Urban Design
Worcester’s Transformation in the Globe
The latest article in the Boston Globe profiles the transformative nature of our CitySquare project in Worcester. Many of the topics discussed in this article go back to our initial discussions for the urban design approach to this project nearly 10 years ago. While the reconnection of the street network and the redevelopment of the urban streetscape seem like obvious goals, the realization of those goals required a complex partnership between our design team, developers, and the community. Arrowstreet is proud of what has been accomplished in downtown Worcester, and looks forward to the next phases of the CitySquare project and its significant impacts on the revitalization of New England’s second largest city.
The Alewife Greenway Bike Path
There’s a recently opened section of bike path that connects Mystic Valley Parkway in Arlington to the Red Line at Alewife. The stretch I use on my way to work parallels Route 16 as it passes by Dilboy Stadium just along the western edge of Alewife Brook on its way to Broadway on the Somerville line. It exists in an interesting urban boundary zone…
3-D Printed Models at ABX
Among all of the other interesting things that will be going on at the Architecture Boston Expo (ABX) this week, National Reprographics (NRI) is holding a 3D-printed model contest as part of the event’s 3D Printing Pavilion. The model contest involved the design of a 5,000-seat performance space on an ambiguous “waterfront” site. It wasn’t a lot to go on as far as real-world design problems go, but that was actually a nice change because it left a lot of details up to the imagination. Once designed, contestants were to submit a digital model file to NRI so that it could be printed for the ABX show…
Micro-units and Urban Living
Earlier this past spring, I attended a lecture given by The Center for Real Estate and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB) entitled “Micro-Housing: Rethinking Urban Living.” As the third event in the Building Boston 2030 series, the lecture was co-sponsored by Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School and the GBREB, and comprised a robust, well informed panel including the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s Chief Planner Kairos Shen.
Anyone in or around the design, construction, and real estate development of urban housing in Boston can tell you the current hot topic on the street is micro-units…
Rails and Trails
For the past seven years, I’ve lived with my family in a small house that abuts a long abandoned spur of railroad tracks in Somerville, MA. The tracks have had a colorful history, as they used to serve a factory that manufactured paper products, construction supplies, and root beer at various points in its history. We’ve also heard stories from former residents that circus trains used to park on the tracks overnight before their trips into Boston. So lions, tigers, and elephants may have been transient residents of our backyard…
Designing for Food at the Architecture Boston Expo
I will be a panelist at the Architecture Boston Expo this year for the “Designing for Food” workshop on November 16th at 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM. We look forward to a lively discussion about the challenges and opportunities of planning, designing, and operations for urban agriculture. The workshop abstract is below…
Wisconsin Place Wins ICSC Award
We’re pleased to announce that Arrowstreet was a Silver Award winner at this year’s ICSC Design and Development Awards with Wisconsin Place in the category of “Innovative Design and Development of a New Project”…
Arrowstreet Design Forums
Each month, AST holds an in-house Design Forum where we get together as a firm and discuss relevant design related topics. The forums provide a great outlet for critiquing current and completed AST projects as well as discussing general topics important to the design community…
ULI TAP: Jefferson Street Extension
I will be participating in a ULI TAP (Technical Assistance Panel) on October 11 in Fall River. The panel has been asked to examine the Jefferson Street Extension, comprised of several redeveloped mills and privately owned property zoned for industry. The Fall River Office of Economic Development (FROED) has marketed the area for a variety of uses and is looking for suggestions on how to best package these parcels for highest and best use.
Abu Dhabi Project Underway
Progress is being made on a major Abu Dhabi project – these photos depict how Shams Abu Dhabi is taking shape. Arrowstreet was part of an international team of designers to create this major waterfront development…