Marilyn and the rest of the team at Runcible Studios. From the beginning, Marilyn took time to ensure we were comfortable with every step of the process and guided us in every decision that we had to make. She took time to get to know us and our tastes so that her recommendations were always on point. Her management of the project and rapport with the construction team ensured everything was done on time and with quality. When issues came up, she took time to explain the situation to us and provided us with clear options on how to proceed. Her involvement through the project from design through completion helped make it as successful as it possible could have been. We couldn’t be happier with the way our house came out!

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Ximena and Alex Boston, MA
Working with Marilyn is a dream. Her visit to our home was one of the most illuminating conversations my wife and I have ever had when it comes to how we think about our home and our strategy for investing..."

Working with Marilyn is a dream. Her visit to our home was one of the most illuminating conversations my wife and I have ever had when it comes to how we think about our home and our strategy for investing in improvements over time and within our budget. Marilyn is patient and wise and brings an extremely high level of construction, real estate, and architectural knowledge. She's able to envision design opportunities that we, after living in our space for years, could not. She asks questions we wouldn't know to ask ourselves and she truly listens. She's a fantastic design partner and on top of all this, is one of the kindest people I know.

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Caleb Dean Medford, MA
Marilyn and her team helped us through every step of the renovation of our two-family home in Somerville: designing, selecting a contractor, drafting construction documents, and managing the build. They created a flow that fits our lifestyle, pairing our desire..."

Marilyn and her team helped us through every step of the renovation of our two-family home in Somerville: designing, selecting a contractor, drafting construction documents, and managing the build. They created a flow that fits our lifestyle, pairing our desire for open space with a connection to the outdoors with functional areas to support two people working from home. We’re happy, it was easy to find a tenant excited about the rental unit, and we know this space will be our home for many years to come. Thank you Runcible Studios!”

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Phil B. and Kim E. Somerville, MA
One of the unanticipated benefits of having worked with Marilyn is that she really helped us to define what our overall values and priorities are in relation to living and being home. Marilyn got us to consider deeper questions than..."

One of the unanticipated benefits of having worked with Marilyn is that she really helped us to define what our overall values and priorities are in relation to living and being home. Marilyn got us to consider deeper questions than ever anticipated and it was always a joy to follow her design process. Marilyn is wonderfully knowledgeable, thorough and organized and no stone gets left unturned when it comes to the options she presented. She is full of enthusiasm and expertise and my husband and I could not have been more pleased with the work she did for us. I feel like Marilyn joined our family in meaningful ways.

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Lisa and Ian Cambridge, MA
I’ve worked with the team at Runcible across multiple renovations on my home in Cambridge and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Marilyn and team invested the time to deeply understand my objectives, concerns, lifestyle, and aesthetic – this design..."

I've worked with the team at Runcible across multiple renovations on my home in Cambridge and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Marilyn and team invested the time to deeply understand my objectives, concerns, lifestyle, and aesthetic – this design process yielded a highly functional and modern layout that feels natural in a 100+ year old home. Beyond the drawings, what really set Runcible apart was the spirit of partnership that I felt throughout each stage of the project. Throughout the ups and downs, I knew that I had a trustworthy, reliable, and insightful advisor that I could depend on. The house looks absolutely incredible, and I couldn’t have done it without Runcible!

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Private Client Cambridge, MA
We had a great experience working with Marilyn. We started with some pretty vague requirements and a very broad sense of what types of design we liked. Marilyn did an amazing job of going from this to a really exciting..."

We had a great experience working with Marilyn. We started with some pretty vague requirements and a very broad sense of what types of design we liked. Marilyn did an amazing job of going from this to a really exciting proposal that was beyond what we thought was possible and yet fit our budget and needs as a growing family. From that initial meeting to the completion of the project there wasn’t a detail that she wasn’t willing to jump in and figure out from helping figure out fixtures to dealing with the city for permits, working with the contractors, troubleshooting the inevitable curveballs that come up when construction starts, to thinking about how to arrange the rooms once the place was finished. Any big project will require hundreds of small but important decisions from paint color to light fixtures to bathroom mirrors. Marilyn took the time to understand our design preferences and presented us with a few options, saving us an inordinate amount of time and stress (and helped us avoid making some bad design decisions). We’re still overjoyed by how transformational the project was and feel so happy to get to live in such a functional and beautiful space.

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Private Client Cambridge, MA
As a construction company, we’ve worked with many architects over the years and Marilyn and her firm, Runcible Studios is second to none. Her depth of knowledge, eye for design and knack for problem solving are outstanding. Runcible Studios is..."

As a construction company, we’ve worked with many architects over the years and Marilyn and her firm, Runcible Studios is second to none. Her depth of knowledge, eye for design and knack for problem solving are outstanding. Runcible Studios is always responsive and a pleasure to work with. Marilyn achieves giving clients what they want - even if they are not entirely sure in the beginning - look effortless. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Marilyn and her firm for many years to come.

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Ralph Khirallah Owner, RK Construction
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