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NBC’s Today Show Takes Viewers on a Tour of the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab

Written by WPA on April 25, 2025. Posted in Architecture, Civic, Community, Elizabeth River, Elizabeth River Project, Environment, ERP, Norfolk, Uncategorized, Virginia, WPA.

The Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab, designed by Work Program Architects, was recently featured on NBC’s Today show, bringing national attention to the Norfolk-based nonprofit’s groundbreaking model for climate resilience. The segment highlighted how the lab is providing both hope and inspiration for residents of coastal communities worldwide.

Consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen took viewers on a tour of the lab as part of the show’s climate coverage, noting how it “showcases inventive and practical ways homeowners and builders can design structures to endure severe weather and combat pollution.”

Situated along Knitting Mill Creek in Norfolk, the 6,500-square-foot lab was intentionally built within a flood zone to showcase real-world solutions to environmental challenges. The building incorporates features such as a floating entry pavilion, permeable parking surfaces, rainwater reuse systems, green roofs, and a living shoreline, each element contributing to its net-zero energy goals and resilience against rising tides.

“The thing we kept in mind from the very beginning was sustainability, resilience to flooding, and accessibility,” project architect Sam Bowling told Nguyen. “We wanted to make sure that every solution was something that someone could buy off the shelf, put together with parts [and] do it themselves or find someone locally who could do it for them.”

The lab, which opened in Spring of 2024, provides tours and programming year-round for anyone interested in learning more about the solutions included in the Today show report, as well as those just looking to connect with the river.

People who visit the lab “are so excited,” said Elizabeth River Project Founder Marjorie Mayfield Jackson. “They come back with their neighbors and friends and colleagues. It’s a new day on the Elizabeth River and I hope it’s giving hope around the world.”

For the full Today show segment above and here. Read more about the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab here.

Expanded Perry Glass Studio Reopens at the Chrysler Museum of Art

Written by WPA on April 14, 2025. Posted in Architecture, Arts & Design District, Chrysler Museum, Civic, Downtown Norfolk, Educational, Glass, Glass Studio, Hampton Roads, NEON, Norfolk, Uncategorized, Virginia, WPA.

The Perry Glass Studio at the Chrysler Museum of Art has officially reopened following a $30 million expansion. The museum marked the occasion with a vibrant weekend of festivities that drew major media attention and hundreds of visitors. The grand opening included live glassblowing demonstrations by nationally recognized artists, a sold-out gala event, and a family-friendly festival featuring performances and hands-on activities.

In advance of the festivities, the expanded facility was featured across regional media outlets including 13News Now, WAVY, The Virginian-Pilot, and WHRO, all highlighting the studio’s striking transformation and its significance to Norfolk’s cultural landscape.

“It’s a dream come true to see it emerging fully finished and ready to go,” WPA’s Thom White told WAVY. “I think it will be huge. It will have the ability to reach a lot more visitors, to educate students and glassmaking and the arts around glass. It’s so versatile in the way that it can handle programming, whether that be productions in the theater, hot shop or this classroom.”

Work Program Architects led the design of the project, which more than tripled the size of the original studio and established it as a leading center for glass art in the U.S. The reimagined space includes a 190-seat amphitheater-style hot shop, dedicated classrooms, and state-of-the-art cold- and flame-working areas, all designed to accommodate a growing community of artists, students, and visitors. With a focus on transparency, accessibility, and environmental resilience, the expansion enhances both the creative and educational mission of the museum while preparing the site for future climate challenges.

Media coverage highlighted both the design and the experience it creates. 13News Now provided a behind-the-scenes video tour, while WAVY spotlighted the museum’s assistantship program, which is aided by the new space. In a written report, WHRO detailed the many ways community members, including university students, can utilize the facility to create their own works of art, while an episode of the station’s arts program, Curate, explored the studio and the artform, as well as the origins of the expansion.

“We interviewed several architectural firms up and down the east coast, from all the big cities,” said Robin Rogers, manager and program director for the Perry Glass Studio. “But it was a local firm, WPA, that really hit it out of the park.”

The Virginian-Pilot provided even more historical context to the recent developments, noting the glass studio’s beginnings as a 9,200-square-foot facility that “reached capacity after the huge demand due to the popular glassblowing classes and partnerships with local colleges and community organizations.”

“The workshops allow visiting and in-house artists to create new and innovative artwork on full display to visitors,” project architect Robert Crawshaw told The Virginian-Pilot. “And spaces throughout the expansion present opportunities for the museum to display these works.”

Watch and read coverage of the opening from WAVY, 13News Now, The Virginian-Pilot and WHRO. Read more about the project here.

Work Program Architects named to Inc. List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the Mid-Atlantic for 2025

Written by WPA on April 11, 2025. Posted in Uncategorized, WPA.

