ISSUE 3: 2018
now+next AVALON SUDBURY This new residential community transforms a former research campus into Avalon Sudbury, a modern lifestyle destination whose atmosphere draws on the classic New England feel of surrounding Sudbury, Massachusetts. The new neighborhood is an integral part of Meadow Walk Sudbury – a vibrant mixed-use development that includes a village retail center and generous public areas including a central green, all connected by a new network of roadways and walking paths. TAT’s design for this inviting development offers 250 mixed income apartment homes across a series of 31 contextually scaled two- and threestory buildings, including townhomes and a unique 8 and 10 unit building type that incorporates a private entry, garage, and generous balcony space for every unit. A centrally located clubhouse structure provides a community focal point whose prominent tower forms a modern take on iconic regional architecture. continued on page 5...
EXPANDING THE DEFINITIONS OF WORKFORCE HOUSING One of the hottest topics in housing today is the subject of “workforce housing.” While subsidies exist to address affordability for low income families there have been few programs designed to subsidize housing for that wide swath of the working population whose incomes are too great to qualify for housing assistance in existing programs, but too low to afford the market rate apartments or home ownership options available. hese subsidies are at last being tweaked to address higher income brackets than before. In Massachusetts, for example, the Baker administration inaugurated a “workforce housing fund” to provide subsidy targeting an 80%-120% Area Median Income (AMI) cohort of eligibility. This program intends to create 1,000 new units of workforce housing statewide; TAT recently completed Gateway North Residences, the first project to receive funding under the initiative. Located in Lynn, Mass., the 71 unit, transit-oriented development (TOD) is seen as an important step for the state.
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While that is a welcome development, the phrase “workforce housing” is confining when defined exclusively in narrow economic terms and tends to crowd out a more holistic, historical and perhaps, useful, perspective on the problem and its solutions. The pressure to provide workers with affordable housing options in convenient proximity to their jobs is not a new one. Entire building typologies sprang up in the 19th century to accommodate labor in the industrial revolution. Such familiar
regional housing types as the Boston triple-decker and the Philadelphia trinity are examples. Entire neighborhoods of such housing were often developed by the private developers to address a market created by local industry while others were developed directly by the industries themselves as company housing. By the turn of the last century 3% of the population in America lived in company towns built and owned by the sponsoring companies.
developing residential-heavy mixed-use and lifestyle centers to accommodate their workforces. Last year Facebook announced plans to develop a 1,500 unit lifestyle center in Menlo Park for its employees. It has been reported that Google is working with a prefabricated housing manufacturer to develop housing for its staff in Mountain View, California. It may be that the emergence of modular housing forms as an economically efficient way to produce affordable housing for workers gives rise to forms
Modern examples of private enterprise sponsoring housing to accommodate their own workforces are harder to come by, but they do exist. For years, the seasonal hospitality industry in places like Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod has bought and developed housing for their seasonal staff. There are companies whose entire business is setting up temporary worker housing and communities to serve industries that require a mobile workforce (the oil industry in particular).
of workforce housing as recognizable as those of the 19th century.
More recently, corporate tech giants such as Google and Facebook have jumped into the real estate development world 1
Michael E. Liu, AIA, NCARB Vice President, Principal
While these are explicit examples of workforce housing, the profile of residents in such current corporate-sponsored ventures do not match the profiles commonly cited in the prevailing literature regarding workforce housing. It will be interesting to see if industrial corporate entities with lower employee income profiles start developing housing as well in a clearer return to the 19th century pattern of corporate housing sponsorship. Given the record low unemployment of the last few years, corporately sponsored housing incentives may make sense at all
Presently the various strategies to provide workforce housing are approached in an ad hoc manner. What has yet to develop is an integration of zoning reform, transportation-oriented development opportunities and incentivization of industrial and corporate development of native workforce housing to further leverage the various forms of government economic subsidy structures already in place. While hybridization of existing solutions may not solve the problem entirely, it will inevitably advance the solution.
Gateway North Client: Hub Holdings LLC Photographer: Joel Howe
income levels. Further, large corporations often control significant tracts of land (think corporate headquarters, campuses and industrial facilities) and as much of the cost of housing is imbedded in land costs, there may be a natural economic advantage to the development of such on-site workforce housing.
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NextCorps at Sibley Square Client: WinnDevelopment Photographer: Christian Scully
NEXTCORPS includes a signature co-working space, private zones and suites, conference rooms, biotech labs, maker spaces, and common areas, including a kitchen/cafeteria and game room.
SIBLEY SQUARE: INNOVATIVE + ICONIC. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1M square foot Sibley Building in downtown Rochester, N.Y., is the new home for regional business incubator NextCorps. ith a combination of coworking areas, private zones and office suites, conference rooms, biotech labs, and maker spaces, TAT’s design creates a state-of-the-art, flexible space that accommodates the wide range of uses necessitated by NextCorps’ entrepreneurs. Reflecting a desire for an open, collaborative atmosphere, amenities include a roof deck, large auditorium, and common gathering areas such as a game room and café lounge. Carefully preserved and restored historic detailing, including original custom millwork is featured throughout the space, along with
murals by local artists highlighting a connection to Rochester’s history as a center of architectural and technological innovation. NextCorps’ neutral color palette creates a sense of visual unity, contrasting with wall coverings, carpeting, acoustically sealed booths, and movable furniture elements whose bright colors help define distinct workspaces and create points of accent for the historic features. With short walks to transit, and easy access to Sibley Square’s vibrant residential, commercial, restaurant and retail spaces, NextCorps sits at the heart of economic rebirth in downtown Rochester. 4
AVALON SUDBURY: ELEVATED LIVING
Avalon Sudbury Client: AvalonBay Communities Photographer: Andy Ryan 5
anging in size from one- to three-bedrooms, the apartment homes at Avalon Sudbury feature upscale and contemporary finishes, including modern kitchens with stainless steel appliances, quartz stone countertops, and glass tile backsplashes. Residents can take advantage of amenities including an outdoor swimming pool, landscaped courtyards with fire pits and gas grills, a work center with various table options and custom knotted wool carpet, and the club house’s fitness center and yoga room. For those seeking an elegant space for relaxation or socialization, Avalon Sudbury’s club room features rich woods, a double-sided bluestone fireplace, custom Italian glass globe light fixtures, and a curated mixedmedia art program.
now+next 1 Evergreen Village at Bloomington Bloomington, IN Client: Evergreen Partners Photographer: Andy Ryan 2 Oak Row West Roxbury, MA Client: EA Fish Photographer: Andy Ryan 3 Avalon Easton Easton, MA Client: AvalonBay Communities Photographer: Joel Howe 4 Brookline Village Brookline, MA Client: WinnDevelopment Renderer: Base3D 5 Chadd’s Ford Chadd’s Ford, PA Client: LCB Senior Living Renderer: Base3D
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3 For more updates on TAT news and projects, please visit architecturalteam.com
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Avalon Sudbury Client: AvalonBay Communities Photographer: Andy Ryan The Architectural Team, Inc. 50 Commandant’s Way at Admiral’s Hill Chelsea, MA 02150 architecturalteam.com