ISSUE 2: 2019
now+next Treadmark is an 83 unit, six-story sustainable TOD structure that maintains a strong visual connection to the former Ashmont Tire auto shop it replaced. The $45M mixed-use, mixed-income building is enveloped in gray ironspot brickwork interspersed with clean, vertical aluminum panels that give the structure a distinctly modern feel. Stylistically, the exterior’s straight edges and angular corners set the building apart from the surrounding redbrick landscape. Large, garagebay-style openings on the ground floor lead foot-traffic into the sizable 5,000 square foot retail spaces: another aesthetic and functional nod to the site’s industrial roots. Inspired by early 20th Century factory architecture, Treadmark strikes a modern figure against the brick-stone backdrop of Peabody Square, will add vibrancy to the surrounding neighborhood and is conveniently located at the southern end of the MBTA’s Red Line, at Ashmont Station. Treadmark images continued inside.
TRENDS IN MULTIFAMILY
Q:
How do national multifamily trends differ from regional trends?
A:
We’re seeing certain trends and ideas emerge across the country. Often, these reflect a development mindset that extends across differences in regional markets. The concept of placemaking is central to the work we’re doing with clients nationwide, whether in Indiana, New Jersey, or Massachusetts. Multifamily projects that incorporate key lifestyle amenities, that include a mix of uses, or that form part of larger new neighborhood developments are at the forefront of today’s approach. These elements appeal to a wide demographic base, millennials and empty-nesters alike, who seek access, community and socialization. Walkable or transit-oriented lifestyles with shorter commutes and proximity to restaurants
and cultural attractions are all vital to the growing demand for multifamily intergenerational housing. We see this evolving on both a national and regional level, for all income levels. Without exception, tenants are demanding these amenity-rich communities with easy access to retail and entertainment. Within this national context, we find that regional awareness and perceptivity drives better design — emphasizing the importance of local character. Our projects are very sensitive to the size, scale and materials of the existing neighborhood. This focus on contextual design is something that we’re noticing more often, and it’s exciting to see greater recognition of this truth — that the best multifamily properties succeed when they are conceptualized as lively, thriving extensions of the community-at-large.
Avalon Residences at the Hingham Shipyard | Hingham, MA | Client: AvalonBay Communities | Photographer: Camille Maren, Primary
Q: A:
What types of amenities are developers interested in?
Savvy developers are differentiating themselves through market- and tenant-responsive amenities. Convenience and socialization are important forces for today’s tenants. People want to remain more active and find new opportunities to engage with their surroundings and their fellow residents. From a design standpoint, this encourages meaningful and creative customization at individual properties. For example, high-quality, 24-hour fitness centers are here to stay, and are now designed to accommodate more flexible programming. We’re finding innovative ways to add value with programmed shared spaces — from outdoor communal kitchens, to clubhouses that emphasize games and entertainment and even shared workspaces with flexible benching and opportunities for meetings or individual focus work. Similarly, developers recognize the differentiating value of accessible outdoor space. From rooftop lounge areas with sundecks, to central courtyards, pools with combined indoor/outdoor spaces, and even living shorelines and public riverwalks, incorporating these areas is more
and more important. The specific form may be different in a waterfront development than in a project in a more suburban setting or a dense city center, but across locations and development types, outdoor space is now seen as a vital aspect of site plans, design visions, and amenity packages that can make a new property viable in competitive markets. We see continued and robust demand for a vital mix of uses as well, with interest in integrating tenantand community focused first-floor retail operations and Class A office space into new or repositioned developments, especially larger developments comprising three, four, or more buildings. Creating communities with this mixed-use approach helps to encourage the 24/7 environments that today’s tenants desire.
Q: A:
middle-market groups as well, not just in dense urban core areas, but also in suburban or exurban regions. Working with clients across the country, our portfolio consists of many market-leading luxury developments — The Archer Residences, 40 Trinity, The Kensington, Clippership Wharf — but we’ve also always been champions of affordable and workforce housing, and we’re proud to see more developers addressing the need for a wider array of housing options through both new construction and innovative adaptive reuse projects. Facilitating new and better housing opportunities is one of the most effective ways to foster stronger, more prosperous places and to encourage renewed or continued economic development. This will only become more important, and it’s a perfect opportunity for the development community to create lasting value.
What’s on the horizon?
Affordable assisted living, affordable student housing, affordable multifamily. It’s easy to spot the commonality and the “gap” that needs to be addressed. Serving a more diverse residential base is important, and this includes
Michael D. Binette, AIA, NCARB Vice President, Principal
+next BOSTON YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN UNION
BRIGHTON MARINE
AVALON HARBOR ISLE
Boston, MA A designated Boston Landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the building was constructed in 1875 and was operated by the BYMCU for more than 150 years to provide a variety of services – recently transformed into 46 units of affordable housing with street-level commercial and retail spaces.
