Finegold Alexander Architects Receives Accredited Learning Environments Planner Designation

Boston-based Finegold Alexander Architects announced that Regan Shields Ives, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP, Principal and K-12 Educational studio leader at the firm, has officially achieved her Accredited Learning Environments Planner (ALEP) designation from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Commission on Educational Facility Planning. The ALEP credential was designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and identify those in the educational environment industry who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of educational facility planning.

Shields Ives has over 20 years of experience and leads Finegold Alexander’s educational and cultural projects as Principal and K-12 Educational studio leader. Throughout her professional career, Shields Ives has been dedicated to designing spaces for learning and education that are aspirational, sustainable, safe, and supportive. She is currently the President-elect of the New England Chapter of the Association for Learning Environments, while also maintaining active membership in several other industry groups. She has been recognized for her outstanding work on Finegold Alexander’s educational projects, with a portfolio that includes work on numerous K-12 education facilities, such as Gibbs School, Leicester Middle School, Methuen High School, Hardy School, and Central Catholic High School’s Wellness and Innovation Center.

“For over 15 years, Regan has been a dedicated advocate for designing forward thinking and sustainable educational learning environments for our clients,” says Rebecca Berry, President and Director of Sustainability at Finegold Alexander Architects. “Regan’s expertise in educational facility planning is bolstered by this new credential, and further positions our team as an industry leader in designing educational spaces that are both welcoming for the students who will learn there and beneficial to our planet.”

The 10-month ALEP certification program is guided by the core competencies of ALEP: Educational Visioning, Community Engagement, Educational Facility Pre-Design Planning, Design of Educational Facilities, Educational Facility Implementation/Project Management/Project Delivery, Assessment of the School Facility, and Ethics/Professionalism. Once a candidate has earned the credential, he or she must maintain it by fulfilling certification renewal requirements every three years, in addition to maintaining minimum continuing education units each year.

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