John Meyer Jr. is a New England Design Hall of Fame Honoree

Portrait by Bruce Rogovin

Photograph by Christian Phillips

Photograph by Anton Grassl

Photograph by Dan Kaplan

Photograph by Damianos Photography

You’d think an architect in business for forty-five years—with countless honors, accolades, and achievements—would be content to rely on his tried-and-true designs.
But then you wouldn’t be thinking of John Meyer Jr.

Meyer sees every project as an opportunity to create something new and special. Should a client be unsure of what they want, Meyer will render multiple and very different options, thus involving the client from the start. What evolves becomes one of a kind. As his body of work demonstrates, he’s always resisted the “sameness” he sees in so many buildings. “He’s tireless,” says his wife, Laura, a principal with him at Meyer & Meyer in Boston. “He draws all the time. That’s his joy.”

Meyer attended MIT and Harvard University and has been the force behind hundreds of award-winning residential, commercial, and institutional projects.
He’s also a gifted artist whose hand-drawn project illustrations are exquisitely rendered, often referred to by clients as “treasured keepsakes.” Laura estimates there are tens of thousands in his archives.

While in school, Meyer worked on a Norwegian cruise ship and traveled the world for a year. It became evident to him that every culture had its own architecture specific to its region and that there was no formulaic method to design.

Meyer’s design philosophy was forged during that year, and he practices it to this day. It embodies three core elements: respecting the spirit of the neighborhood, complementing the characteristics of the site, and reflecting the personality of the client. The result is always a personalized project that enhances its surroundings.

Meyer hopes the next generation will be open to self-expression in the same way he has been. “I want them to know they don’t have to copy what’s popular,” he says. “They can express themselves within contexts and still have a successful and creative career.”