Source: Sasaki Associates
Watertown, MA (October 2011) - Sasaki Associates has acquired Concord, Massachusetts-based planning and design firm Sgarzi Associates. Founded in 2003 by Chris Sgarzi, Sgarzi Associates has developed a strong reputation for their programming, planning, and design of sports, recreation, and student life facilities throughout the Northeast. Sgarzi's expertise and existing client relationships will further enhance Sasaki's nationally-recognized sports design practice. He will serve as a principal at Sasaki and will work with firm leaders in both its Boston and San Francisco offices.
Sasaki has also added Stephen Sefton to the sports design studio as Senior Associate. Stephen joins the firm most recently from Ellerbe Becket / AECOM where he served as a senior sports designer in their San Francisco office. He brings to the Sasaki team over 16 years of dedicated experience in the design of sports facilities, including a focus in large-scale spectator buildings such as stadia and arenas.
The addition of Sgarzi and Sefton demonstrates Sasaki's commitment to the institutional sports market. Sports Studio Principal Bill Massey believes they will help the firm continue to build its reputation as a national leader in sports design. "Chris and Stephen each bring an impressive amount of knowledge and expertise in the programming, planning, and design of collegiate sports facilities," says Massey. "They will both be tremendous resources to our sports practice."
The merger with Sasaki offers Sgarzi Associates' clients access to a greater depth of resources and a wide range of collaborative, interdisciplinary services-although they will still experience the same commitment to service, innovation, and excellence in design to which they are accustomed. "I enjoy getting to know my clients and learning about their unique campus cultures and traditions," says Sgarzi. "Helping them achieve and exceed their aspirations for their built environment is very rewarding. As part of Sasaki, I can offer them the benefits of comprehensive services and a truly collaborative approach to institutional sports planning and design."
The acquisition also signifies a homecoming for Sgarzi. Prior to founding his own firm, Sgarzi was a senior associate and associate director of Sasaki's sports design studio. While Sasaki and its sports practice have progressed considerably in the interim decade, the firm's dedication to collaboration and delivering context-specific solutions to their client's unique problems has remained constant.
A selected list of the studio's current and recent projects include a new field house at Middlebury College, the expansion and renovation of the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex at Stonehill College, a new athletic center and student life facility at the College of the Holy Cross, the Harold Alfond Athletics Complex at the University of New England, a study for a track and lacrosse facility at the University of Michigan, a new Student Recreation Facility at Arizona State University in Tempe, and the Welcome Center and Ice Arena at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.
About Sasaki Sasaki (www.sasaki.com) is an integrated planning and design firm committed to realizing thoughtful, sustainable solutions to our clients' unique problems. Drawing on the collaboration and diversity of ideas that defines our inter-disciplinary firm, our teams take a personal approach to creating award-winning spaces and places for our institutional, civic and commercial clients. Sasaki is a mid-sized firm of 250 professionals working throughout the United States and internationally from our offices in Boston and San Francisco.
