The Architectural Staff Reimagines Historic Boston Warehouse As Distinctive New Residences at 100 Shawmut

CHELSEA, MA– The Architectural Staff (TAT) introduced the completion of 100 Shawmut, a hanging new condominium neighborhood in Boston’s quickly evolving South Finish Landmark District.

Now open, the undertaking provides 138 residential items and public open house in a mix of adaptive reuse and new building that preserves a regionally iconic constructing and enhances its gateway presence with a dramatic up to date addition.

Mixing housing manufacturing with historic preservation, 100 Shawmut presents a helpful case research in maximizing density and creating daring new design statements, whereas retaining the unique architectural cloth that gives historic neighborhoods their distinctive identities.

Restoring Historic City Patterns, City Markers, and Pedestrian Connections

This imaginative design resolution integrates up to date seven-story glass-and-terracotta addition with the renovation and residential conversion of an current six-story warehouse. The ensuing 232,000-square-foot growth, led by developer The Davis Firms, is the centerpiece and first section of TAT’s three-building grasp plan that can break up break up an current superblock and restore the historic city sample of cross-block connections. The three buildings of the grasp plan website occupy the northern finish of this superblock overlooking the Massachusetts Turnpike, and supply new pedestrian connections between adjoining streets and throughout the website itself.

Positioned on the most outstanding nook of the grasp plan website, 100 Shawmut receives important visible strain each from the multitude of autos passing on the turnpike under, and because the terminus of the lengthy vista of Shawmut Avenue approaching from Boston’s Chinatown. Whereas preliminary growth plans thought of tearing down the prevailing brick warehouse and constructing a wholly new condominium tower instead, retaining the unique construction and incorporating it into a brand new design was at all times a central idea for the architects. “Preserving this construction felt vital to our workforce as a result of it serves as a extremely seen gateway to the South Finish,” says Michael E. Liu, AIA, NCARB, a senior principal and design accomplice at TAT. “The constructing holds a spot in the neighborhood’s collective reminiscence – retaining such recognizable native landmarks is particularly vital, as extra of the world’s historic cloth is misplaced to new constructing initiatives. Adapting the property and including onto it was a manner of responding to the wants of an evolving neighborhood with out abandoning the structure that offers it its historic identification.”

As soon as the 100 Shawmut growth workforce dedicated to preserving the unique brick warehouse, TAT’s architects devised a artistic design for the addition: an L-shaped construction sitting above the unique constructing and wrapping its japanese facet. With a noticeable “V” form, the lengthy leg of the “L” departs from the strict orthogonal geometry of the unique constructing, additional distinguishing it from the unique construction in addition to the encircling city context. The form and type of the addition additionally considerably expands the undertaking’s buildable sq. footage and permits for extra and larger residential items with terraces, elegantly assembly the event’s programmatic objectives.

The contrasting geometry, and hanging juxtaposition of the prevailing constructing’s muscular brick-and-concrete type with the modern glass-and-terracotta addition, additionally permits every to supply a foil to the opposite. TAT’s addition makes use of substantial setbacks to additional intensify the restored warehouse constructing’s type and profile, and to protect the prevailing streetscape alongside Shawmut Avenue, a major hall by means of the South Finish.

“As a result of the location is a literal crossroads between neighborhoods and above the freeway, the constructing performs a singular city design position,” notes Tom Schultz, AIA, NCARB, an affiliate with TAT who led the agency’s work on the undertaking alongside principal Michael Liu. “As a gateway undertaking, we felt it referred to as for a dramatic visible resolution. The angled facades of the brand new building intensify the angle of the views of the constructing when approached throughout the bridges from Chinatown and function an acceptable marker.”

As grasp planners for the bigger three-building superblock website that comes with 100 Shawmut, TAT additionally noticed a priceless alternative to make a big swath of the encircling space extra accessible and pedestrian-friendly. The agency created a pedestrian-friendly public plaza and courtyard within the heart of the block, accessed by way of a passageway from the adjoining Shawmut Avenue, Herald and Washington Streets. As soon as totally realized, the grasp plan will present a community of walkways resulting in and connecting by means of the plaza, and considerably enhancing walkability throughout the neighborhood.

Along with the general public plaza and courtyard, residents at 100 Shawmut also can benefit from in depth out of doors amenity areas on a number of ranges of the constructing. Among the many out of doors areas are personal balconies included with many items, the top-level penthouses’ personal terraces, and a shared roof deck with sweeping views of the Boston skyline. Just a few flooring down, a third-floor frequent terrace set above the inner courtyard gives open areas for socializing and leisure in a quieter setting. Different facilities, with interiors by EMBARC Studio, embody a catering kitchen, a pet spa, an expansive kids’s playroom, a three-story parking storage, and bike storage.

“As growth continues to reshape Boston’s South Finish, considerate design options like these at 100 Shawmut present it’s potential for the neighborhood to respect its previous whereas transferring efficiently into the long run,” concludes TAT’s Liu. “We’re proud to play an element in serving to this underutilized website attain its true potential, making a extra vibrant and approachable city expertise for future residents and the broader neighborhood alike with enticing housing, sturdy public house, and preserved historic cloth.”

TAT’s work at 100 Shawmut is the most recent in a protracted line of adaptive reuse initiatives with delicate fashionable additions for residential, hospitality, and blended use, together with Boston’s award-winning Lovejoy Wharf and Uphams Crossing developments, the acclaimed Again Bay Resort, the 375 Newbury Avenue industrial property, and The Archer Residences condominiums.

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