Farewell Architects

Farewell Architects LLC (FA), founded by Michael Farewell in 2011, is an outgrowth of the nationally recognized firm Farewell Mills and Gatsch Architects in which Mr. Farewell led the design practice. The new firm continues the emphasis of the earlier work on institutional and educational projects with a focus on environmental design and sustainability. With a broad range of project types including schools, libraries, and museums, as well as housing and houses, the firm has resources in architectural design, interiors, and planning. 2014 marks the completion of 100 projects across a broad spectrum of scales.

FA’s work is grounded in the conviction that architecture is a community expression, that innovative new places have the ability to intensify, heighten and make memorable the rituals of use and occupation. The work, therefore, has been centered on understanding occupants’ needs and experience, and translating that accommodation into new and expressive designs.

We shape our buildings and plans to their sites and programs. As designers we believe that the creation of places that relate to local and regional tradition is a critical goal of the community expression we seek. Reinforcing the order of a college campus, knitting new architecture into the fabric of an existing city, and engaging the natural world in a profound dialogue are integral to our design approach.

These goals lead directly to a sustainable architecture, and the design approach incorporating these values has been widely published. Two current projects are pursuing LEED platinum certification and feature a net-zero energy approach. Two recent projects have been LEED gold certified, and many of the projects have met the standard for certification through an integrated design methodology. The Firm is committed to an architecture that expressively accommodates the systems of energy use, water management, and resource selection.

The five years of the new firm has seen the completion of eight buildings including three new university academic buildings, an environmental center, an independent school building and a black box theater. Two large scale housing projects are under construction, and a house is nearing completion. A range of renovation projects for colleges and universities is under construction.