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ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CPL, a full-service design firm serving public and private-sector clients for 50 years, has added Richmond-based Commonwealth Architects to broaden the firm’s geographic reach into Virginia.
“This expansion is an important milestone in our long-term growth strategy and will allow us to further strengthen our legacy of thought leadership and breadth of design services,” said Todd Liebert, AIA, NCARB, Chairman & CEO, CPL. “Commonwealth Architects is a small yet mighty firm with expertise in areas we have placed significant focus on for growth—our community and higher education practices.”
Commonwealth Architects will align with CPL’s Greensboro and Raleigh offices to support expansive business advancement in the mid-Atlantic region. This alignment will provide a platform for collaboration across key practice areas—such as higher education and unique retail spaces—and offices, combining the opportunity to draw on the considerable market credibility, resources and geographic reach that CPL provides with the design expertise and regional knowledge that Commonwealth Architects offers.
President of Commonwealth Architects, Lee Shadbolt, AIA, NCARB, reflects on the expansion stating, “Joining the CPL team will allow us to broaden our scope and scale our services more quickly, while providing a more seamless experience with a deeper bench, to better meet the growing needs of our clients.”
Over the past 24 years, Commonwealth Architects has gained a reputation in Virginia for new construction, community-centered projects, historic development and adaptive reuse by transforming historic buildings—such as the cookie factory in downtown Richmond and an old tobacco plant in Winston—into functional, multiuse spaces for the community to enjoy. In addition, the firm has a deep knowledge of higher education design, with high-profile projects at institutions such as Virginia State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Norfolk State University.
“The shared commitment to sustainability, social harmony, and design functionality makes CPL an ideal partner for our firm. We’re both in the business of creating buildings that people feel good about being in,” said Shadbolt.
About CPL
Founded in 1975, CPL is a 485-person multi-disciplined architecture, engineering and planning firm offering inspiring design and enriching communities with 24 offices across seven states. CPL specializes in the Healthcare, Community, Higher Education and K-12 Education sectors—providing architecture, MEP engineering, interior design, civil/structural engineering, planning, landscape architecture and 3D/virtual design services to a host of public and private clients. Visit www.CPLteam.com to learn more.
About Commonwealth Architects
Commonwealth Architects has provided a full range of architectural and interior architectural services since the firm was founded in 1999. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, they offer a diversity of services, including Architecture, Interior Design, Tenant Services, Master Planning, and Historic Preservation.
SOURCE CPL Architecture | Engineering | Planning
