Nathan Turner Senior Project Manager and Associate Partner, Margulies Perruzzi Age: 44 Industry experience: 22 years
Nate Turner recently marked his 22nd anniversary at Boston-based Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA). In recent years he’s specialized in repurposing brick-and-beam properties in neighborhoods including the Seaport District, updating historic structures for the 21st century economy. Turner’s recent projects include repositioning of three buildings on Farnsworth Street and Thomson Place with new ground-floor retail and windows, and updates to 10 and 20 Channel Center including new tenant amenities and branding materials.
Q: How did you address historic preservation guidelines when adding ground-floor retail to the Thomson Place property? A: We saw an opportunity to connect the historic thoroughfare of Congress Street with Seaport Boulevard and have Thomson Place be a prime connector. Part of the success of what we’ve been able to do so far is we’ve worked well with the Landmarks Commission starting from the place of what’s important to them. Instead of creating an uphill struggle, let’s focus on the historic elements that are desirable and build off that rather than creating something new.
How do you take a building with small window openings while trying to maximize glass for shoppers? For Thomson Place, it was trying to accentuate the arches that had been modified over the years and restore it to its rightful condition. But also taking a look at the sidewalks, the widths of those and understanding where the curb cuts and ramps are, making them pedestrian-friendly. On the finishing touches, it’s bumping out the sidewalks. We don’t want cars zooming up and down the street.
Q: What are the sweet spots in building sizes, heights and unit count that lend themselves well to cross-laminated timber construction? A: There are provisions in the building code that allow you to use it as a structural element, but there are forthcoming code changes that allow you to build up to 10 stories. In a recent project on A Street, we added a 2-story addition to a historical structure. It’s lighter in load than steel or concrete, and the same level of construction without impacting the building as much. Someone trying to do a 15-story building in Boston
might come up with some hurdles, because they would be on the leading edge of the code updates.
The 2021 code changes will allow uses in taller and bigger structures and more applications. You might see the introduction of CLT fire stairs. They might have to be clad with materials, but the more you can use heavy timber, the more they can be fastened in an interconnected way, which would lead to improved construction times. When you’re dealing with mechanical fasteners and just one trade, that’s different than having a steel fabricator and having to stop for the welding and cure the concrete and do it layer by layer.
Q: Have you received requests to do office retrofits during COVID-19? A: It’s kind of a blessing and a curse. This is a great opportunity for deferred maintenance projects or overall master planning and capital improvements. When you have lower occupancy in a building, that means fewer hurdles and headaches. The biggest challenge is just financing and that’s going to vary from owner to owner. Everyone’s trying to look at the glass as half full and saying they can take advantage of the downturn, and the labor force may be more available to deal with these projects. There may be more competitive bidding or less downtime.
In tenant spaces, it’s a similar mindset, but implemented differently with a certain amount of uncertainty about what the next three months will bring. We’ve seen a lot of tenants say, “OK, we have to do something. What are the simpler things we can do right away that are low-cost and high-impact?” Signage, sanitizing stations, that’s the easy stuff. Anybody can do it at low cost. But when you think about furniture
panels, spacing of rooms, updating office floor plans, you start getting into operational questions. People have questions. Do I need to have the conversation with the landlord about the HVAC system and how late my air stays on at night? There’s a good-better-best solution.
Q: As Boston prepares a new coastal resiliency zoning overlay, what do developers need to know about best practices in floodproofing? A: As a coastal city, we will not be the only ones dealing with this. Venice continues to be the bellwether for a lot of us. There are a lot of similarities. Boston has done a great job of creating a resiliency group that’s looking at measurable goals by 2030 and understands the risks, looking at vulnerable areas that are landmarks or neighborhoods. We’re trying to be proactive, but the solutions are not easy. It’s hard to
implement across the city in a budget-friendly manner. No matter what you do, there’s going to be a weak link.
Q: Is the above-ground podium the current preferred option for parking in multifamily projects? A: Some of it depends on the soil conditions and where the water tables are, but I’ve seen some projects look at parking as a buffer between a ground-level use and the floors above. But you’re trading some real estate from an investment perspective. What I’ve been hearing over the last year or so is the city is trying to process what the right ratios are going forward. If it’s for a building where the demographic is predominantly college students, [some developers are] looking whether to repurpose the garage into additional living units. If they’re renovating, it’s a great time to reclaim some square-footage.
