ISSUE 3: 2019
now+next Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences is a new 33-story tower that replaces the aging eightstory Boston Common Hotel and Conference Center and embodies an ambitious mix of uses including a 154 room, five-star hotel, 146 residential condominiums, a destination restaurant, a sky lobby and bar, a twostory public outdoor patio and high rise conference center. The design is particularly sensitive to context as the building is within close proximity to Copley Square and adjacent to the iconic Hancock Tower. The building exterior is sculpturally distinctive, explicitly designed to distinguish itself from the adjacent buildings. Shadow and wind impacts were carefully considered, and the building massing, with its gently molded curves, were crafted to minimize both. The property is being developed by Trinity Stuart LLC, a partnership between two Boston entities, the Saunders Hotel Group and The Noannet Group.
SPURRING DOWNTOWN TRANSFORMATION The first significant project to result from a state-led 2016 rezoning effort, Alta Union House represents an important shift in land use policy for Framingham and offers a strong example for neighboring towns.
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an a former parking lot in Framingham, Massachusetts set the road map for the region’s future? We think so. Located in a growing downtown amid a cluster of mid-size cities and towns stretching from Boston to Worcester — the new mixeduse infill development called Alta Union House is a valuable model for higher-density town centers. Designed for developer Wood Partners, the community transforms a long-underutilized site across from the center’s common and near a commuter rail station. With 196 units and ample ground-floor retail space, the modern five-story building dramatically alters the face of downtown, adding density and reducing reliance on cars. The formula is a first for this city of 73,000 residents. To compete with larger cities, attract new residents and spur economic growth, local leaders are now welcoming new housing and commercial activity downtown, reversing half a century of low-density suburban sprawl.
“Framingham’s urban core is at the edge of transition,” states TAT’s Matt Duggan, AIA, “This city made a smart long-range choice by rezoning to encourage greater density, reduce parking requirements, and by identifying strategic sites for infill development. Add to that greater walkability, access to transit, more commercial and retail uses, and you have powerful new reasons for people to consider relocating downtown.” Duggan collaborated with fellow TAT architects, Mike Doherty, AIA LEED AP, and Paul Humphreys to design a solution that appeals
to residents by striking an approachable and contextual tone, with yellow brick façade elements that echo nearby historic structures as well as bay windows and balconies that create visual interest and activity. Offering one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes of up to 1,400 square feet in size, the building also has shared outdoor space split between two courtyards, creatively designed by TAT in collaboration with landscape architects Copley Wolff Design Group. Directly connected to indoor amenities, the smaller courtyard offers bistro style seating. The mid-sized courtyard activates a strip of land between Alta Union House and a neighboring building, The Kendall, that offers plush seating, hanging and spinning chairs, grilling area and an outdoor movie projection for residents. The firm has a broad range of projects that, through infill new construction or adaptive reuse, have transformed valuable but underutilized sites into catalysts for revitalization, and have paved the way for additional transformations in other small- and mid-sized cities throughout Massachusetts, including Yarn Works in Fitchburg, Harbor Place in Haverhill, Counting House Lofts in Lowell and Elan Union Market in Watertown. The recently completed Treadmark building plays a similar role within a larger urban setting, adding new retail and residential opportunities to Boston’s re-emerging Dorchester neighborhood.
Matt Duggan, AIA Project Manager
Alta Union House | Framingham, MA | Client: Wood Partners | Rendered: Polynates | Interior Design: CBT Architects
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AIA CONFERENCE 2019
AT’s Andrew Stebbins presented on waterfront resiliency with co-panelists, Robert Adams from Halvorson Design and Jamie Fay from Fort Point Associates. As industrial waterfronts become less utilized, opportunities emerge for redevelopment – transitioning these properties into residential, commercial, and recreational uses. In master planning and designing buildings for these sites, architects and planners thoughtfully consider the changing climate, utilizing strategies that make structures and spaces more resilient to frequent and powerful storms, and rising sea levels.
We presented techniques employed to adapt properties to new uses while making them resilient to climate change. Waterfront developments, such as Clippership, require a new understanding that as sea levels rise, their design must address changeable site conditions and an evolving relationship to surrounding streets and neighborhoods. Lendlease valued TAT’s sustainable design that created a viable waterfront for future growth and investment. - Andrew Stebbins, Project Manager
Clippership Wharf | Boston, MA | Client: Lendlease | Renderings: 1) Pictury 2) Evolution Ventures | Sectional Perspective: Halvorson Design
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Rope Walk Apartments Charlestown, MA Client: Frontier Enterprises Renderer: TAT
Chestnut Commons Providence, RI Client: Waldorf Capital Management Renderer: TAT
135 Dudley Street Roxbury, MA Client: Cruz Development Renderer: TAT
Parcel U Jamaica Plain, MA Client: The Community Builders Design Architect + Renderer: Stephen Chung
135 Dudley Street Boston, MA | September 13, 2019 | 18143 | Š The Architectural Team, Inc.
View from Malcolm X Boulevard
INTEGRATED DESIGN. SAME TEAM, SAME FOCUS. “Architecture and interior design are inextricably connected – at TAT we are able to seamlessly ensure interrelatedness between exterior and interior aesthetic and functional relationships through a naturally collaborative process. The result? Exceptional brand consistency and visual continuity.” —Melanie Conant, NCIDQ, LEED GA, Director of Interior Design Well-designed amenity spaces are one of the most effective ways to foster connection and socialization opportunities for residents in a multifamily property. The primary challenge for developers is to discover the key differentiators that will attract and retain tenants. The more creative the better. Bike repair shops, dog grooming areas, music recording studios – amenities that are missing from the surrounding neighborhood provide an exciting nuance and branding opportunity for the property. We’ve seen an increasing design emphasis on layering spaces for multiple activities, with strong connections between outdoor and indoor environments. Our clients recognize that settings flourish when people have a range of programming opportunities, and a variety of reasons to engage with the space.
Avalon Saugus | Photographer: Camille Maren, Primary
People are drawn to spaces where they can gather and celebrate – outdoor amenities always hold a particular appeal: swimming pools, fire pits, grilling stations, roof decks, and outdoor media-filled lounges. The bottom line: creating interiors with flexibility and reusability is critical when designing multifamily amenity space, these environments serve as a vital long-term resource and investment. Trending now:
Avalon Saugus | Photographer: Camille Maren, Primary
• Creating indoor and outdoor environmental stimulation essential for community • Access to usable open space for recreation, socialization and leisure activities • Technology-rich touchdown work zones and collaborative learning spaces, blending the once-separate worlds of work and home • Spaces that are evocative of a distinct identity of place – reflecting the culture and unique history of their location
Alexan Wrentham | Photographer: Joel Howe
Alexan 3 North | Photographer: Andy Ryan
Alexan Wrentham | Photographer: Joel Howe
Elan Union Market| Photographer: Andy Ryan
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The flagship North American property will be a welcoming oasis within the heart of the city, blending Raffles’ glamour and style, and thoughtful, locally inspired design with the cosmopolitan charm of the Back Bay. The project will provide over $22 million in public benefits in total, including street and public realm improvements, seven on-site affordable housing units and a contribution of over $13 million that will support additional affordable housing in Boston. Client: Trinity Stuart LLC Rendered: Binyan