Connecticut-based firm reflects on four decades of practice, culture, and growth as it charts a course toward regional design leadership.
Amenta Emma Architects is marking its 40th anniversary this year with a firm-wide celebration and a renewed strategic focus on regional growth. The Hartford-based architecture and design firm, which began with a specialization in workplace interiors for the insurance industry, now operates studios in academic, community, and workplace design and has expanded its presence across New England, including a growing office in Boston.
“When I look back at the firm’s 40-year history, I’m struck by how much has changed and by how much has stayed the same,” said Michael Tyre, President at Amenta Emma. “A pursuit of excellence and a commitment to client success have always been this firm’s north star. But the ways we live those values today would have been hard to imagine at the beginning.”
Founded in 1985 by Anthony Amenta and Robert Emma, Amenta Emma established its early reputation through great design with an exacting standard of quality in construction documentation, reducing change orders, improving project timelines, and building long-term client trust. That ethos of excellence has remained central even as the firm has broadened its definition of impact: from precision in drawings to innovation in design, inclusive team culture, and client advocacy.
Today, Amenta Emma is charting a strategic path to solidify its place as a regional design leader. The firm’s recently expanded Boston office is a key part of that effort, enabling it to pursue more projects across New England.
“When Bob and I founded the firm, we believed that great design, excellent service, and an unwavering attention to quality would set us apart,” said co-founder Anthony Amenta. “It’s been incredibly exciting to see a new generation build on that foundation by expanding our reach, raising the design profile, and staying true to who we are.”
The firm’s work is increasingly defined by its alignment with mission-driven clients who entrust Amenta Emma with designing engaging academic facilities, innovative workplace environments, thoughtful senior living communities, and vibrant multifamily housing projects. Recent highlights include the Young Classroom at Smith College, a striking example of design and pedagogical innovation for neuro-inclusive learning; the new New York City office of Bessemer Venture Partners, a reimagined workplace that reflects today’s evolving office culture; and Canaan Parish, a community-centered housing project that brings affordability and dignity together by design.
Internally, the firm has committed itself to good works that go beyond individual projects. It has contributed to a carbon-neutral future as a signatory to the Architecture 2030 Challenge. The firm has also achieved the WELL Equity Rating, a reflection of its dedication to promoting transparency, employee health, and a more diverse and inclusive workplace. For the past three years, AIA Connecticut has recognized Amenta Emma’s efforts with Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Awards — including the 2024 JEDI Award of Excellence.
“Excellence is something we deliver with every project, but it is also a mindset,” said Tyre. “It shows up in the quality of our design approach, the way we support each other, and how we push ourselves to get better, year after year.”
To mark the anniversary, Amenta Emma will release a series of staff spotlights, blog posts, and reflections connecting past, present, and future.
