Our neighborhood activation plan called for the restoration and repositioning of three historic buildings in the Seaport District. New ground-floor retail space and a new pedestrian plaza create a vibrant retail and dining destination.
Dating to the early 20th century, the neighborhood was a booming industrial area of brick and beam warehouse buildings with original openings ranging from four to six feet above today’s sidewalk, a prohibitive feature for an active modern streetscape. MP’s design lowered the floors and window openings to provide accessibility, create sight lines and visual connection from the street, and restores the historic building façades and architectural flourishes of the time. The entire team took great care in respecting the historic context of the neighborhood while activating a new retail area.
Margulies Perruzzi was asked by National Development to reposition this existing building to attract new tenants and to raise its profile in the marketplace. A new open, day-lit lobby features a new glass curtain wall located on the outer building face for better visibility. A new entrance plaza allows for outside dining and casual seating. New food options and a fitness area provide upgraded amenities to building tenants and visitors.
With the MBTA University Station across the street and a new retail development going in next door, the MP team worked together with National Development and the Town of Westwood to first develop the name/address of the building, and then to create the building’s logo.
Inside, MP created a double-sided custom mural that visually enlivens the lobby while dividing the café from the adjoining fitness center. The mural evokes the surrounding transportation options, subtly underscoring a key selling feature for the building owners to present to potential tenants.
The outside also comes inside, as the lobby features casual seating arrangements along with interior “living” walls of live plants and a low planter separating the entry and café. While the building had remained vacant for years prior to the renovation, it was fully leased within one year of the project’s completion.
This project 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. Our project team navigated the complex permitting process, and the building was 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, the project team was able to reference the original architecture to guide placement for building core volumes while maximizing window opening percentages.
Sustainability
This project is LEED-certified.
Award-Winner
- Corenet New England Awards of Excellence | Commendation for Sustainability
- Accessible Design Award | The MA Architectural Access Board (AAB) and the Boston Society of Architects (BSA)
When health insurer BCBSMA purchased this 1980’s-era office building in 2004, the property didn’t come close to meeting current standards for workspace design and accessibility.
MP provided design services for the complete renovation of the building and site, including a new 1,300-car parking structure, on-site childcare center and cafeteria.
In addition to meeting its associates’ business needs, BCBSMA was also committed to reducing the environmental impact of the renovation project and the building’s ongoing operation.
