Expanding services, growing team – and a new website!
We’re excited to announce expanded lines of service, growing breadth of work and team and a new website! Since our inception in 2015, we have maintained a founding core belief that “design positively shapes the human experience, from the everyday to the extraordinary.” This commitment to design has guided the expansion of services, business growth and the development of a multitalented staff of 14.
“Brandon and I started this firm based on a shared love of design and a belief in the power of multidisciplinary thinking. This has resonated with likeminded clients as well as the talented architects and designers who have joined our team. Despite a challenging hiring environment, we have been able to find (and be found by) people who share this commitment. And in turn, we are committed to creating a great working environment. Over the past year, as we’ve doubled our staff, we’ve also expanded employee benefits, launched a profit-sharing program and built out our operations and technology infrastructure. This latest step, an expansion of services – is a reflection of how much we’ve evolved – while staying focused on design, first and foremost,” says Elisa Winter Holben, Principal & CEO.
Here's what’s new:
Expansion of services and integrated design approach
Our expanded lines of services are defined within four areas of expertise: “Design Strategy & Branding,” “Architecture & Planning,” “Interior Environments” and “Experiential Graphic Design.” While each of these services may be accessed as standalone services, we specialize in “integrated design” projects in which all four of the services are combined in a holistic approach that taps into our collective creativity, technical expertise, and strategic thinking. The results of an integrated design approach are demonstrated in a seamless physical environment that connects branding, site, structure, and human behavior, and can be applied in projects across industries, from restaurant to retail to museum and cultural institutions. More detail on each of these lines of service can be found on winterholben.com/expertise.
Growing demand both close to home and across the country
We continue to see steadily increasing demand from both commercial and residential clients. Current projects under construction or in development include the soon-to-open Buoy Shack in Kittery, five craft breweries in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including Stoneface Brewing Co. in Newington, N.H., master planning and design reinvention for a popular Maine lakefront resort destination and a number of mixed-use developments. Additionally, we continue to donate design services to non-profit institutions and community organizations, most recently to the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, N.H., to develop the new Gulf of Maine exhibit and museum entrance area, in support of the museum’s ocean conservation education programs.
Demand has also grown dramatically over recent years on a national scale, in particular our work for retail client Bank of America. In 2018, we were selected as a dedicated creative partner to Bank of America’s Financial Center and Market Growth Strategy team, supporting ongoing design efforts for financial centers across the country and in 2021, we were awarded additional work creating a scalable placement approach for the bank’s retail branding, merchandising and art programs, including implementation of the groundbreaking ArtLifting program, through which Bank of America is providing a nationwide platform for underrepresented artists.
Examples of our growing portfolio can be found on winterholben.com/work.
Building a bigger team, keeping a “small-studio” feel
Over the past year, WINTER HOLBEN has more than doubled in staff. A design-focused culture, coupled with a collaborative and flexible studio environment has helped attract seven new talented team members to support the growing body of work, including operations leadership and support, project architect, project designer and multiple experiential graphic designer positions. In addition, several designers were promoted to “design lead” positions, with responsibility for distinct portfolios, and the firm is actively hiring for several new positions. Learn more about each member of the team on winterholben.com/people.
“What started as a creative partnership with the two of us has evolved into something much bigger. We feel a real responsibility to the talented people on our team and a deep commitment to supporting our wider community. Our goal is to continue to be a great place to work, where we provide opportunities to work on big ideas and innovative design, but never lose our small-team approach,” says Brandon Holben, Principal Architect.
Learn more about the WINTER HOLBEN culture, design values, support for community and more at winterholben.com/about.