Work Program Architects (WPA) is No. 113 on the fifth annual Inc. Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list, recognizing the fastest-growing private companies in the Mid-Atlantic, which includes Delaware, Maryland, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. An extension of the national Inc. 5000 list, the Regionals offer a unique look at the most successful companies within the Mid-Atlantic economy’s most dynamic segment – its independent small businesses.

“This recognition from Inc. is particularly meaningful because it’s an honor based on results for work that was driven by our mission,” says Work Program Architects CEO Mel Price. “Our growth has been fueled by our commitment to social, economic and environmental resilience in our community. Making a positive impact across multiple fronts is certainly something worth celebrating.”

The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Mid-Atlantic. Between 2021 and 2023, these private companies had a median growth rate of 95 percent; by 2023, they’d also added 7,266 jobs and $4.9 billion to the region’s economy.

Complete results of the Inc. Regionals: Mid-Atlantic, including company profiles, can be found at inc.com/regionals/mid-atlantic.

“The honorees on this year’s Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond,” says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. “This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country.”

This is the second honor in a short time for WPA, as it was also named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025, ranking No. 7 in the Social Good category. That annual list “recognizes businesses and organizations leading their industries through bold ideas and meaningful impact.”

Work Program Architects Named a 2025 Most Innovative Company by Fast Company

Written by WPA on March 24, 2025. Posted in Awards, Norfolk, Social Good, Uncategorized, WPA.

Work Program Architects (WPA) has been named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025, earning the #7 spot in the Social Good category. The annual list recognizes businesses and organizations leading their industries through bold ideas and meaningful impact.

“As the world shifts and industries transform, the World’s Most Innovative Companies aren’t just keeping up. They’re setting the pace,” wrote Fast Company in its introduction to this year’s list, which includes other forward-looking companies like Waymo, Athletic Brewing and BlueSky. “Fast Company’s annual look at the most groundbreaking companies in every industry and across the globe offers a snapshot of innovation today and a playbook for the future.”

The Most Innovative Companies recognition highlights WPA’s commitment to designing spaces that foster resilience and strengthen communities with a particular focus. The firm’s work is shaped by a guiding principle that every project must address at least two of three core objectives: economic resilience, social resilience, and coastal resilience.

“Architecture has the power to strengthen communities, but only when the design process prioritizes the needs of the people who live and work in these places,” said Mel Price, CEO of WPA. “This recognition from Fast Company underscores the importance of placing resilience and social impact at the forefront of design.”

In the write-up that accompanied the recognition, Fast Company highlighted the expansion of the Perry Glass Studio at Norfolk’s Chrysler Museum of Art. Completed in September 2024, the project tripled the studio’s size while integrating flood-mitigation strategies to protect it from recurrent flooding.

“WPA used advanced flood-mitigation techniques, including innovative subterranean engineering, to help raise the building above the floodplain, ensuring it can withstand rising sea levels and severe weather events,” Fast Company noted.

Fast Company also notes the impact the studio is having on the local creative economy, with nearly 1,500 community members participating in glassmaking by the close of 2024 and monthly visitors averaging 2,500 to 3,000. The project stands as a model for how cultural spaces can adapt to climate challenges while fostering community engagement.

Check out the full list of Most Innovative Companies here.

Work Program Architects Recognized as a Top Impact Company by Real Leaders

Written by WPA on January 16, 2025. Posted in AIA, ERT, Monticello Arcade, St. Pauls, Urban Design, Vibe District, WPA, WPA Studio.

Real Leaders® has unveiled its Top Impact Companies for 2025, and Work Program Architects (WPA) made the list! The Norfolk-based firm placed 66th among all honorees and 11th in the “Construction, Energy, and Facilities” category.

The Real Leaders Top Impact Companies list celebrates privately-owned businesses that excel in making meaningful contributions to the world. The competition, now in its seventh year, assessed companies based on revenue, growth and six key pillars of I.M.P.A.C.T.: Intention, Model, People, Accountability, Collaboration, and Transformation. WPA was recognized for creating “projects unique to their location that advance sustainability, climate resilience and social justice.”

“We truly appreciate being included on this list,” said CEO Mel Price. “Everyone at WPA believes in the power of design to have positive impacts on people and communities. We work hard to do good, and we believe strongly in a more resilient future for our communities and environment.”

Real Leaders highlighted WPA’s contributions to sustainable design, emphasizing the firm’s commitment to creating spaces that promote environmental stewardship, community well-being, and lasting impact.

This year’s list includes a variety of respected impact-driven brands across industries, such as Cotopaxi, PATH, Alter Eco Foods, and Climate First Bank.

