File photo / Tim Greenway
Ellen Belknap, president of SMRT Architects and Engineers, was honored as a Mainebiz Woman to Watch in 2014.
Updated: March 1, 2021
Maine's largest architecture firm names 3 new principals
Courtesy / SMRT Architects and Engineers
From left, Kristen Damuth, Michael Goard and John Tobin have been named principals at SMRT Architects and Engineers, Maine's largest architecture firm.
SMRT Architects and Engineers has added three architects it employs to its ownership ranks, bringing the total to 22, as the Portland-based firm continues to grow its nationwide practices.
Maine's largest architecture firm ranked by 2019 revenue, SMRT provides planning, architecture and engineering services to clients in the health care, justice, science and technology, manufacturing, education, corporate and government sectors.
Led by President Ellen Belknap since 2004, the firm employs 120 people in total. Besides Portland and Bangor, it has offices in Schenectady, N.Y., and Andover, Mass. SMRT's three newest principals are architects Kristen Damuth, Michael Goard and John Tobin. Damuth is based in the firm's Portland office, while Goard and Tobin are based in Schenectady.
“SMRT is fortunate to have a dedicated, talented staff at all levels of our organization, which has allowed us to grow throughout these challenging times. On behalf of the board and my colleagues, it’s my pleasure to recognize and welcome new members to our ownership team,” said SMRT President Ellen Belknap, a 2014 Mainebiz Woman to Watch, in Friday's news release.
“SMRT encourages professionals to 'own your career and live it here,'" she added. "Seeing employees advance on the merits of their talents and commit to sustaining and growing SMRT together is hugely satisfying.”
Belknap, the only woman to lead a large architectural firm in Maine, has spoken to Mainebiz at length about her focus on fostering a culture of engagement, knowledge-sharing and collaboration at SMRT.
"I get my energy from helping people grow," she said in a 2018 interview at the firm's headquarters at that time. It recently relocated its Portland headquarters to a 20,000-square-foot office, at 75 Washington St., the renovated 100-year-old Nissen Bakery Building.
SMRT's numerous projects in Maine include work for the Hospice of Southern Maine in Scarborough, L.L.Bean's corporate headquarters in Freeport, MaineHealth's medical office building at its Scarborough campus, Maine Molecular Quality Controls in Saco and the planned residence hall and career center at the University of Southern Maine Portland campus, a spokeswoman for the firm told Mainebiz.
New owner bios
SMRT shared the following biographical details of its newest owners.
Kristen Damuth is known for her strong project management skills, particularly valued by her healthcare and education clients. Kristen relishes complex new construction and re-purposing difficult structures.
Michael Goard is a skilled architect and project manager, bringing more than 20 years of experience leading both public and private sector projects across a variety of program types. His knowledge of complex new construction, historic preservation and adaptive reuse results in stress-free projects from initial planning through occupancy. He also works to identify opportunities to grow SMRT in New York, western Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
John Tobin joined SMRT in 2018 and leads the firm's New York office, building cross-discipline teams for project delivery. He also writes and speaks internationally on advanced delivery, with a concentration on the use of data as a catalyst for disruptive innovation.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments