True to its name, New England Foundation Company (NEFCO) Geotechnical Contractors is rooted in the very market it serves. Drawing on deep technical expertise and decades of regional experience, the company is uniquely positioned to navigate the area’s distinct climate, soil conditions, and construction challenges, delivering reliable solutions that build confidence from the ground up.

As President Deirdre O’Neill explains, “Outside maybe a 15 or 20 mile radius from Boston, you commonly have glacial till or rock close to the surface, and shallow footings bearing directly on those competent materials can support a reasonably large building. Once you come into the basin of Boston, ground conditions completely change. And then on top of that, you can be confronted with environmental issues and the potential cost of removing contaminated soil, et cetera.” This is why having a geotechnical engineer/contractor like O’Neill involved in projects to help optimize the foundation selection can be so critical.

NEFCO’s multi-generational expertise is second to none. A lean and focused operation, the company is large enough that it has the capacity to take on projects of grand scale, size, and complexity—and this team, with its highly skilled and dedicated field crews, is always up for a challenge.

Building a reputation
New England Foundation Company has been serving the region as a drilling company for more than a hundred years, but it was in 1985 when Eric O’Neill took over that the company flourished, thanks to his unmatched reputation as an engineer and his pioneering ability to introduce new ideas and applications to advance the deep foundation construction industry.

At 60 years of age, Eric O’Neill jumped in with two feet. From going to Italy to acquire a custom-designed, low-headroom rig that enabled drilling underneath the highway, to the design and manufacture of more agile pressure injected footings (PIF) rigs, he substantially broadened the scope of NEFCO’s products, vastly enhancing the potential solutions to foundation problems. Prior to and after acquiring NEFCO, Eric had been on the frontlines of effecting change in the way work was done in the region, a legacy that is upheld to this day by his daughter Deirdre, the rest of the NEFCO team, and, more recently, his son Brian.

“He had such enthusiasm for doing the work that nothing about the whole situation daunted him at all,” says Deirdre. “He just powered forth. He figured out the design, he figured out the equipment, he figured out the people, and he made the world move because he saw what was coming at the time with the Big Dig [in Boston]. He saw that we needed to grow to get to the size where we could actually get involved at that level.”

One job at a time, completing them on time and on (or below) budget, often working with congested, sometimes precarious, site logistics, with the foremost commitment to safety, quality, and service, NEFCO’s reputation continued to grow, as did its portfolio and reputation—which enabled it to secure high-profile jobs, just as Eric O’Neill intended.

Piling it on
When it comes to respecting project construction schedules, NEFCO Geotechnical Contractors brings energy, equipment, and technical expertise, which is why its portfolio is full of high-profile projects such as the seating expansion project at Fenway Park’s famed Green Monster. Home to the Boston Red Sox, this was a drilled micro pile (DMP) project that pushed the limits, bending time as it were, to meet a hard deadline.

NEFCO field crews worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week with three drill rigs to get the job done in an extremely short timeline, during less than ideal, frigid temperatures and weather—especially for a water-based operation—but they got the job done ahead of schedule.

“They decided on the final design somewhere at the end of January, beginning of February, and it had to be ready for opening day (early April), which meant the DMP needed to be complete in four weeks to give time for construction of the rest of the structure,” Deirdre recalls. “That was the dark side of Fenway. After 10 o’clock in the morning you were in shadow from the Green Monster, and the wind would just tear up the place. It was cold and that’s a water-based operation; there was water and then ice everywhere. It was a nightmare, but we got it done.”

The project entailed the installation of 140 drilled mini piles that supported 25 columns carrying the weight of the steel frame superstructure. “We got it done, and the NEFCO team, along with the other subcontractors involved in the construction, were also the first people to sit in the Green Monster seats. It was supposed to be the Mayor, but that opening day game got rained out so it was all ours the next day—it was awesome,” Deirdre shares.

One would think that iconic projects like these would be few and far between, but the reality is, NEFCO Geotechnical Contractors doesn’t back down from a challenge, which means it has some very impressive projects under its belt.

NEFCO applied its value engineering technical expertise to identify a secant pile wall as the optimal support of excavation solution to protect an existing, early-1900s, brick and masonry building. The project was on Martha’s Vineyard, which Deirdre jokes was “probably one of the closest projects that was somehow the farthest away,” given the lengths the team had to go to reach the work site. With a rented barge and a hope and a prayer, NEFCO got the 180,000-pound drill rig and a crane of equal weight to the project, drilled the secant piles and soldier piles, and installed the timber lagging, all of which prevented settlement of the old building on its sand dune while a new basement was dug right beside it. The old building is still standing but today is next to a brand new addition, owing to the team’s expertise and commitment to devising the best possible solution to meet the client’s needs.

As another example of the company’s value engineering capabilities, Deirdre tells us about a client who reached out for assistance because “they were in a situation where there was a certain budget and the cost of the building was substantially over that budget, so we came in, worked with the design team to understand the building loads and soil profile, and made a recommendation for a foundation using the PIF in an innovative way that, at the end of the day, was significantly less than the original cost of the foundation as previously designed.”

This unconventional solution got the job done within the owner’s budget and proved to be another instance where Deirdre’s expertise set the tone for the project. As Vice President Brian O’Neill explains, “Some of these contractors and owners just reach out to Deirdre directly now because they know that she’s going to come up with the best design at the lowest cost.”

“If you give me a call and tell me what the parameters are, I can work with your engineers to find out exactly what loads are being applied and where, match them with the ground conditions and specific aspects of construction, and verify that all the design team’s concerns are being addressed,” says Deirdre of the back-and-forth that ensues while she works to identify the best possible solution for the project conditions.

A legacy in action
Under the leadership of the O’Neill family, NEFCO Geotechnical Contractors has become a one-stop shop, equipped with the specialized knowledge of a variety of disciplines to design the optimal solution for any project’s complexities and specifications. With an array of products including Pressure Injected Footings (PIFs), drilled micro piles, drilled shafts of various sizes, belled caissons, soldier pile and lagging walls, secant pile walls, and more, the team at NEFCO can isolate what will address a client’s needs in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

Like their father before them, Brian credits his sister’s work ethic and the intimate role she plays on all projects. “She’s deeply involved in so many aspects of a particular job,” he says. “This enables a level of creativity that can oftentimes change the way the designers or the geotechnical engineers or the owner or her clients will look at a job; often, Deirdre and her experienced field personnel come up with a solution that is significantly different from what they had originally imagined they were going to do, and often that ends up being significantly cheaper.”

This depth of engineering knowledge and the ability of our dedicated, expert field crews to execute time and again regardless of “bad ground, bad weather, or bad luck,” is why NEFCO does “big work in a small, familial sort of way,” says Deirdre. “We roll with the punches,” she says, a sentiment that is echoed by Brian.

As such, the company has not only strengthened its reputation in the New England market; it has fostered the development of a culture of excellence, a culture of safety, and a culture of pride in a job well done and the legacy each project represents. Its performance speaks for itself.

The O’Neills tell us that when renewing their insurance this year, the agent said that they have never seen a company be claim-free for five years straight. This is because each year, the team is trained in rigging, fall protection, crane signaling, First Aid, CPR, and other safety efforts to ensure that this trend continues. “Our guys just do it the right way… just do it right and make safety the most important thing on a job site,” Deirdre says of NEFCO’s commitment to safety and quality.

Digging deep
The best indicator of success is demand, and that is certainly the case for NEFCO Geotechnical Contractors. The company is extremely busy, and for good reason. Speaking with Deirdre and Brian, you quickly get a sense that the expertise and experience across the board of NEFCO personnel is so deeply rooted that it is second nature.

Together with the rest of the NEFCO team, the O’Neills are working to not only grow the company but to advance the industry in terms of what is possible, believing that each project is an opportunity to level up. The company aims to elevate value engineering through enhancements and the utilization of foundation elements to not only support projects’ physical weight of but also their sustainability goals.

“I’d like to move forward on the use of foundation elements for sustainability initiatives like geothermal technologies, a whole different avenue that I would like us to focus on,” Deirdre tells us. “Every time I see a massive cast-in-place concrete thing going into the ground, I just think, ‘that could be equipped, connected to a system, and you could be getting some energy out of it.’ That’s the goal,” says Deirdre, who continues to tirelessly help clients get the very most out of their projects, spending less and achieving more through value engineering and the specialized expertise of NEFCO Geotechnical Contractors.

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Over the years, LWA has earned a national reputation for excellence in design and leadership in sustainable building. In 2007, the firm became the first women-owned practice to receive the prestigious American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Firm Award, a milestone that signified both its design legacy and cultural influence in the field. With a diverse and collaborative team at the helm, including Principals Josiah Stevenson, Tom Chung, and Ashley Rao, the firm continues to expand its impact through civic, academic, cultural, and infrastructure work.

“Public architecture has always been a core focus of our practice,” Chung says. “We’re interested in projects that make a difference in people’s everyday lives.”

LWA’s work spans a broad spectrum, from performing arts centers and academic buildings to urban infrastructure. The consistent thread is a design approach grounded in site, material, and purpose. “Whether it’s a campus precinct plan or a chilled water plant, we approach each project with the same rigor and intention,” Chung explains. “We want our buildings to feel grounded in their place and responsive to their users.”

A strong example of this philosophy in action is the John W. Olver Design Building at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Designed as a hub for interdisciplinary learning in architecture, landscape architecture, and building construction technology, it stands out not only for its pedagogical mission but for its innovative use of mass timber construction. “The Olver Design Building was one of the first academic buildings in the U.S. to use cross-laminated timber at this scale. It embodies our approach to merging environmental responsibility with design excellence,” says Chung.

The project also showcases the firm’s commitment to sustainable building strategies. From a structural standpoint, mass timber offers a lower carbon footprint than steel or concrete and reflects the firm’s forward-thinking approach to environmental stewardship. “We’re moving from doing less harm to doing more good,” Chung explains. “It’s not just about reducing carbon footprints; it’s about regenerative design, about creating buildings and landscapes that give back more than they take.”

Beyond technical innovation, the Olver Design Building demonstrates LWA’s deep understanding of community and pedagogy. “We worked closely with the faculty and students to understand how they teach, how they interact. The atrium became this vibrant social heart where students from different disciplines naturally cross paths. That kind of spatial integration is key to how we think about architecture.”

The theme of connectivity between people, programs, and place runs throughout LWA’s work. This is perhaps most evident in Adohi Hall at the University of Arkansas, a student residence constructed with cross-laminated timber. “That project was about pushing the boundaries of what a residence hall could be,” says Rao. “It challenged us to think holistically about material, community, and site.”

Designed in collaboration with Modus Studio and Mackey Mitchell Architects, Adohi Hall is both a living space and a learning laboratory, reflecting a new paradigm in student housing that supports wellness, sustainability, and creative engagement. “We designed it to be porous, to allow students to engage with nature and each other,” Rao explains. “The landscape moves through the building, and there are shared spaces where students can gather informally or work collaboratively.”

Chung believes that architects have a responsibility to think beyond the building envelope. “Sustainability is not a feature; it’s a lens through which we view everything. It’s embedded in how we site the building, how we select materials, how we plan for energy use,” he says. This commitment to environmental ethics is not just about checking boxes; it’s about influencing the culture of building from the ground up.

This philosophy also shapes how LWA collaborates with clients, particularly large institutions who want their built environs to reflect their ethos. Rather than focusing solely on standalone projects, the firm often partners with universities on broader, campus-wide strategies, approaching design as a means of aligning infrastructure with long-term institutional goals and values.

Another significant project that embodies the company’s values is the Harvard University District Energy Facility. On the surface, it’s a plant for power and chilled water, a utilitarian structure that most firms might treat as invisible. But LWA elevated the design, turning it into a piece of civic infrastructure that reflects the university’s climate goals. “The idea was to take something that’s often hidden and make it a teaching tool,” says Chung. “It’s a visible marker of Harvard’s commitment to sustainability, and it shows that even the most technical buildings can contribute to the public realm.”

Internally, LWA’s culture is rooted in collaboration and inclusivity. “We’re not a firm of corporate hierarchy,” Stevenson says. “Everyone’s voice matters here, and that’s reflected in the work. Our best ideas often come out of deep collaboration across disciplines, generations, and roles.”

This egalitarian ethos has been essential to LWA’s ability to grow while remaining nimble. As architectural practice becomes more interdisciplinary and technologically complex, collaboration is more crucial than ever. “We’re constantly learning from each other,” says Stevenson. “There’s a real humility in the way we practice, and I think that creates space for innovation.”

That spirit of openness extends to community engagement as well. LWA often facilitates workshops, public forums, and design charrettes to include stakeholders in the design process. “We see architecture as a dialogue,” Stevenson explains. “The more voices we include, the better the result.”

Looking ahead, LWA is expanding its portfolio to address some of the most pressing challenges facing cities and campuses today. From decarbonization and climate resilience to housing affordability and infrastructure equity, the firm is leaning into its public mission. “Architecture is ultimately about people,” says Chung. “If our work can help communities thrive socially, environmentally, and culturally, then we’re doing our job.”