“It seems like every company is calling themselves an impact company these days,” said Kevin Edwards, President of Real Leaders. “We wanted to spotlight businesses that are genuinely dedicated to making a difference. By incorporating CEO interviews and community-driven impact evaluations, we ensured that only the most deserving organizations made the list.”

A special “Real Leaders UNITE” awards celebration will be held in San Diego on Feb. 3-4, 2025 to honor the winners.

About Real Leaders

Real Leaders is the fastest-growing community for impact-driven leaders, supported by a global media platform that advocates for purpose-driven business. Founded in 2010, Real Leaders promotes responsible leadership that prioritizes employees, society, and the planet alongside profit. An independently owned Certified B Corporation and member of the UN Global Compact, Real Leaders is on a mission to unite farsighted leaders to transform our shortsighted world.

WAVY, WHRO Highlight Functionality and Resilience of New Perry Glass Studio

Written by WPA on January 10, 2025. Posted in AIA, Architecture, Chrysler Museum, Education, ERT, Glass, Glass Studio, Hampton Roads, Monticello Arcade, Norfolk, Reslience, St. Pauls, Urban Design, Vibe District, Virginia, WPA, WPA Studio.

As the second and final phase of the Perry Glass Studio’s expansion and renovation nears completion, members of the press are taking notice of the new structure standing tall alongside the main Chrysler Museum of Art building in Norfolk, Virginia. These recent stories show how the WPA-designed project is elevating the museum’s beloved studio to become a world-class center for glass artistry that also demonstrates innovative approaches to flood mitigation.

The Perry Glass Studio has long been a cornerstone of the museum, offering hands-on experiences and drawing artists from around the world. With the $30 million expansion tripling its size, the studio will better meet a growing demand. “My favorite feature of this whole project is […] the ability to do more than one thing at once,” said Perry Glass Studio Program Director Robin Rogers in a recent WAVY segment.

While the renovation of the previously existing studio into additional instructional space is just now nearing completion, the studio’s 24,000-square-foot expansion has been open for months, providing a cutting edge facility for education, exhibitions, and live demonstrations, while also creating welcoming spaces for the community.

In addition to functionality, the building’s design prioritizes resilience in the face of flooding. This was the focus of another recent segment, from WHRO. Norfolk’s vulnerability to sea level rise required innovative solutions to ensure the studio could withstand future flooding.

“In our area in Norfolk, where many of our projects are, we have to deal with the environment first because of flooding,” project architect Robert Crawshaw told WHRO. “So not only are they getting the tidal (flooding), but they’re also getting all of the water that’s draining off of several square miles of area uphill.”

Measures include raising the building and the power transformer that keeps the furnaces running above the floodplain, as well as the installation of a large rain garden, designed by Stromberg Garrigan & Associates. As WHRO highlighted, the project emphasizes sustainability and adaptation, showcasing how design can address both creative and environmental challenges.

Watch and listen to the complete coverage at WAVY and WHRO.

Architectural Products on WPA: “Community Architecture at its Finest”

Written by WPA on December 17, 2024. Posted in Assembly, Chrysler Museum, Community, Elizabeth River Project, Glass Studio, Mel Price, Norfolk, Virginia, WPA.

Community is critical to the work we do at Work Program Architects. Whether we’re working with local officials, engaging small business owners or talking with neighbors about their hopes and concerns, we rely on their voices to help our projects enhance the social, economic, and environmental landscape of our region.

Barbara Horwitz-Bennett at Architectural Products recently highlighted this aspect of our work in her Last Details column, going so far as to call the work WPA does “a shining example of community architecture at its finest.”

To support that superlative statement, she shared some of our favorite community-focused projects, like the Ryan Resilience Lab, OpenNorfolk, and the Perry Glass Studio at the Chrysler Museum of Art. Each of these projects reflects our mission to make communities stronger, more vibrant, and more resilient.

“We view the community as a major stakeholder in the work we do. They might not be the ones calling for a proposal, but they will be impacted by the environments we help build,” WPA CEO Mel Price told Horwitz-Bennett. “For a project to be successful, those impacts need to be taken into account, which means that those people need to be listened to.”

Read the full article in Architectural Products here.

The Architect’s Newspaper Showcases WPA’s Approach to Community Engagement

Written by WPA on December 12, 2024. Posted in Architecture, Community, Uncategorized, WPA.

When it comes to design, community engagement doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Here at Work Program Architects, we believe it’s the foundation of every successful project.

In a recent article for The Architect’s Newspaper, CEO Mel Price and Director of Urban Design Peter Johnston shared how WPA approaches community engagement, emphasizing the importance of building trust, fostering emotional connections, and empowering communities. They write:

When a new building or development is planned in a neighborhood, it is only natural that emotions run high. A new project doesn’t just change the skyline and sightlines, after all; it alters the fabric of communities in a way that can be unnerving for even the most open-minded resident.

