TRIA names Shen managing principal

Boston, MA According to TRIA, a principal-led architecture firm with a focus on designing bespoke research-based workplaces for life sciences and technology clients, Marilyn Shen has been promoted to managing principal. Moving forward, founding partner Sherwood Butler will serve as CEO and president and founding partner Jeannie Thacker will become the firm’s chief strategy & innovation officer.

“We founded TRIA seven years ago to practice the science of architecture. By combining a deep understanding of the unique needs of science-based organizations with decades of experience constructing spaces and places that enable those organizations to meet their goals, we disrupted the industry,” said Sherwood. “With our new roles, we are setting ourselves up to continue to be leaders in the industry, delivering innovative and high-quality designs to the Boston market and beyond.”

TRIA’s principal-driven approach puts its leadership team at the table with client decision-makers, enabling direct, honest, and open dialogue throughout every stage of the design process. Since its foundation, in 2015, TRIA has designed over 12 million square feet of holistic lab and office spaces for some of the leading names in biotech, including Moderna, Vertex, ElevateBio, and CRISPR.

Marilyn has over 20 years of experience focusing on building better workplace environments. She has partnered closely with key stakeholders to understand organizations’ goals and requirements by developing solutions that advance workplace initiatives, driving positive culture change and outcomes. She joined TRIA in 2021 as Principal and Director of Integrated Design, with a focus on workplace. She was hired to focus on organizational culture, change management, workplace strategy, and diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI). In her new role as Managing Principal, Marilyn will be responsible for the overall management of the firm, supervising staff and overseeing the development of TRIA’s architectural designs. Additionally, she will work with staff to foster an inclusive workplace built on TRIA’s core values: authenticity, empathy, innovation, rigor, and trust.

“Our new organizational structure will allow us to continue to grow the firm – both through developing talent to provide best-in-class service and design, as well as forging new client relationships,” said Marilyn. “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the company and look forward to working with Sherwood and Jeannie and all of our employees to take TRIA to the next level.”

In his new role as CEO & President, Sherwood will provide leadership for all aspects of the company’s operations with an emphasis on long-term goals and growth. Sherwood will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the leadership team. As CEO & President, he will promote the overall mission and goals of TRIA while encouraging the continued development of a high performing managerial team. Sherwood has gained the loyalty and trust from TRIA’s clients, with over 90% repeat business. In his new role, he will continue to nurture existing client relationships while looking at strategic opportunities to develop new ones.

Having held senior research positions with Harvard Medical School and The Takeda Pharmaceutical Company before becoming an architect, Jeannie provides high-level leadership for TRIA’s science and technology projects, bringing equal parts scientific rigor and client service that result in innovative design solutions. Over the past seven years, she has developed tools and techniques for planning and designing state-of-the-art facilities that have now become industry standards in the Boston market. In her new role, she will focus on innovation, continuing to refine TRIA’s holistic evidence-based design approach that sets TRIA apart from other architecture firms. She will focus on the rigor of the data collecting process as well as the quality of designs to provide the best user experience for clients who are making life changing discoveries.