More and more, the firm has also been exploring adaptive reuse and urban revitalization projects that breathe new life into neglected sites. “We’re very interested in working within existing frameworks and rethinking old buildings and underutilized urban fabric. There’s so much potential in reimagining what’s already there, especially as cities look to become more sustainable and equitable.”

LWA’s leadership in mass timber design continues to inform this work. “We’re seeing a real shift in the industry toward low-carbon construction,” Chung says. “Mass timber is not just a material; it’s a catalyst for rethinking how we build. It requires early collaboration, precision, and a different kind of craftsmanship.”

Chung is deeply committed to mentoring emerging architects, particularly those drawn to socially and environmentally responsible design. He believes that today’s students are highly motivated to create meaningful change and sees it as the profession’s responsibility to help channel that enthusiasm by equipping them with the skills and frameworks to lead the next generation of sustainable design.

As LWA approaches its fifth decade in practice, its mission remains clear: to design with purpose, to lead with empathy, and to serve the public realm with integrity. Under the guidance of the firm’s Principals, LWA continues to demonstrate that architecture can be a force for positive change—beautiful, impactful, and deeply human.

“Every project is an opportunity to create something meaningful, to uplift a community, to care for the environment. That’s what motivates us every day.”

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Although notorious for the witch trials of 1692, when 25 people died after being accused of witchcraft, there’s far more to Salem’s rich and remarkable history, including the first confrontation between the Red Coats and American colonists in 1775’s Salem Gunpowder Raid. “We’re proud to have been the site of that first act of resistance to British rule, and also the official birthplace of the National Guard,” says Mayor Pangallo.

As a harbor city, Salem also played a significant role in the commercial growth of the young nation. “The great age of sail was a significant time in our history, and people still visit Salem to learn about that,” says the Mayor. “In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Salem’s ships traveled the world trading goods, making us the wealthiest city per capita in America at the time, and also the home of America’s first millionaire, Elias Hasket Derby.”

From the historic House of the Seven Gables to the Peabody Essex Museum, America’s oldest continuously operating museum and a landmark institution for arts and culture, to Salem Maritime National Historic Site on the waterfront and a walkable downtown, Salem is a charming and eccentric city boasting an intriguing history and a strong connection to the sea. “It defines the character of our community,” Mayor Pangallo says. “We have a population of 45,000 people, but we welcome about four million visitors from around the world each year. It’s easy to get around and a great place to live, work, study in, or visit.”

Making housing a priority
As in most areas of the country, housing affordability is a challenge in Salem, and the city is working to get ahead of it, finding solutions to better meet demand and avoid prices outpacing the ability of its residents to afford to stay in Salem and raise their families. “[High housing prices] change the character of our community, which has historically been a place of great diversity and a working community,” says Mayor Pangallo.

The nonprofit organization, MassINC, completed a study last year finding that Salem needs to produce around 2,200 new housing units in the coming decade to overcome the current shortage while maintaining a reasonable vacancy rate and keeping up with projected population growth. “We’ve done it before, and I’m confident we can do it again,” the Mayor says, adding that there are a number of exciting projects under construction. “It’s achievable.”

The Exchange is one apartment complex that will provide 115 mixed-income units, to be built on what is currently a municipal parking lot next to the train station. “What’s especially exciting is not just the construction of housing units; it’s that the developers are also doing historic preservation and reuse of two vacant 19^th-century courthouses across the street.” These iconic buildings are located at the gateway between the train station and downtown. “To have those restored and put back into active use is very exciting, and it’s possible because of The Exchange,” says Mayor Pangallo.

Lore, a 250-unit project being built on land near Salem State University, will have twice as many units offered at the affordability threshold, which is 60 percent of AMI (area median income), as ordinances require. The Schools projects are made possible by the North Shore Community Development Coalition (CDC), a key partner with the city. “They’re reusing two former Catholic school buildings to create 61 units of 100 percent affordable housing—one building for seniors and the other for artists.”

A third North Shore CDC project, El Centro, is at the intersection of the downtown and El Punto, Salem’s highest-density and lowest-income neighborhood, with numerous multifamily buildings. “It’s a very diverse population,” Mayor Pangallo says, “with a lot of people from the Dominican Republic and also growing populations from Venezuela and other countries. El Centro will have about 48 units of 100 percent affordable senior housing, but what’s especially exciting about that project is that it will include a new home for North Shore Community Health, our local community health center, and our first and only downtown urgent care facility.”

Forest River Residences, meanwhile, comprises 475 units, with 100 of those dedicated to seniors with affordability levels down to 30 percent of AMI. This is also a project that’s not just repurposing part of the Salem State University campus but is adjacent to one of the area’s largest conservation areas. It will include public trail improvements and new access points into the wetlands.

