Joy Squared Design

NEW WORK: Joy Squared Design is delighted to have been recently selected by the City of Boston and Boston Housing Authority (BHA) to study Veterans Housing on two potential sites in South Boston. We are exploring best practices for the architecture, site selection, and amenities necessary to create stable, grounding, and healing housing for veterans in the city. This includes Trauma Informed Design strategies and learning from precedent projects, like Patriot Homes, operated by South Boston NDC who graciously showed us around last week.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXiJbg-jnUN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

NEW WORK: Joy Squared Design is delighted to have been recently selected by the City of Boston and Boston Housing Authority (BHA) to study Veterans Housing on two potential sites in South Boston. We are exploring best practices for the architecture, site selection, and amenities necessary to create stable, grounding, and healing housing for veterans in the city. This includes Trauma Informed Design strategies and learning from precedent projects, like Patriot Homes, operated by South Boston NDC who graciously showed us around last week. Photography: Greig Cranna

Last week, the City of Boston announced more than $52 million in new funding to support the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing across Boston. The awards, administered through the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the Community Preservation Fund, and the Neighborhood Housing Trust, will support 13 developments in nine neighborhoods, resulting in 892 income-restricted rental homes, including 75 homes that will be set aside for families and individuals exiting homelessness.

Joy Squared Design was honored to celebrate with East Boston CDC and Affirmative Investments the funding of Phase 1 of our project, 2 Shawsheen Road.

2 Shawsheen Road will create 35 new affordable family-sized rental homes in Orient Heights, steps from the MBTA station. Built on a former industrial site near Belle Isle Marsh, the four-story Passive House-certified building will reserve more than half of its homes for families earning very low incomes. The project will provide access to supportive services and expand affordable housing in a neighborhood with below-average affordability.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXWyz2TjvhS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA

Last week, the City of Boston announced more than $52 million in new funding to support the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing across Boston. The awards, administered through the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the Community Preservation Fund, and the Neighborhood Housing Trust, will support 13 developments in nine neighborhoods, resulting in 892 income-restricted rental homes, including 75 homes that will be set aside for families and individuals exiting homelessness. Joy Squared Design was honored to celebrate with East Boston CDC and Affirmative Investments the funding of Phase 1 of our project, 2 Shawsheen Road. 2 Shawsheen Road will create 35 new affordable family-sized rental homes in Orient Heights, steps from the MBTA station. Built on a former industrial site near Belle Isle Marsh, the four-story Passive House-certified building will reserve more than half of its homes for families earning very low incomes. The project will provide access to supportive services and expand affordable housing in a neighborhood with below-average affordability.

We're excited to announce that Joe Lambert is now a licensed architect! Joe has been with Joy Squared Design for over 10 years (as The Narrow Gate Architecture) and is already a Certified Passive House Consultant, LEED GA, and CSBA. He has long been a leader in our office in Passive House design, BIM development, and all areas of design and project management. We’re thrilled to see this milestone recognize the expertise he has brought to our work for many year. Congratulations, Joe!

With the advent of 2026, we celebrate a full year as Joy Squared Design. Our growth to a 20-person practice last year brought new energy and opportunity. In our blog, we explore new and completed projects, staff milestones, and our SCALE grant. You can read more about some of our milestones here:

https://www.joysquared.design/2026/02/the-year-in-review-looking-back-on-our-first-year-as-joy-squared-design/

Joy Squared Design’s recent work with the Town of Amherst was covered by the Daily Hampshire Gazette! Since the spring we’ve been working with the town to study options for developing housing on a site in South Amherst. At our first public meeting we met with neighbors and Amherst residents at the nearby Munson Memorial Library to gather opinions and feedback. In this meeting we shared our process and the three design options we landed on, which will inform the town’s next steps.

Three design options unveiled for South Amherst School property - Daily Hampshire Gazette AMHERST — Between 15 and 25 units of new housing could be developed on the 3-acre site of the former South Amherst School at 1001 South East St., based on concepts unveiled by a Boston architecture company. Three design options that would be feasible for the context of the site, including one that...