Solomon Cordwell Buenz Announces New Hire in East Coast Office

Paul Schlapobersky, AIA, LEED AP, Joins SCB as Associate Principal and Senior Planner

Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) is pleased to announce that Paul Schlapobersky, AIA, LEED AP has joined the firm as an Associate Principal and Senior Planner in SCB’s Boston office. As an urban designer and architect, Paul brings to the firm nearly three decades of experience on a broad range of commercial, campus, and civic projects in the United States and abroad.

“Urban design is critical to our practice, bridging the gap between planning and architecture, and has been a part of our DNA since John Cordwell – the “C” in SCB – joined the firm in 1956,” stated Christine Carlyle, Principal and Director of Planning at SCB. “Paul’s breadth of experience in urban design and deep understanding of the many complex factors at play in planning and design today make him a terrific addition to our team.”

Paul’s initial career focus on the design and delivery of high-quality individual buildings enables him to conceive of urban design projects literally “from the ground up,” accompanied by a deep understanding of technical requirements, as well as the ambitions and imperatives of clients. His collaborative design and management style fosters exploration and dialogue in diverse environments, facilitated by his belief that great ideas come from an open and dynamic design process; this allows Paul to create durable and timeless solutions that are inspiring and implementable.

“We are excited to have Paul join our growing Boston office,” said Clara Wineberg, Principal and leader of SCB’s East Coast practice. “Both the firm and Paul share a commitment to design that is both visionary and achievable, which is more important than ever.”

Prior to joining SCB, Paul held leadership positions at Sasaki, as well as Machado and Silvetti. His diverse portfolio of work includes industry-leading and award-winning commercial master plans and campus master plans, ranging from a few acres to several thousand. Notable past projects include campus planning for University of California, Berkeley and Case Western Reserve University. He also led the master plan of the 23 million-square-foot Kuala Lumpur International Financial District, now in its tenth year of build-out. Paul was also urban designer for the 776 Summer Street Innovation District in Boston and Lakeview Village in Toronto, both of which are models for the importance of sustainability and climate-change resilience.

Paul’s arrival at SCB deepens the firm’s urban design capacity and reach, augmenting its planning and architecture practices to fully enhance broad-spectrum client solutions. “As both an architect and planner, I admire SCB’s integrated and holistic approach to design, rigorous project delivery, and the firm’s keen awareness of how buildings can strengthen a sense of place and identity across a variety of scales- from districts, to campuses, to cities,” says Schlapobersky. “I am looking forward to working with the team and helping the firm grow the urban design and planning practice across the country and internationally.”

Paul received a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, Canada, and a Master of Science in Architecture Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Paul’s passion for his craft has led him to play a strong role in mentorship and education in the Boston area, where he often serves as a guest reviewer at MIT, Northeastern University, MassArt, and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. He has also led graduate-level design courses at MIT and Harvard, utilizing his expertise to contribute to the education of the next generation of urban designers. A licensed architect in Massachusetts, Paul is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Boston Society of Architects, and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

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