Five Favorite Classic Rock Songs 1. “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix 2. “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan 3. “Hotel California” by the Eagles 4. “Long Time” by Boston 5. “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent
The post-pandemic workplace will deliver roomier office spaces with better environmental conditions. They will be designed with sharing in mind for flexible scheduling.
The post-pandemic workplace “is going to actually put a lot of pressure on companies, and in particular their HR departments, to understand what is the right ratio of people that will be back in the workplace,” said Tim Bailey, an associate partner and senior architect at Margulies Perruzzi, an architectural firm in Boston.
Our reports are continuously updated to share the current thought leadership on the nature of work and how it is evolving. Visit our Workplace Research section by clicking here.
Article in Connect Commercial Real Estate
Architecture firm Margulies Perruzzi surveyed thousands of industry professionals this past spring to gain an understanding of the impact that COVID-19 had on the office environment. Beyond questions of how extensively tenants plan to use their spaces post-pandemic, the results of the survey make it clear that landlords will have their work cut out for them.
Additionally, The AIA COVID-19 Task Force (including MP’s John Fowler) has published tools to assess and catalog the adaptive reuse of buildings as Alternative Care Sites. We are extremely grateful for all of the hard work and sacrifice healthcare professionals are putting in on the front lines of this pandemic and are looking for more ways to support them whenever we can.
Our reports are continuously updated to share the current thought leadership on the nature of work and how it is evolving. Visit our Workplace Research section by clicking here.
As you may know, The AIA COVID-19 Task Force (including MP’s John Fowler) has published tools to assess and catalog the adaptive reuse of buildings as Alternative Care Sites. We are extremely grateful for all of the hard work and sacrifice healthcare professionals are putting in on the front lines of this pandemic and are looking for more ways to support them whenever we can.
The work of the TF was acknowledged, and AIA was highlighted by ASAE as one of the 100 Associations That Will Save the World (ASAE is the professional association for people who work in Association Management). Click the graphic below to see the entire article. AIA was recognized under the Coronavirus Response section. The rest of 99 associations are an amazing list of organizations that do great work around the country and the world. It is incredible that MP is represented on this TF alongside many others that contributed.
What a month for news in High Profile Monthly (HPM)!
High Profile Monthly October 2020
Feature Story: MP’s Lauren Maggio, NCIDQ, Senior Interior Designer, talks about what’s on the horizon…”As a designer who specializes in healthcare and retail spaces, only in my dreams did I think infection control protocol would become a mainstream topic of conversation across all sectors of design. And now, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, here we are.”
Press Release: Margulies Perruzzi Leverages Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) to Renovate Historic Building in South Boston – Innovative use of CLT instead of steel provided greater flexibility during hybrid historical/new construction renovations.
To read the October issue and this news in its entirety, click here.
Innovative use of CLT instead of steel provided greater flexibility during hybrid historical/new construction renovations
Margulies Perruzzi (MP), one of New England’s most innovative architectural and interior design firms, announced today that it has utilized cross-laminated timber (CLT) to add two stories to an existing 1920’s era brick and beam building at 69 A Street in South Boston, creating a five-story 45,000 SF building which is a hybrid of historical and new construction. The firm navigated the complex permitting process on behalf of its client, and the building has been designed to accommodate either a single tenant or multiple tenants.
Originally the home of the Standard Rivet Company, the building was designed for industrial use with three floors and an unfinished basement. With some of the original windows – single pane with steel edging – still in place, Margulies Perruzzi was able to reference the original architecture to guide placement for building core volumes while maximizing window opening percentages. A long and narrow rectangle with 7,500 SF floor plates, the layout of the building presented a challenge from the start. The design team decided to add two floors and selected CLT for their construction, aligning with the industrial brick and beam nature of the building. The exterior skin of the new levels is a metal panel rainscreen system installed with exposed metal fasteners that speak to its original use. Leaving the CLT exposed on the upper floors creates a much more appealing exterior than standard steel construction. Designed to be on the lot line, Margulies Perruzzi arranged for setbacks to allow for additional light on the South side.
