Speedway Awarded CPA Funding From City of Boston

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the City of Boston’s Preservation Committee have recommended 56 new projects to receive funding as part of the Community Preservation Act (CPA), including the new Speedway HQ.

The Community Preservation Act allocates money toward open space, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects throughout the city’s 23 neighborhoods.

The Speedway, located in Brighton, is anticipated to receive $200,000 from this round of CPA funding. This restoration project will transform the historic Charles River Speedway buildings into a lively gathering space for neighborhood, complete with dining facilities, retail space, and an outdoor plaza.

We look forward to continuing to use this revenue to build on our work related to affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space. – Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of Boston.

Read more in the Boston Business Journal.

Smith Campus Center Reviewed in Boston Globe

The opening of the newly-renovated Richard A. & Susan F. Smith Campus Center has had the Harvard community buzzing with excitement.

A thoughtful, yet radical, reappraisal of the original architecture of Josep Lluis Sert (1902-1983), the new Smith Center is part of Harvard’s ‘Common Spaces’ program pioneered by Harvard President Emeritus, Drew Faust.

Recently, Robert Campbell of The Boston Globe had a chance to visit the Smith Center and share his thoughts;

“…you never lose touch with the city outdoors as your near neighbor, because you can see it looking back at you through so many glass walls and windows. Pedestrian bridges span the space and lead you to roof terraces. Most amazing are what Harvard calls the “green walls”: vertical gardens that hang on the walls and look like hedges but never touch the ground. You wander freely as if you were in an urban landscape rather than an enclosed interior.”

Read the full Boston Globe review here.

Ground Has Been Broken at Hartford Swift Factory

Ground has officially been broken at the Swift Factory in Hartford, Connecticut!

The vacant factory campus will soon be transformed into an “economic engine” for local job growth, healthy food production and distribution, and local business partnerships, all with zero displacement. It is expected to bring over 150 long-term jobs to the North Hartford Promise Zone, part of an initiative started in 2015 that provides federal resources to spur economic opportunity in communities across the United States.

Bruner/Cott celebrated this milestone with members of Consigli Construction Co. and Community Solutions, as well as US Senator Richard Blumentahl, Representative John B. Larson, Mayor Luke Bronin, and residents of the North Hartford community.

From gold leaves to green leaves, the Swift Factory will house a 35,000 sf indoor farm run by FreshBox Farms, as well as a commercial kitchen and incub

ator for developing local food business. Two historic houses on the property will also be repurposed for community use.

“Today is a historic day for the North End of Hartford. Today’s groundbreaking is a step forward for the revitalization of the Historic Swift Factory. Its new role as a hub for food business, health, and jobs will make a huge impact on this community. I would like to congratulate Mayor Bronin and Community Solutions for all their work on this project,” – US Representative John Larson, CT

To learn more about the Swift Factory redevelopment, visit the project website at www.swiftfactory.org.

 

Photos courtesy of Bruner/Cott Principal Jason Jewhurst, AIA. 

Frost Terrace Affordable Housing Awarded State Funding

On July 25, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced the recipients of this year’s affordable rental housing awards, which will provide $57 million in direct subsidies for 19 high-impact projects to fund the development, renovation and preservation of much-needed housing opportunities throughout the Commonwealth.

Among this year’s awardees is Frost Terrace (1791 Mass Ave.), a transit-oriented new construction project for families. Bruner/Cott is working on this 40-unit affordable housing project in the Porter Square neighborhood of Cambridge, MA with sponsor, Capstone Communities. All units will be affordable to households earning less than 60% of the area median income (AMI), with four units reserved for households earning less than 30% of AMI.

Additional project funding for Frost Terrace will derive from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and subsidy funds via the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and city trust funds through the City of Cambridge.

“Across our Commonwealth, more and more young families are finding they are not able to put down roots, seniors are not able to age in their communities, and hard-working residents are spending more of their paychecks and precious time traveling further to get to their jobs,” said Housing and Community Development Undersecretary, Janelle Chan.  “Today’s awards will enable communities to grow with their residents, and be a part of a state-wide and regional response to the affordable housing crisis.”

