About Us Case Studies

Delivering modern educational needs in Providence

The Providence Public School District (PPSD) is renovating its primary and secondary school buildings to meet the needs of its growing and evolving student body. But these projects take a long time to complete — much longer than the short 10-week summer break when the buildings are vacant. So the district chose to develop a […]

Puppy Love: Valentine’s Day has us wagging our tails.

Isn’t it strange that English has only one word–love–to describe so many different emotions? This Valentine’s Day, Signal Works decided to recognize one type of love in particular: that between animals and their humans. We asked office pet parents to tell us all about their favorite non-human. Evan and Ronin What do you love most […]

Reflections. Looking back on a year of exciting projects

As the year draws to a close, we’d like to highlight a few of the projects we were part of in 2022. It’s impossible to choose a favorite, but here are a few we were particularly excited about. Barrington The town of Barrington was undertaking a study to determine how they should approach a parcel […]

Care Team. Taking care of those who take care of us

“A culture of support is about creating understanding, which leads to empathy.” – Eric Army, Signal Works Founder Signal Works’ people-first philosophy extends beyond creating projects that function well for those who live, work and play in those structures. It’s about designing a culture that supports individuals facing hardship, applauds those who go above and […]

Giving Back: Spending the day on the Woony River.

On September 29, a group of volunteers from Signal Works gathered with members of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) at the Riverside Park Shelter on Providence’s Aleppo Street to stain and paint the park’s picnic tables and fence and help beautify the landscape. This volunteer day was part of Signal Works’ mission to create […]

Meet Sam: Going beyond the expected.

Sam Hogg is a RISD graduate who comes to Signal Works after years of experience working on institutional projects, particularly schools. He joined the Signal Works team in July as an Architectural Project Manager and will be responsible for acting as a touchpoint for clients throughout the entire design process. In the background, he’ll coordinate […]

The Hybrid Office Solution: Bringing flexibility to the workplace.

Post-lockdown, when people could safely return to the office, Signal Works chose not to return to business as usual. Instead, it made a deliberate shift into an environment with a hybrid, flexible schedule. Eric Army, Signal Works founder says, “We decided that this would allow us to better support our people while remaining mission-aligned.” This […]

Two for One Solution: Proposed zoning changes.

When one of our clients purchased an 1860s triple-decker rehab on the West End, we developed an elegant way to create additional, affordable units in the building without increasing the building’s footprint or volume. You can read a previous blog post about it here. The solution we created, however, was not allowed by Providence’s zoning […]

The Superman Building: It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s an opportunity.

Since the owner of Providence’s iconic Superman Building reached a financing agreement with the state, it’s been the talk of the town. The owner’s plan is to turn the downtown landmark into an apartment building with a mix of retail and event space on the lower lobby level. As the architect of a number of […]

Building Community: Writing the next chapter of the architecture profession.

We like to think that Signal Works attracts people who share our people-first philosophy, and that’s certainly the case for Project Manager and Architect Bryan Buckley. Bryan serves as the director at large for the local American Institute of Architects (AIAri) chapter and recently volunteered to be Rhode Island’s representative for the Young Architect’s Forum […]

Two for One Solution: keeping up with housing demands without inflating housing costs.

People come from all over the world to attend one of Rhode Island’s top-notch colleges and universities. But when those students graduate, they often leave the state, taking the precious knowledge they gained with them. There are myriad reasons for this brain drain, not the least of which is the state’s lack of affordable housing […]

Meet Kelsey: Designing with future generations in mind.

Kelsey has a master’s degree in architecture from RWU, with a background in commercial, institutional, civic, and hospitality architecture. She also is well-versed in historic restoration. While she loves being involved in all stages of design, she has the most recent experience with construction documents. Kelsey joined the Signal Works team as a designer in […]

Meet Dan: A catalyst for results and a lover of metrics.

Dan joined us in 2020, and as director of administration, property management, and business development, he wears a lot of hats at Signal Works. From recruitment to IT to accounting, Dan makes sure each aspect of Signal Works is doing its job well. He also has a deep and abiding love of metrics and using […]

The Outdoor Challenge: creating outdoor spaces people love and use.

We have a tradition at Signal Works. Whenever someone joins our team, we ask them what their favorite place is. Almost invariably, it’s an outdoor space. Whether it’s a park, a plaza, or the expansive outdoors, we find we connect best with ourselves and others outside. While we’ve always been sensitive to incorporating outdoor space […]

Rise Prep Academy designed by Signal Works Architecture in Rhode Island

How your building project can help your people thrive.

Of course, as architects we think in terms of square footage, zoning, sprinkler systems, and building materials. But none of those words mean a thing unless they’re being used by somebody. Buildings can be great on their own, but without people living in them, moving through them, caring for them, and growing in them, a […]

Meet Bryan: An efficient project manager and architect focused on legacy.

Bryan joined us in 2021 as a project manager and architect. With an M.Arch from Boston Architectural College and as a registered architect in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Bryan brings a ton of experience to the design process. Before Signal Works, Bryn completed projects in fields ranging from education to hospitality to government. He loves […]

Meet Joanna: A passionate renovations whiz and design strategist.

With a Masters of Architecture from Roger Williams University, Joanna joined our team as a designer in 2021. She has since gotten her Architecture License. Before coming to Signal Works, she worked at an architecture firm focusing on renovations and was involved in every aspect of the design and construction process. At Signal Works she works […]

Eric Army, Signal Works Principal and Owner

Meet Eric: Signal Works founder and transformer of cities.

As our founder and principal, Eric started Signal Works in 2011 with the vision to transform run down buildings into beautiful, usable spaces that make a difference in the community. Since founding Signal Works, he also started Wide Plank, LLC, a real estate redevelopment group that repositions buildings to meet changing community and market needs. […]

Why your organization’s mission matters to your building project.

We have 3 reasons why we kick off each project with an in-depth discussion of your organization’s mission and reason for being. Read on to discover what they are.

Meet Deborah: A problem-solver specializing in spaces with positive impact.

Deborah is our senior designer and has been a part of our team since 2016. She’s integral to making sure each one of our projects meets both our high standards and our clients’ needs. Read more to discover her thoughts on place and the design process.

Case Study: Raising the Stakes on the Top of the Town.

Well aware of how popular rooftop restaurants have become in New York, the developer wanted to be the first to provide this experience in Providence. Soon after opening its doors, this restaurant has become a mainstay of downtown, and has been met with off-the-charts demand, as well as several imitators.

Finding Our True North

After ten years, we rebranded our company. Finding our true north was a process—one that made me take a really hard look at my aspirations for myself as leader for the company, and the direction for my team. So much so, that we actually put the brand change on hold for two years. We dug deep into making ourselves a better built team, creating alignment with the actual mission, which, unbeknownst to me, nobody actually knew what was going on in my head.

Studio MEJA rebrands to Signal Works & Announces B-Corp Certification

Signal Works, joins the rapidly growing movement of more than 3,637 Certified B Corporations from 150 industries, across 74 countries with about 27 Architecture/Design/Planning firms in the U.S. and four in New England. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

Signal Works: Turning broken buildings into purposeful places.

Studio Meja is now Signal Works: Turning broken buildings into purposeful places. Read more about our journey. We’re excited for lies ahead!