Studio G Architects announced today that Franklin Cummings Tech’s new campus in Boston’s Nubian Square has been selected as an Outstanding Design in the 2026 American School & University Architectural Portfolio, the premier showcase recognizing excellence in educational architecture and design.
The Studio G Architects-designed campus is one of just 54 projects nationwide selected by this year’s Architectural Portfolio jury for inclusion in the November/December 2026 issue of American School & University. The annual program recognizes innovative educational environments that advance learning while responding to the evolving needs of students and communities.
“Franklin Cummings Tech is a project where design, education, sustainability and equity are deeply interconnected,” said Gail Sullivan, Co-Managing Principal of Studio G Architects. “Our goal was to create a campus that gives students exceptional spaces to learn while making the opportunities within those walls visible to the surrounding community. This recognition is especially meaningful because it celebrates a project designed to support Franklin Cummings Tech’s students and mission for generations to come.”
For more than a century, Franklin Cummings Tech has prepared Boston’s workforce for careers in the trades and technical fields. The college’s relocation from its long-time South End home to Nubian Square offered an opportunity to reimagine its campus while bringing the institution closer to the communities it serves. The college’s student body is 73% people of color, with many students the first in their families to attend college.
“The new Franklin Cummings Tech campus stands as a beacon of educational opportunity in the heart of Boston,” said Dr. Aisha Francis, President & CEO, Franklin Cummings Tech. “The building’s design provides 21st-century technology that supports STEM programming, fosters a sense of pride and community for students across the region, and offers room to expand enrollment and majors so more students in our region can connect to high-paying, high-demand tech and trade careers.”
Designed to put hands-on technical education on display, the campus features three stories of daylit technical labs and classrooms organized around flexible central commons. Ground-floor automotive, robotics and opticianry labs are visible from the street, while exposed structural and mechanical systems and rooftop HVAC labs turn the building itself into a teaching tool.
The high-performance campus accommodates 23 technical labs while achieving a projected Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 45.2 with its photovoltaic array, approximately 60% below the benchmark. The project also meets Boston’s Carbon Neutral Building Assessment with projected emissions below the city’s 2035 benchmark and is pursuing LEED Gold certification.
Despite reducing the college’s overall footprint by 32%, the new campus can comfortably serve 83% more students. The project was delivered by a women-led design team, with 50% of construction contracts awarded to Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE/WBE). Since the campus opened, student applications have increased by 20%.
The 2026 Architectural Portfolio honorees will be featured in the November/December issue of American School & University and online at SchoolDesigns.com.
