Design Group Collaborative (DGC)

05/11/2026

Tune in to Community Radio WERU 89.9 FM this Wednesday, May 13th at 4pm to hear our principal architect, Carla Haskell, discuss her work on the Old Jail in Ellsworth and the importance of historic preservation in Maine towns. 📻🎙️🏛️

04/24/2026

At DGC, we don’t just design buildings—we care about the people who use them. After working with many of our local schools on renovations and future planning, we’re proud to support events that bring kids and families together. Sponsoring DEFYMCA's Healthy Kids Day is our way of investing in the places where our community grows, learns, and plays.

03/18/2026

Thank you to the The Ellsworth American for this coverage on Carla Haskell's Honor Award from Maine Preservation. The nominating letter sent by the The Ellsworth Historical Society kindly says that Carla “has made a measurable and lasting difference in her local community and throughout Maine, by acting as a bridge between rehabilitating the bricks and mortar of the past to constructing a durable foundation for Ellsworth’s future identity as well as for the other towns benefitting from her perspective and her work".

We couldn't agree more! Have fun at the awards banquet today Carla! 🥳

Carla Haskell, principal architect and owner of Design Group Collaborative, has been selected for Maine Preservation’s 2026 Honor Awards.

03/16/2026

DGC is proud to be the architects on this new housing project. We enjoyed working both with Acadia National Park and the National Park Service to provide this important resource for its employees.

03/09/2026

Thank you to Heart of Ellsworth for this beautiful recognition of Carla's accomplishments and dedication to our community.

Big news for Ellsworth, and for everyone who believes a strong downtown is built on story, place, and people who show up!

Carla Haskell, principal architect and owner of Design Group Collaborative (DGC) on Church Street, has been named a 2026 Maine Preservation Honor Awards winner for Excellence in Preservation.

This award goes to just one individual statewide each year, and it is a big deal for The Ellsworth Historical Society, for Heart of Ellsworth, and for our whole community. Carla has been involved with Heart for years, most recently serving on the Historic District Application Committee, and her preservation leadership has helped power a major chapter of downtown momentum for honoring our historic roots.

Her work makes the case that preservation is not nostalgia. It is a forward looking strategy for community resilience, environmental responsibility, and economic vitality. From The Grand to the Old Hancock County Sheriff’s Home and Jail, Carla has helped protect, rehabilitate, and reimagine historic places as civic assets that keep Ellsworth vibrant.

Carla will be honored in Portland on March 18, and the public is welcome! More info: www.mainepreservation.org/honor-awards

02/20/2026

We are honored to have our principal architect and owner, Carla Haskell, receive the Maine Preservation Honor Award for excellence in historic preservation leadership.

09/07/2025

We were happy to support the Maine Outdoor Film Festival with our local Schoodic Institute this year!

08/29/2025

Proud supporter of our community

WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT THEM: SPONSOR SHOUTOUT ⭐💯📣

It’s about time we recognize the powerhouse supporters who fuel what we do. Our work as a nonprofit is only possible because of these incredible organizations and the people who make them what they are!

Our gratitude to EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. is sky high, off the charts, and blasting to the moon 🚀 THANK YOU x1000

Maine Community Foundation | Visit Maine | Maine Arts Commission | City of Ellsworth, Maine | Franklin Savings Bank | Jones Real Estate Agency | Trust for Public Land | Desert Harvest | First National Bank | Coastal Interiors | Versant Power | Volta Climbing and Fitness | MacRevival | National Trust for Historic Preservation | Maine Development Foundation | Renewal by Andersen
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DownEast Acadia | Elizabeth's Fine Goods | Fogtown Brewing Company | Design Group Collaborative (DGC) | Flexit Cafe | Downeast Graphics and Printing | Downeast Scenic Railroad | Pyramid Studios | Maine Coast Sea Vegetables | Brown Appliance and Mattress | Union River Book and Toy Co. | John Edwards Market | Boss Lady Genetics | Serendib | William C. McDougall, Do | Sargent Real Estate | Rooster Brother | Mortons Moo Ice Cream | VanceGray Wealth Management, Inc. | Sealander Architects

08/15/2025

Great article highlighting our home base of Ellsworth, ME and the passionate work of our Principal Architect 👏

"Carla Haskell, who formerly served on the Ellsworth Historic Preservation Commission (EHPC), was an ad hoc coordinator and volunteer manager for the project, for which her skills as an architect served well. She was tasked with bringing together a variety of stakeholders, including the Historical Society, EHPC, local business owners, French translators, the City of Ellsworth Planning and Public Works departments, the Maine Department of Transportation, Heart of Ellsworth and sign installers as well as the Museum in the Streets organization, a Maine-based company helping small towns highlight their history."

For those curious about Ellsworth’s history, whether lifelong resident or first-time visitor, the Ellsworth Historical Society provides an easily accessible educational opportunity with its Museum in the Streets.

04/22/2025

We are excited to be the local sponsor for Healthy Kids Day at the Ellsworth Down East Family YMCA Early Learning & Fitness Centers this Saturday April 26th from 2-4pm

Don’t forget to mark you calendar for Healthy Kids Day on April 26 from 2-4pm. Thank you to Design Group Collaborative for being this year’s sponsor. This is a free community event.