Pictured left to right: Michael Chavez, Associate; Laurene Demoy, Director of Marketing & Strategic Communications; Gail Sullivan, Co-Managing Principal; Gabriela Shelburne, Co-Managing Principal; Marylee Mercy; Principal; Sally Gibson, Senior Associate
Founder Gail Sullivan will retire at the end of 2027, after more than three decades leading the women-owned firm.
Studio G Architects is proud to announce a planned leadership transition that will position Gabriela Shelburne to become managing principal beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Gabriela, who is currently serving as co-managing principal alongside firm founder Gail Sullivan, will lead the firm as Gail begins a transition toward retirement, planned for the end of 2027.
Gabriela has been with Studio G Architects since 2011. She was named principal in 2024 and has led the firm’s Housing Studio for the past several years, guiding project managers, project architects, job captains and designers through the full life cycle of a project, from concept through construction.
“Gail has spent more than 30 years building a firm rooted in the belief that great design should be available to everyone, not just those who can easily afford it,” Gabriela said. “I’m honored to help carry that mission forward, and I’m grateful that Gail will remain closely involved as we continue to execute this transition together.”
Born and raised in Peru, Gabriela moved to Boston to study architecture, a field she said allowed her to combine her lifelong interests in math and art. She was drawn to Studio G Architects 15 years ago because of the firm’s focus on sustainability, and she has since built a reputation for designing energy-efficient buildings that are both beautiful and cost-effective.
Gabriela said the foundation of good architecture is understanding a client’s vision. She works closely with clients in the early stages of design, using workshops and visioning sessions to draw out stakeholders’ goals and needs for a space.
“Effective design should be honest, simple, timeless and sustainable, while still being functional and elegant,” Gabriela said. “I love working with mission-driven clients and designing for communities that serve people from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds. Everyone deserves a safe, dignified place to live, work and learn, and I’m committed to expanding access to great design.”
In her expanded role, Gabriela will take on broader responsibility for firm management, business development and staff recruitment, building on work she has already led as co-managing principal.
Gail Sullivan founded Studio G Architects more than 30 years ago to merge her early love of imagining and building places with her deep commitment to social justice, human rights and environmental advocacy. Under her leadership, the firm has focused on delivering high-quality architecture to the communities that need it most, including housing, educational spaces for learners of all ages, and environments designed to heal and nurture.
“Physical spaces shape experience. They can exclude or welcome, limit or inspire, depress or uplift,” Gail said. “That belief has guided every project we’ve taken on. I’m proud of what this firm has built, and I’m confident in Gabriela’s ability to lead it into its next chapter.”
Gail will remain actively involved with the firm through her planned retirement date of Dec. 31, 2027, working alongside Gabriela to ensure a smooth transition. Gail’s more than three decades of leadership have shaped Studio G Architects’ identity as a firm at the leading edge of socially and environmentally conscious design.
This year, Studio G Architects also celebrated the completion of several landmark projects. In Boston’s Nubian Square, the firm completed Franklin Cummings Tech, a 68,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-targeted campus for the Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology designed to double as a teaching tool, with exposed structural and mechanical systems that give students hands-on lessons in HVAC, electrical engineering and green-economy trades. On Cape Cod, the firm completed the Residences at Lawrence Hill in Wellfleet, a 46-unit, Phius-certified affordable housing community developed with Preservation of Affordable Housing and the Community Development Partnership to serve families and seniors in a region facing an acute shortage of affordable homes. And in Boston’s Highland Park neighborhood in Roxbury, 273 Highland, a 23-unit, 100% affordable development built on city-owned land through the city’s E+ Green Building Program, is set to open next month, offering residents a limited equity cooperative ownership model designed to build long-term financial equity and combat displacement.
The leadership transition follows a series of recent promotions that reflect the continued growth and strength of the Studio G Architects team. Principal Marylee Mercy now leads the firm’s Education and Civic Studio. Mike Chavez has joined the firm as an associate, bringing strong leadership and experience to the Housing Studio.
“These changes reflect where we’re headed as a firm,” Gabriela said. “We’re growing our leadership team with people who share our values, and we’re doing it while staying true to who we are.”
Studio G Architects will remain women-owned and women-led following the transition, a distinction the firm considers especially important.