Last but not least is a partnership between Lifebridge North Shore, a homeless shelter operating in Salem, and a nonprofit housing developer, Harborlight Homes, working together to upgrade the shelter from its current 50 congregate beds to 70 non-congregate beds and add an improved day center facility for the unhoused in the community. Next door to the shelter, a new supportive housing building will replace an existing 12-unit single-room occupancy structure, with 53 studio apartments for formerly unhoused individuals.

“The idea is that folks moving out of the shelter site may be able to get stability in the supportive housing facility, and from there move on through additional opportunities for stability in housing,” says Mayor Pangallo. “It’s exciting work, but it’s taken a lot to get here. We’re also doing a lot in the world of policy to meet our community’s need for housing.”

This includes adopting an inclusionary housing ordinance and working to adopt Smart Growth zoning districts. “We have an ordinance pending right now to remove our arbitrary, nearly 60-year-old parking minimum mandate for multifamily housing to allow for projects to not have unused parking taking up space that could otherwise be available for housing. We’re not geographically large—only eight square miles—and multifamily housing is only allowed on less than one square mile of our city. To have land being used for unnecessary parking lots is extremely frustrating and problematic.”

A host of other policy changes include changing surplus property disposition ordinances so that when the city gets rid of property, it’s able to prioritize affordable housing to make space, land, and buildings available.

“It’s ongoing and important work,” says Mayor Pangallo. “It’s probably some of the most important work we do. We have a Housing Stability Coordinator in the Mayor’s Office who’s exclusively dedicated to helping vulnerable residents in crisis, while at the same time bridging the subsidy tools and the zoning tools we have to try to fix housing supply and make sure it meets our demand,” he explains.

He says the city strives to ensure it not only adds housing but does so in a way that prioritizes transit and trail-centered development, reducing the need to have a car. This means access to the ferry to Boston and commuter train station, with plans to build a second train station that will unlock additional areas for transit-oriented growth.

Always something to celebrate
Viewed as the “Halloween capital of America,” Salem is particularly busy in October, welcoming just over a million people in the month alone. “When you’re a city of 45,000 people, to welcome a million folks over a month in a very historic and walkable—but also compact—downtown takes a lot of planning,” says the Mayor.

Another big event is the city’s 400^th birthday in 2026, which will feature a number of special events, parades, and festivals, as well as an opportunity to make substantial investments in the amenities on which the community relies. These include the Signature Parks Project, with more than $16 million invested in improvements to the city’s six busiest parks and public spaces in order to ensure they will remain vibrant and accessible for future generations.

The year 2026 will also see a community vote concerning the advancement of one of the largest public building projects in the city’s history: a much-needed, brand new high school.

Other exciting projects on the way include three new hotels, courthouse restorations, and, at the waterfront, the Friendship of Salem, a tall ship that has recently returned from long-term repairs and is being welcomed back for the 400^th.

Looking to the sea—and to the future
Along the water, the city has welcomed a new public fishing pier at Salem Willows Park, opened earlier this year; a new ferry terminal building for service to Boston; and a transformational project for the waterfront on 42 acres of empty land following the demolition of one of the dirtiest coal-fired power plants in America. Underway for the last five years, the latter project is “transforming the area into a heavy-lift deepwater port that will help create jobs, grow our tax base, and reactivate it as part of our working waterfront,” Mayor Pangallo says. “It will also support the clean energy economy, whose intention was initially to be used for offshore wind marshaling for turbines. It will be able to serve a variety of purposes for maritime use.”

Such projects are all about embracing the past while looking to the future. “Throughout our history, we’ve looked to the sea and to what’s possible on its horizon. That’s very much true today,” says the Mayor. “Salem has more diverse offerings for restaurants and shops than typically seen in a city of this size, and our connections to our history, including our Indigenous history, to the great age of sail, to our revolutionary history, and to historic architecture and literature, are all profoundly unique and very much characterize the spirit and the built environment of our city today,” he says.

“Salem is truly a unique city. We have the spirit and offerings of a large city, but the affordability and neighborliness of a smaller town. It’s a great mix, and it’s always been that way. I grew up in this city, and I’ve seen that my entire life. Generations of Americans and those hoping to become Americans have found a place in Salem and transformed this famous gateway city into a place where, instead of turning on our neighbors, as happened here in 1692, we turn toward them and lift each other up,” says Mayor Pangallo. “And we’re proud of that.”

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