N E W S + U P D AT E S F R O M T H E A R C H I T E C T U R A L T E A M , I N C .
TEAMTIMES
DESIGN FOR SUCCESS
2010
TAT Completes Final Chapter of the Baker Chocolate Factory Transformation
Photograph by © Andy Ryan.
ISSUE : 1
Before image (left) abandoned former boiler building. After interior (right) luxury, duplex apartments, The Watermill. Baker Chocolate Factory is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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he completion of The Watermill caps 25 years of planning and development of the historic Baker Chocolate Factory complex by TAT, transforming the defunct factory into an economic engine that has revitalized Dorchester Lower Mills.
In 1985, the firm began translating the visions of several leading Boston developers dedicated to both preserving history and providing quality, mixed-income multifamily housing. Phase one involved the historic conversion of three mill buildings into 143 units originally developed by the late Bob Keuhn of Keen Development and later purchased by Beacon Communities; and the conversion of the former Administration building into 13 affordable artist lofts also developed by Keuhn. TAT later designed WinnDevelopment’s adaptive reuse projects in the Baker complex, renamed The Lofts at Lower Mills—which include Baker Mill consisting of 58 mixed-income units, the adjacent Carriage House, a small, two unit building, and The Watermill—marking the site’s final dramatic chapter. Situated on the Neponset River, the luxury 17 unit Watermill lofts are spacious, bright, multilevel units spanning the arched windows of the historic factory’s boiler building. The project preserved the historic exterior, and offers 12- to 20- foot-high ceilings with exposed brick and beams in the finished units. Each phase contributed to the transformation of this once abandoned and deteriorating complex into a lively, revitalized community of artists, families, seniors and mixed-income residents, creating a new fashionable lifestyle mixed with a rich New England industrial history. As a result, it has attracted new shops, cafes, and destination restaurants thereby helping to boost the local economy. “We began work on the Baker Mill redevelopments in 2007, using both state and federal historic tax credits to ensure their beauty and historic significance would be preserved,” said Larry Curtis, president of WinnDevelopment. “We selected The Architectural Team for their strong track record transforming historic New England landmarks into marketable, historically sensitive properties.” Developer: WinnDevelopment Contractor: Keith Construction, Inc.
@ your FINGERTIPS The firm has been recently featured in several national publications on topics ranging from development trends in market-rate multifamily housing to innovative sustainable building techniques employed in historic adaptive reuse projects. To read these and other TAT-related news, visit our website at www.architecturalteam.com/ news.
Old Colony Development Catalyst for Creative, Hands-on Classroom Learning
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tudents of the Michael J. Perkins Elementary School in South Boston stood “shovel ready” for the groundbreaking; embracing the site’s proximity as a resource aiding in their creative classroom learning. Recognizing a unique opportunity to integrate the Old Colony construction site into the school’s curriculum, principal Barney Brawer helped to position the new development as a positive and tangible reality for students from K - 5th grade. Keeping the arts in the instruction of science, technology, engineering and math has become a decisive national agenda; however, Brawer and his staff are leveraging the design and development of the site to actively incorporate “real world” situations into the school’s pedagogy. “We wanted to create a 21st century curriculum about the world we want them to know,” says Susan Goodman, Boston-based children’s book author and creator of the “Perkins Blog”. Goodman was approached by Brawer last summer to spearhead his communication efforts as Author-in-Residence of the school’s pro-
Photo provided courtesy of the Perkins School
gressive idea. “Students are engaged with relevant examples of what’s changing in their neighborhood applied through math, science, creative writing, and art. The “Perkins Blog” serves as a communications and learning tool for students, parents, and members of the larger community. The Architectural Team, Beacon Communities, and Suffolk Construction are playing an active role in this innovative educational plan; other development team members are slated to do the same. Jay Szymanski, AIA, Associate, recently introduced students to the basics of architecture by demonstrating how a building is designed and constructed through practical math application. Teachers are using this as an aid in MCAS preparation. Hoping to further inspire young creative minds, Szymanski will also be providing instruction on the use of SketchUp, an architectural 3D
modeling program, for teachers to utilize in their classrooms. “Our goal was to make students excited about learning, while making math and science feel relevant, and introduce them to future careers in construction and green technology,” adds Brawer. “There is a lot of history in this community and this redevelopment truly represents the American Recovery and Reinvestment stimulus dollars at work to help in its rebuilding and reinvention of who we are.” Phase One of Old Colony is on a fast-track with expected completion by the fall 2011, and consists of 116 affordable multifamily apartments, and a 10,000 square foot community center. Phase Two is currently awaiting funding. To subscribe to the “Perkins Blog”, visit michaeljperkinsschool.blogspot.com.
Developer: Beacon Communities Development, LLC | Contractor: Suffolk Construction Company, Inc.
Kensington Tower Gets Green Light In March, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) approved plans for the Kensington—a new mixed-use, 27-story development designed by TAT. Located at the corner of Washington and LaGrange Street, at the confluence of Boston’s financial district, theatre district and Chinatown, the new $110 million, high-rise will consist of 385 apartments, 107 above grade parking spaces, and 4,000 square feet of community-oriented retail/office space—a portion of which will be reserved for use at below-market rents by local nonprofit organizations. TAT’s design also incorporates an area dedicated for use as a public exhibit of Gaiety Theater artifacts. Kensington is expected to break ground in August 2011.
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TAT rendering of Kensington Tower site
Developer: Kensington Investment Co., Inc. and National Development Contractor: Suffolk Construction Company, Inc.
25 years After 25 years of dedicated service to The Architectural Team, Donna Sullivan, Controller, retires.