Cross-laminated timber is a processed timber product of superior strength and stability that offers unique new possibilities and unparalleled advantages in wood construction. Nordic X-Lam from Nordic Structures is made of at least three orthogonal layers of graded sawn lumber that are laminated by gluing with structural adhesives. Wood is five times lighter than concrete and 15 times lighter than steel so Margulies Perruzzi was able to retain the existing structure and it did not have to replace or reinforce the existing foundations before adding two stories. Additional benefits of CLT are the inherent fire resistance properties and a natural wood ceiling that can be left exposed to create a warm finished aesthetic.
Two new vertical stacks were introduced into the floorplate: the first is nestled in the middle of the building, with vertical circulation and a bathroom core; and the second, an egress stair, located in the back corner. Both stack elements doubled as seismic code elements without impacting the floorplate or building aesthetic.
The main entrance access is located off A Street next to a “vest-pocket” park and features interior elements that relate to the industrial nature of the building such as a custom reception desk with weathered zinc panels and blackened steel. The front half of the first floor looks out on A Street with large windows featuring a lowered sill for greater connectivity to the street. The fifth floor has a street-facing outdoor terrace accessible directly from the office space with views of the evolving West Broadway neighborhood and South Station skyline.
As one of New England’s top architectural and interior design firms, Margulies Perruzzi (MP) designs Workplace, Health+Science, and Real Estate projects that inspire and nurture human endeavor. More information may be found at https://mparchitectsboston.com.
EndoPro Magazinecover story: If you are thinking about expanding, relocating or renovating your endoscopy center or department, there are several key space planning concepts, regulatory requirements, trends, options and features that should be considered before anyone puts pen to paper or sets a project budget.
Given the impact that the current pandemic has had on the ability for many endoscopists to see patients and the use of some endoscopy centers for surge capacity, pandemic resiliency should also be factored into the planning.
Click the cover image for the full article by John Fowler, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP, Healthcare Studio leader at Margulies Perruzzi.
For more information and photos of 50 Staniford Street, property featured in this article, click here.
MP recently published “VOLUME 1: COVID-19 AND THE FUTURE OF THE WORKPLACE
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?” Download by clicking here.
As the stay-at-home mandates are lifted, corporate America is evaluating how to maintain safety measures within their current office space. From rearranging furniture to implementing one-way traffic flow patterns, and providing additional cleaning supplies, tenants and landlords are looking at office spaces and office cultures like never before. But are corporate offices equipped with the right infrastructure to support these changes? More specifically, do our office spaces and buildings have the means to store hazardous materials in abundance? Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizers are often a Class III flammable liquid and their use and storage are regulated by the Massachusetts building code.
Local building and fire codes regulate the maximum quantity of hazardous materials allowed in a building. We’ve taken a closer look at the code implications of increasing hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies in office spaces and recommend developing a Hazardous Materials Management Plan (HMMP) (or update the existing plan) to incorporate any additional hand sanitizer and ensure compliance with these provisions. These plans are also critical to the local fire department and other emergency response teams as the plans will provide the necessary information for fire-fighting and emergency response operations. A chemical inventory including type and quantity of hazardous materials should be maintained by each tenant. We recommend landlords revisit lease agreements and consider adding language to address storage of hazardous materials and to define allowed quantities for each tenant space. Communication between tenants and landlords is critical to maintain compliance and life safety requirements for the building occupants.
Jason B. Costello AIA, EDAC, is a Partner | Associate Principal and leads the Healthcare design practice at Margulies Perruzzi.
More information and articles published from the MP Healthcare studio posted regularly.
MP recently published “VOLUME 1: COVID-19 AND THE FUTURE OF THE WORKPLACE
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?” Download by clicking here.
Across the country, we are seeing numerous changes at healthcare facilities as they reopen for elective and non-critical care while still addressing potential surge capacity issues related to COVID-19. One of the biggest difficulties is getting into and through these facilities while practicing social distancing and minimizing risk to patients and staff.
MP’s John Fowler, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP, is featured in Healthcare Design – Healthcare facilities are employing a variety of strategies and tactics, including technology, to overcome the challenges of reopening amid COVID-19. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3iZms9r
