This summer, we opened our office doors to clients, colleagues, and contributors to celebrate the merger of The Narrow Gate and Joy Street Design. In preparing the office for the festivities, we took a tour through our collective archives, recalling both firms’ histories and most impactful projects.
In 1987, The Narrow Gate was founded by Kitty Ryan and Bob Wegener, former college classmates, united by a shared commitment to a mission-based architecture practice rooted in faith. In those early years and up until 2000, the Narrow Gate was gradually building its practice, occupying small design studio space first in Somerville and then in Boston’s South End, including a little apartment above the Haley House Bakery, which would later become a client. Neal Mongold joined the firm during this period and later became a partner.
Shortly after 2005, The Narrow Gate began working with Pine Street Inn, who would become a long-time client, and The Narrow Gate was awarded a Massachusetts Historic Award for the Pine Street Inn building at 1754 Beacon Street in Brookline, MA.
In 2010, The Narrow Gate relocated its office to 121 East Berkeley Street, providing a vantage point for observing the significant development occurring in the neighborhood. Important to our new shared history, Joy Street Design was established in 2014 by Trea LaRaia and Sharon Gentges as a remote-work design practice. The mission of the firm was to do good work, practice positive citizenship in our communities and relationships, and to emanate joy through the design and work we do every day.
In 2019, the two firms shared a common client – NOAH – which would turn out to be a fateful relationship. Seeing commonalities among the ethos of both firms, Phil Giffee of NOAH introduced Joy Street Design and The Narrow Gate to each other, and in 2023, Joy Street Design moved its growing practice to The Narrow Gate’s spacious studio location. The firms began working on select projects together, and staff from both began to collaborate – and share lunch. It was through the natural progression of this studio space merger in 2025 that the two would become one under the name Joy Squared Design, bringing even more joy practicing together.