Inspired Design Solutions Clear Hurdles for Historic Felton Lofts
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ocated on a hill overlooking the Suquehanna River in the heart of Steelton, Pennsylvania, the original historic Steelton-Highspire Elementary School will be adapted into quality affordable housing.
The $17 million historic rehabilitation, renamed Felton Lofts, involved converting three late 19th- to early 20th-century school buildings into 83 affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments; including the adaptive reuse of the school’s auditorium and gymnasium which now house the community center and indoor parking garage. “Our firm worked closely with Pennrose Properties to take a project that was fully permitted and designed with another owner and made design modifications to ensure the development would better meet their operational needs and attain NPS approval,” said Andrew Stubbins, Senior Project Manager, The Architectural Team.
Since 1986, Donna has thoughtfully and successfully spearheaded the financial management of the firm, creating a solid foundation of accounting practices, quality assurance, and support services for business operations. “Donna has been a valuable asset to the firm. Her dedication, tenacious nature and loyalty has enabled us to endure through extremely challenging economic times”, says Robert J. Verrier, partner. “Her ability to remain focused on our long-term needs has
Historic traces of the school’s former splendor are evident throughout the buildings—the firm’s design preserves the architectural integrity of the original structures, simultaneously meeting the historic requirements of the National Park Service (NPS). Approval from NPS was crucial in order for the project to receive funding through the Federal Historic Tax Preservation Credit Incentives program. Historic elements include original classroom blackboard chalk shelves re-purposed as window sills, and existing exterior wall woodwork removal and reinstallation over new furred out walls. Felton Lofts is currently under construction and expected to be completed by the spring 2012.
helped TAT remain viable—keeping
Developer: Pennrose Properties, LLC | Contractor: The Quandel Group, Inc.
and Administration beginning April 1.
a steady hand on company resources and a prudent eye on ROI. We will miss her tremendously.” William Moran will be joining the team as Vice President of Finance His responsibilities will include finan-
FOCUS
N E W S U P D AT E S O N S E L E C T TAT P R O J E C T S
cial operations, IT, human resources, administration and strategic planning. Prior to joining TAT, Bill served as
White Plains Institute of Rehabilitation + Healthcare
Director of Finance at Svigals + Partners, a Connecticut-based archi-
White Plains, NY
tecture firm, and brings a broad-base
The newly constructed 110,906 square foot, 179 bed skilled nursing facility will provide comprehensive long-term care services as well as rehabilitative and subacute care for short-term patients. The program will be located on eight independent levels (two slated for interior parking), with one level dedicated to dementia care. Each of the six patient care units are designed to optimize on-unit support services including nurses stations, medical storage, nourishment kitchens, and other patient-centered amenities. Additional
of professional experience to the firm
Continued on Page 4
which includes public accounting and large public company experience.
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TAT rendering of The Mount Vernon
F.Y.I. On April 28, the TAT design team will be conducting a workshop at the 2011 Residential Design + Construction tradeshow sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects. Presenters Michael Binette,
FOCUS
AIA, NCARB, Principal, Jay Continued from Page 3
features include hospitality lounge/cafe, meditation room, and state-of-the-art rehabilitation gym for physical, occupational, and speech/language pathology therapies. Project is currently in construction documents. Developer: The Congress Companies | Contractor: The Congress Companies
The Mount Vernon Allston, MA
Designed to attract young urban professionals, the new $23M, five-story, 100,000 square foot apartment development (previously known as Griggs Street) is conveniently located off of Commonwealth Avenue within close proximity to several universities and colleges, public transportation, shopping and restaurants. The program offers oversized studios, one bedroom, and expanded one bedroom units with living area, and provides for 101 resident parking spaces. Unit features include granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and Wi-Fi services. Residents will have access to a roof deck offering views of the Boston skyline, club room, media room, and 24-hour security. The project is currently in construction documents, and is expected to break ground in the summer 2011.
Szymanski, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Associate, and Ed Bradford, AIA, LEED AP, Associate along with Lauren Baumann, Vice President, LEED AP with New Ecology, Inc. will be presenting a case study of the Old Colony redevelopment in South Boston. Workshop and registration information may be found at www.rdcboston.com.
MassArt Architecture Lecture series featured Michael Liu, AIA, NCARB, Principal, on March 15, discussing the topic: “Multifamily Housing in the Larger Architectural Services
Developer: The Mount Vernon Company, Inc. | Contractor: Cranshaw Construction
Market.”
Crescent Gardens Apartments: Wilson, North Carolina Wateree Villa Apartments: Camden, South Carolina
Al Donovan, TAT design staff
The firm is currently rehabilitating two affordable multifamily housing developments for Silver Street Development. Crescent Gardens Apartments, comprised of 100 units within 18 buildings, and Wateree Villa Apartments comprised of 80 units within 14 buildings will both undergo extensive renovations. Upgrades involve the beautification of landscaping; adding new playgrounds and tot lots, covered picnic areas, and outdoor seating areas with grills and a gazebo; and the remodeling of existing community buildings offering residents centralized amenities such as a new computer center and community room. Updates to the resident units include installation of new finishes such as new flooring, cabinetry, and energy-efficient appliances and lighting fixtures. Both projects are expected to start construction in the fall of 2011.
member, chaired an industry workshop at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s (NESEA) Boston tradeshow on March 10.
TAT welcomes new design staff members Paul Humphreys and Winkie Xia.
Developer: Silver Street Development Corp. | Contractor: Weaver Cooke Construction, LLC
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TEAMTIMES
is published quarterly. For more information, please contact Valerie Capone at 617.889.4402. To subscribe to an electronic version of TEAMTIMES, please visit www.architecturalteam.com & click on the “News” section. Copyright © 2010.
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