Susan Maxman founded her architectural practice in 1980, building a platform for preservation-minded and user-centered design.
In 1980, Susan Maxman founded the practice that became known as Susan Maxman Architects (later SMP Architects), initially operating as Maxman/Sutphin. The firm began in Philadelphia with an emphasis on residential renovation, including work on historically significant buildings.
This was a meaningful professional milestone because it demonstrated Maxman’s ability to create and lead her own architectural practice at a time when women founders were still uncommon in the field. Launching a firm required not only design skill but also business leadership, client development, and the credibility to win projects in a profession shaped by long-standing gender expectations.
The firm’s early focus also reflected a design philosophy that would recur throughout Maxman’s career: respect for context, preservation, and human-centered planning. Although the exact day of the founding is not documented in the available sources, the year is firmly established. The practice became the platform from which she later advanced nationally and helped redefine leadership expectations for women architects.