Design
Hidden Treasure at Congress Square
One piece of our Congress Square project includes transforming the existing streetscape of the old Shawmut National Bank building into an active, pedestrian friendly retail and restaurant environment. The existing building includes several design features prominent in old bank structures, including dark windows and heavy metal grillwork. These features were important to a bank’s ability to convey a sense of privacy…
My AIA Story
If you are an emerging professional, you have received your packet about “I AM AIA.” This is my AIA story. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would become a licensed architect; a goal I accomplished in 2008. After licensure I asked the same question as so many others – now what? I knew I wanted to…
Tomorrow’s Tech, Today
This year at CES, the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, some ultramodern technology was introduced. From refrigerators that can order groceries, to single-passenger drones, futuristic inventions are making their way into our everyday lives. This new technology is changing how we live, and how we design and plan the spaces we build. Here are four futuristic ideas making…
Designing for Collaboration and Innovation
While working with BioMed Realty to create the Sidney Research Campus, we partnered with one of their new biotech tenants to fit out their new space. Our interiors group partnered with our architectural team to design a collaborative office and lab space with clean lines and innovative features to reflect both their brand and the fast-moving life sciences community in…
From Star Wars to SFMOMA
During a recent trip to the West Coast, Brian Cook, Amy Korte, and I visited the shop of Kreysler and Associates in American Canyon California. As a leader in the use of composite materials in construction, we have chosen to collaborate with K&A to accomplish the fluid forms designed for the signature soffit at Congress Square. K&A has innovated the use…
Better Acoustics in Jamaica Plain
Arrowstreet is working with the Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF) on the renovation of the Ceverus Building, home to its Youth Community Development Center. The 15,000-square-foot building is located in Jamaica Plain, and offers a variety of arts programs, including dance rehearsal space, a soundproof music-recording studio, a dedicated computer lab, and four multi-use classrooms. Each week, over 500 young…
Future of the Library
Last Thursday, several of our staff members attended a panel discussion at MIT featuring David Adjaye, 2016 recipient of the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts. Titled “The Future of the Library,” the event invited five panelists to discuss the library as a place and its future in a landscape of ever-evolving information exchange. Other panelists included Chris Bourg (Director…
Planning for Net Zero in Cambridge
Recently the USGBC MA’s Advocacy Committee hosted guest speaker Susanne Rasmussen, Director of Transportation and Environmental Planning for the City of Cambridge. Cambridge is leading the way for a net zero future in Massachusetts, and their policy can provide ideas for other municipalities to create successful plans for their communities. Susanne spoke about Cambridge’s Net Zero Plan, the process for developing it,…
Graffiti & Steel: Embracing Culture
For most of us, graffitied walls and industrial sites are usually things to be repainted and remade. But in our hearts we all know that the most interesting places have a little bit of grit to them; it’s what gives them life, character, and makes them memorable. In the end, the things people leave behind them are what make communities…
Creating PlaySpace
A group of Arrowstreet’s staff recently entered a design competition promoting innovative outdoor play spaces in Philadelphia. Hosted by the Community Design Collaborative and Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children, the competition invited teams to choose one of three public sites—a school, a library, and a recreation center—and create plans for a new outdoor space. Arrowstreet’s team…