A Wisconsin native, Spencer C. McCombe found his way to Rhode Island during the early 1990s, when he enrolled in a five-year Bachelor of Architecture program at Roger Williams University, also earning his National Council of Architectural Registration Boards certificate.
And, when he finished his schooling, he stayed in the Ocean State.
Now in his 11th year at Newport Collaborative Architects, McCombe has become a senior associate with the firm. He’s a visiting critic and adjunct professor at his alma mater, RWU.
An award-winning architect – with accolades from Rhode Island Monthly, Preserve Rhode Island and others – McCombe led the design teams for The Carnegie Abbey Club’s clubhouse and renovations to the Exchange Building in Newport’s historic Washington Square. He has been involved in the design and construction of more than 22 houses in the region, seven buildings in the Bahamas and one of his designs soon will be constructed in Grenada.
A self-described “quiet, unassuming” individual, McCombe also has expanded the scope of his responsibilities at NCA to include implementing the company’s mentor program and leading the residential and hospitality/resort design marketing teams.
He’s also been cultivating a community leadership role in his adopted state, serving as a deacon on the leadership board at Living Hope Christian Church, volunteering at the Rhode Island Food Bank and Providence Rescue Mission and teaching weekly bible studies at the ACI Training School. •