In our practice, Work Program Architects (WPA), we work on civic-oriented projects, which often get some pushback from residents and other stakeholders. Each project is different, but collectively they have provided us with valuable insights about complexities of community dynamics and the value of a well-run community engagement plan.

It may be tempting to regard this part of the process as another box to check, but designers and builders can’t afford to treat community engagement as an afterthought. Done wrong, this critical part of the design process can lead to mistrust, opposition, and polarization.

Read the full article in The Architect’s Newspaper here.

TCC Visual Arts and Design Center Featured in Retrofit Magazine

Written by WPA on October 1, 2024. Posted in Adaptive Reuse, Architecture, Downtown Norfolk, Education, Hampton Roads, Higher Education, Norfolk, TCC, Virginia, Visual Arts + Design Center, WPA.

Students have now had a full year in the new Visual Arts and Design Center at Tidewater Community College, but the project is still gaining new fans in the architecture community. The most recent recognition of the adaptive reuse project comes from Retrofit Magazine, which included the center in its package of notable education retrofits.

Located at street level on Boush Street in downtown Norfolk, beneath the 15-story condominium community Harbor Heights, the space now occupied by the Visual Arts and Design Center was previously a grocery store. The new facility was a necessity for the college’s visual arts program, which was forced to borrow space from other departments after electrical issues made its previous home in Portsmouth untenable.

The challenge for WPA was to quickly design, build, and deliver a new visual arts center in the 38,180-square-foot space that could contain the college’s expanding programs, such as graphic design. Despite volatile pandemic pricing and supply chain challenges, the design and build team managed to stay on schedule and within budget, allowing for classes to start in the fall semester of 2023.

The Visual Arts and Design Center was featured alongside The Henry Ford history museum in Dearborn, Mich.; the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.; and Johns Hopkins University’s adaptive reuse of the Newseum building in Washington, D.C. (which is pictured on the cover of the magazine).

View the full issue here.

Preservation Virginia Recognizes Assembly With ‘Outstanding Preservation Project Award’

Written by WPA on September 17, 2024. Posted in Architecture, Assembly, Awards, Downtown Norfolk, Historic, Norfolk, Preservation, Uncategorized, Virginia, WPA.

Assembly Exterior — Assembly, Norfolk, VA

Assembly, the downtown Norfolk office campus housed in a century-old building, is being awarded The Gabriella Page Outstanding Preservation Project Award by Preservation Virginia. The restored five-story building at 400 Granby Street, which was co-designed by Work Program Architects and Campfire & Co., joins a distinguished list of preservation projects that have been recognized by the organization since 1971.

“The 2024 slate of awardees demonstrates the power of historic preservation in revitalizing communities and sharing stories the general public otherwise may not know,” said Elizabeth S. Kostelny, Preservation Virginia CEO, in a statement. “Historic preservation is a proven economic engine in cities and rural areas, and the stories these places share add understanding to where we came from and where we’re going.”

Assembly actually occupies three historic buildings on Granby: the Ames & Brownley, built in 1919, which became Rice’s Department Store; the Sears & Roebuck building, and an adjacent warehouse. A full restoration brought back the main building’s 1920s appearance, while a thorough renovation of the 50,000-square-foot building introduced public spaces, a five-story open air stairway, shared work areas for the tenant businesses, and a rooftop terrace.

In recognizing the project and a design-build team that includes Commonwealth Preservation Group and Clancy & Theys Construction, Preservation Virginia stated that “Assembly represents visionary and creative preservation of a historic building while adaptively re-using it for modern audiences.”

In addition to housing GROW, a digital innovation agency and the building’s anchor tenant, the office building is home to a number of technology and creative companies, including 757 Startup Studios, Orbis, Affari Project, Have a Good Day, Lynch Mykins, Istoria, RISE (Resilience Innovations) and Work Program Architects.

Historic Ames and Brownley Department Store 1930 — Ames and Brownley Department Store circa 1930

“This is a magnificent building with an incredible history,” said Robert Crawshaw, the project designer for Assembly. “It was so important to us that we preserve that history and its character, even as we prepared the building for its next chapter, as an incubator for creativity and innovation in this region. This award is recognition that we succeeded.”

Assembly is one of five projects to receive the Gabriella Page award this year, joining the Murray-Dick-Fawcett House in Alexandria, The Waterford Mill in Waterford, Old City Hall in Richmond, and The Inn at Foster Falls in Max Meadows. All the recipients will be recognized during a ceremony Friday, September 27, at Main Street Station in Richmond.

Read the full list of recipients here.