Brighton, MA A first-in-the-nation $36 million development that will bring 102 units of housing and on-site supportive services to veteran populations. The campus, built along Commonwealth Avenue, will provide mixed-income apartments in a transit-oriented location for qualifying veterans who want, but cannot afford, to both live and work in Boston.
Island Park, NY Situated on an 11.6 acre lot, the $90 million multifamily community is the artful transformation of a former industrial site into 172 luxury apartments.
Client: Planning Office for Urban Affairs Rendered: Primary Design
Client: WinnCompanies Rendered: Base3D
Client: AvalonBay Communities Rendered: TAT
ALTA UNION HOUSE
STERLING LOFTS
THE RESIDENCE AT PENNIMAN HILL
Framingham, MA This $40 million project is set to become the first major transit-oriented development within close proximity of Framingham’s commuter rail station. The project will enliven downtown with 196 apartments and 2,587 square feet of retail space.
Attleboro, MA The artful conversion of what was once a sprawling jewelry factory into housing for seniors. Transformation of the four-story, 137,800 square foot building into 93 units for people 55+ will include an adult day care intended to serve people 70+ who suffer from cognitive impairment.
Hingham, MA This contemporary continuum of care community will feature 90 independent, assisted and memory care units for seniors. Independent and assisted living residents will have private studio, oneand two-bedroom apartments with upscale amenity spaces throughout.
Client: Wood Partners Rendered: Polynates
Client: WinnDevelopment Rendered: Base3D
Client: LCB Senior Living, LLC Rendered: Base3D
Treadmark offers Dorchester residents a true community hub, with new housing opportunities, space for local businesses, and access to Boston’s key transit networks. We’re proud to have collaborated again with Trinity Financial on this transformative building. Trinity’s leadership team has a powerful commitment to improving our region’s urban fabric, and Treadmark embodies the type of thoughtful, high-density development that leads to positive community impact. The Carruth, one of TAT’s first TOD projects and winner of ULI’s 2007 Global Excellence award, is visible just two blocks away.
-Phil Renzi, Senior Project
Manager
REDEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN SPORTS-RELATED URBAN AREAS Architectural Products magazine featured the perspective of TAT associate Jay Szymanski, AIA, NCARB LEED AP, in an exploration of how sports venues can drive urban revitalization. In the following excerpt from the magazine’s June 2019 issue, Szymanksi speaks on TAT’s Fenway Center project, a joint venture of Gerding Edlen and Meredith Management: What are the factors driving developers to significantly invest in revitalizing the Fenway Park neighborhood? A key factor is that land in this area of Boston has been underutilized for a long time. Fenway Park and Fenway Center sits at a complex urban crossroads, and the neighborhood presents one of Boston’s best opportunities for smart, community focused growth. As an example, we’re currently working with Fenway Center LLC, a joint venture of Gerding Edlen and Meredith Management, two of the country’s leading real estate investment, development, and management firms, on a 1.3 million-square-foot mixed-use project in the area called Fenway Center. The first phase is currently under construction and it consists of two infill buildings, which will replace a large surface parking lot and other underutilized plots between long, city-owned bridges along Beacon Street and Brookline Avenue. The project is a great example of how development and design teams can create tremendous value from existing land assets. Another factor is public transit. The Fenway neighborhood has a strong transit infrastructure, with an MBTA commuter rail stop at Yawkey Station, and another station located at Kenmore Square just a few blocks away. This appeals to a growing number of people for whom transit access is a key factor in deciding where to live or work, and it also ensures that new developments will be accessible to and from other parts of the city and surrounding communities. How does Fenway Center and other recent development in the area benefit the Boston Red Sox? At a core level, Fenway Center creates a more inviting public realm and brings a mix of uses that encourage people to spend more time in the area around the stadium, before and after events. Combined with hundreds of units of new housing, these attractions create a true 24/7
community, which is the kind of environment that improves atmosphere for fans and leads to a more positive and memorable overall experience. Just as important,
Fenway Center also improves transit access and walkability, making the stadium easier to get to from other parts of Boston. How are sports teams uniquely positioned to drive urban revitalization? Do you anticipate that this trend will continue? It is not only sports but all of the events that these major venues host that create the kind of vibrancy that drives surrounding development, and culture and entertainment can be as much of an investment catalyst as education or healthcare uses. Major entertainment venues become focal points where people gather, and expanding the options for how people can spend their time around the venue.
James J. Szymanski, AIA, NCARB, LEED, AP Associate
+fyi
“We are proud to support Treadmark, a vibrant transit-oriented development that meets the needs of the community, with mixed-income rental and homeownership opportunities for households living and working in Boston.� - Acting Undersecretary of Housing and Community Development, Jennifer Maddox. Client: Trinity Financial Interior Designer: Taniya Nayak Photographer: Andy Ryan