THE OFFICE

Our style is personal and direct. We listen to our clients, which assures an interactive design process. We use both cardboard and computer-generated models to communicate our ideas, which effectively levels the playing field between architect and client and guarantees active and vigorous participation by all. The partners of OPA are committed to green building design decisions that are ecologically responsible and to materials that are safe, sustainable, and low-maintenance. We have considerable hands-on experience with wood frame construction and a common interest in buildings that are simple, elegant, and permanent. The firm encourages each of its members to grow professionally. We discuss architectural ideas actively, and we structure our office so that project managers take their jobs from schematic design through construction administration.

BIOGRAPHIES of the PRINCIPALS

David O'Neil received his architectural degree from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University in 1971, worked for two Cambridge firms on New York's Roosevelt Island Housing and Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and entered independent practice in l980. In the first decade his firm designed multi-family affordable housing and renovated Nineteenth Century mill buildings. The focus then shifted to country houses and small institutional projects that involved an integration of site planning and architecture. In Lincoln, Massachusetts, where he lives with his family, he planned and organized a community-led barn raising for the Town Farm. He was a member of the Advisory Committee for the Town’s Public Safety Building, and currently serves as a member of the Historic District Master Planning Committee.

Sheldon Pennoyer received his architectural degree from Rhode Island School of Design in 1985 where he studied architecture and landscape architecture. After working in the studio of one of his architectural professors, he co-founded OPA, where he helped implement the Firm’s current practice of integrated design. He strengthened that commitment by becoming a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional in 2004. He lives on a working farm in Greenfield, New Hampshire, where he serves on the Greenfield Planning Board and has designed several community buildings for the Town.