News
Marblehead Teen Center Update
A nice update on our work in Marblehead on adding a teen center to their library appeared in the local paper yesterday. As it mentions, we’ve been working with the Abbot Public Library and Marblehead High School for about two and a half years now in both an educational and design role. Check out the article here.
HollyBowl 2013
Arrowstreet’s glamorous red carpet crew recently held our annual bowling outing at Lanes and Games in Cambridge. This year the HollyBowl Tournament shed the spotlight on the entire Arrowstreet community. The event started with a fried feast and Hollywood-sized cake and then segued into an all-out race to the top. Whether a bowling enthusiast or complete newbie, everyone gave it their all and had a fabulous time.The tournament setup split the teams into divisions A and B based on their first round scores. The two divisions then battled it out for the number 1 spot. Team 9 (Jonathan Garland, Stefan Chaires, and William Su) took the spotlight as the champs of Division A-List (despite the usual good-natured protests and jokes). They were properly decorated as superstars during their victory photo shoot. Following them, Team 3 (Kate Bubriski, Stephanie Tyll, Greg Triplett, and Jon Neal) was crowned the Winners of the Losers – that is, winners of Division B – and posed for the camera. HollyBowl was a great way to spend our Friday afternoon and was a reminder that everyone at Arrowstreet is a star.
Mirbeau Construction Update
Construction continues on Arrowstreet’s newest resort hotel. Located at The Pinehills in Plymouth Massachusetts, The Mirbeau Inn and Spa will be the second property in the Mirbeau brand conceived and developed by Gary and Linda Dower. The Plymouth property, like the flagship in Skaneateles NY, is inspired by French country architecture focused on a signature garden with ponds modeled after the Monet gardens of Giverny. Arrowstreet worked closely with the Dowers to design a property which would expand on the brand signatures of the original while developing a distinctive and unique appeal of its own…
Visiting India, Part 2 of 3
One of the initial and lasting impressions of urban India involved the mixed-modes of transportation one encounters on the roadways. In general, the typical three-lane road seemed to function in reality with five lanes flowing smoothly amid a cacophony of horns that signaled the intentions of drivers more effectively than blinking directionals…
130 Cambridgepark Drive
Arrowstreet is designing a 220-unit residential building and 456-car garage in the Alewife Triangle District, convenient to the young professionals and families employed at the adjacent and surrounding office buildings. Organized around three intimate private courtyards, the building features one- and two-bedroom units, studios, and “innovation”-style micro-units. A striking, colorful metal panel creates a noticeable corner for the building, which is set back from the street. The adjacent garage features fabric panel “fins” jutting out perpendicular from the building to screen the garage from a side view and create a bright, bold identity.
Visiting India, Part 1 of 3
Arrowstreet sent me to India earlier this year to rekindle ties with a colleague. Saurabh Bagley & Associates (SMBA) is a firm in New Delhi doing a significant volume of work. Mr. Bagley had worked at Arrowstreet during his time as a graduate student at MIT. After his return to India, Arrowstreet teamed up with SMBA on a few commercial projects, but we hadn’t had a chance to work together in a few years. So, I went to meet with Saurabh and see his firm’s work, prospective clients and a country about which I knew little. The impressions I was left with were, in general…
New Lobby at 210 Broadway
As part of the work Bob had told you about and Mike had elaborated on, we also renovated BioMed’s entrance lobby at 210 Broadway. We had a dual purpose in this renovation: first, to reinforce the sense of openness and connection to the courtyard and outside; and second, to accommodate a number of unusual (and beautiful) art pieces. We chose modern, light-colored finishes to draw the eye to the dramatic sculptural pieces and paintings, which are part of a rotating exhibit from the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. The tree silhouettes from the glass courtyard also continue into the space, visually linking the lobby and courtyard.
Boston Globe on CitySquare
Paul McMorrow’s article in the Boston Globe this week was a thoughtful, nuanced description of our CitySquare project in Worcester. Advocating for a deliberateness in development as well as the importance of density to create a vibrant downtown, the article offers a glimpse into what makes a city successful. As McMorrow writes: “The city is currently working on rebuilding a downtown that looks and functions like one. It is a turnaround plan that celebrates the downtown, instead of suburbanizing it. It recognizes that good downtowns start with people, and once downtowns fill with people, business happens organically.” McMorrow also highlights the importance of residential density, a key component of our master plan, to the transformation of Worcester as it creates a critical mass of people invested in the success of their neighborhood…
NEWiRE Tour of Chestnut Hill
I’ll be helping lead a project spotlight tour tonight of Chestnut Hill Square with NEWiRE. The event details are below; I hope to see you there…
Best of 2013 Awards
I recently attended the Banker & Tradesman ceremony honoring their Best of 2013 awards recipients. Arrowstreet was voted Gold this year in an open poll among B&T’s readers in the Architect / Design category. It was a nice evening, with a great venue – Sean, Amy, and I enjoyed views across the Charles River to downtown Boston.