Placework is an architecture and planning practice located in Portsmouth, NH.  We design to elevate the human experience by creating places that feel good and foster connection.

Local design in rural and small urban places can be especially sensitive to the tension between traditional sensibilities and ever-evolving modern needs.  We specialize in this intersection with broad view planning that understands local culture and informs place-inspired design. For Placework, planning and design are an integrated process.

Placework is a Verb

Placework is a process of inquiry and listening, of observation and design iteration that generates positive outcomes for people and planet. Placework acknowledges every act of building, no matter its scale, as having meaning in the long story of place.  Our team’s diverse interests, skills, and experiences give us unique vantage for realizing design possibilities grounded in environmental and social responsibility.

Environmental Responsibility is the Foundation of our Work

With every project we are changing the relationship of buildings to the natural world from one that is destructive to one that is regenerative.  As a signatory to the AIA 2030 Commitment, we embrace our environmental responsibility and challenge convention.  “Sustainable Design” is not an optional service; creating high performance, healthy environments is integral to our design process.