Architecture firm nets three AIA CM honors

Stow-based OPRCH recognized for projects ranging from adaptive reuse to public art design, including a concept to convert a downtown Worcester alleyway

Design for Downtown Worcester Public Arts Corridor (photo credit: OPRCH)

WORCESTER—A Central Massachusetts architecture studio has picked up a trio of industry accolades, earning the most awards of any firm at this year’s American Institute of Architects Central Massachusetts ceremony.

The Office of Penn Ruderman Architects (OPRCH), based in Stow, picked up three honors during the 2025 AIA CM Awards event held Dec. 6 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Innovation Studio, according to the announcement.

The firm won merit awards for two projects: the adaptive reuse of a concrete warehouse in Mansfield—now home to creative office space and 30,000 square feet of manufacturing—and a private residence in Belmont. A citation award recognized OPRCH’s concept to convert a downtown Worcester alleyway into a Public Arts Corridor.

“To be recognized for our work on such different scales is a real honor,” principal Penn Ruderman said in the release. “We work hard to create designs that are uniquely special to each client, no matter the resources.”

Penn Ruderman (photo submitted)
Penn Ruderman (photo submitted)

Founded in 2018, OPRCH works across architecture, urban design, and ecological landscapes, often partnering with nonprofits in the region. Its portfolio spans New England, including work for Worcester’s Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center and a storefront museum in Hyannis.

The firm is currently developing a master plan for a new artist residency program in Harvard, MA.

Ruderman also teaches, and with students from the Rhode Island School of Design and Wentworth Institute of Technology has staged speculative exhibitions in Worcester exploring identity and public space.

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