Insight
Worcester’s Transformation in the Globe
The latest article in the Boston Globe profiles the transformative nature of our CitySquare project in Worcester. Many of the topics discussed in this article go back to our initial discussions for the urban design approach to this project nearly 10 years ago. While the reconnection of the street network and the redevelopment of the urban streetscape seem like obvious goals, the realization of those goals required a complex partnership between our design team, developers, and the community. Arrowstreet is proud of what has been accomplished in downtown Worcester, and looks forward to the next phases of the CitySquare project and its significant impacts on the revitalization of New England’s second largest city.
New Photos of 17 Tudor and 130 Brookline in Cambridge
I wanted to share these photos of one of our recent projects, 130 Brookline Street and 17 Tudor Street. Arrowstreet renovated two MIT-owned buildings in the Cambridgeport neighborhood, an area which is evolving into a recognized regional center for life sciences and technology. These two buildings form a small campus with adjacent open space and parking. 17 Tudor Street, a 1920s brick masonry building with a heavy-timber frame and generous window openings, supports office uses and is now occupied by Wistia. 130 Brookline Street, a 1920s building with buff-colored masonry over a concrete frame, also offers large windows; its renovation, including the addition of a mechanical penthouse, accommodates laboratory uses and will be occupied by 24M Technologies.
Freeport Village
Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday!
Freeport Maine has long called itself the outlet shopping capital of New England. LL Bean’s Flagship store has anchored the town for over 100 years, and the shoe store Cole Haan was built into an international success from its humble beginnings by its CEO, George Denney, a Freeport native and lifelong resident…
New Lobby at 210 Broadway
As part of the work Bob had told you about and Mike had elaborated on, we also renovated BioMed’s entrance lobby at 210 Broadway. We had a dual purpose in this renovation: first, to reinforce the sense of openness and connection to the courtyard and outside; and second, to accommodate a number of unusual (and beautiful) art pieces. We chose modern, light-colored finishes to draw the eye to the dramatic sculptural pieces and paintings, which are part of a rotating exhibit from the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. The tree silhouettes from the glass courtyard also continue into the space, visually linking the lobby and courtyard.
Dynamic Seating at the 210 Broadway Courtyard
Last week Bob shared the story of creating the glass tree silhouettes for BioMed’s new courtyard at 210 Broadway; I wanted to point out another feature of this new space – namely, the seating. To continue the theme of a transition between indoor and outdoor space, we wanted to create seating that seemed to flow in a natural, fluid way up from the floor…
“Tree-Lined” Courtyard at 210 Broadway
I’m happy to share these new photos of the courtyard at 210 Broadway in Cambridge. Our client, BioMed Realty, asked us to update the courtyard and lobby of this building, recently acquired as part of their Kendall Square biotech portfolio. With the courtyard, we wanted to create a space that transitioned between “outside” and “inside”, making the building feel more open and adding dimension to the streetscape. After looking at a number of different options with the client, we settled on the concept adding glass panels that feature trees, calling to mind the shady, tree-lined streets of the surrounding Cambridge neighborhood…
Mount Equinox
I took a vacation last year to a site with no easy way in or out: Mount Equinox‘s Skyline Drive holds the record for the longest paved private road at 5.2 miles. While it’s not open year round, the drive is a pretty amazing vantage for views of most of New England and the Adirondacks. It’s a pretty crazy drive, full…
Salem Fire Department Renovation
Recently, Kristen Barrow and I traveled to Salem for a project on the historic North Street Fire Station. Built in 1881, the fire station has seen some significant wear over the years, and the City of Salem is hoping to repair the station to its former state. We spent the day examining the building and taking field measurements for drawings…
Micro-units and Urban Living
Earlier this past spring, I attended a lecture given by The Center for Real Estate and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB) entitled “Micro-Housing: Rethinking Urban Living.” As the third event in the Building Boston 2030 series, the lecture was co-sponsored by Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School and the GBREB, and comprised a robust, well informed panel including the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s Chief Planner Kairos Shen.
Anyone in or around the design, construction, and real estate development of urban housing in Boston can tell you the current hot topic on the street is micro-units…
Historic Histrionics
As part of the Edward Brooke Mattapan Charter School project, the design team is pursuing the award of historic tax credits that are administered by the National Park Service. That pursuit guided many of the scoping decisions for the renovation and restoration of the combined 1911 and 1959 vintage structures that will house the school. The historic tax credit process…