Thank you to the Baker-Polito Administration for this award and your continued commitment to creating affordable to low- and middle- income housing across the state of Massachusetts. We are thrilled to be among the 19 deserving recipients who are transforming their communities and providing vital resources for their neighborhoods.

To learn more about the affordable rental housing awards, click here.

 

Swift Factory to Break Ground in September

Once a hub for Hartford industry, the M. Swift and Sons gold leafing factory has stood vacant since 2005. Bruner/Cott and Community Solutions have partnered with the community to revitalize the building, spurring job growth, economic development and community health in North Hartford.

On Saturday, September 8, the project will officially break ground! To celebrate this project milestone, there will be an official Ground Breaking & Community Celebration on site.

More details will be posted as the event nears.

To learn more about the Swift Factory, visit www.swiftfactory.org.

Next Steps for Living Village at Yale Divinity School

Bruner/Cott completed a comprehensive study for a new regenerative ‘Living Village’ at Yale Divinity School (YDS), in association with McLennan Design and Andropogon. Designed to meet the Living Building Challenge 3.0 at an unprecedented scale, the new residential complex for living and learning would demonstrate environmental leadership at the highest level and serve as a replicable model for other divinity schools, places of worship, and academic institutions worldwide.

In December, Yale Divinity School received a $2 million contribution from supporters George and Carol Bauer to bring the 127,000 sf residential community to fruition. This gift has allowed YDS to re-engage Bruner/Cott and McLennan Design to design and create the detailed plans for a net-positive housing complex intended to educate its students on sustainable living practices. The project aims to transform how every college and university thinks about residential buildings in the future.

“We are deeply grateful to George and Carol for their generosity in supporting the vision of the Living Village… Thanks to the generosity of the Bauers and the talent and commitment of the design team we’ve assembled, YDS is poised to make history.” – Yale Divinity School Dean Greg Sterling

As described in the 2016 study, the complex is being designed to meet the various imperatives of the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most rigorous green-building certification program, created by project partner Jason McLennan of McLennan Design. The Living Village is expected to house 150 students in below-market-rate residential units, ranging from single “monastic” rooms to two-bedroom apartments for families. Additionally, the complex will likely include classroom space, a small chapel, study areas, a fitness center, and other community spaces such as yoga and meditation rooms, small-group kitches, a cafe, and community dining rooms.

Bruner/Cott and McLennan Design will present conceptual designs to the greater YDS community at Convocation and Reunions in October.

“Above all… we expect the Living Village to stand as a resounding expression of our theoretically rooted commitment to conserving the Earth’s resources and creating a more sustainable future.” – YDS Dean Greg Sterling

Having just received Living Building Certification for the R.W. Kern Center at Hampshire College, Bruner/Cott is extremely excited to progress with this landmark project and is honored to be a part of the design team selected by YDS.

Read the complete announcement from Yale Divinity School. 

Waltham Watch Factory Honored by Victorian Society in America

The New England chapter of the Victorian Society in America (VSA/NE) honored the Waltham Watch Factory at their 46th Annual Preservation Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. The Watch Factory project was awarded the Building & Landscape Design award.

Completed in three phases, the building and site are now resourcefully reordered for new office, residential and commercial use. 19th century entrances are now large lobbies, one with a permanent exhibit of Watch Factory history. Narrow wings with high ceilings — already flooded with natural light for watchmakers — house modern offices with views of the courtyards and the Charles River. Outside, a series of protected outdoor spaces invite pedestrians to move through the office buildings and a large residential courtyard. A new restaurant and café mark the beginning of a historic walkway through Waltham along the Charles River.

Thank you to the Victorian Society in America/New England chapter for this honor, as well as to our client, Berkeley Investments, and the Landscape Architect on the project, Richard Burck Associates.

Macalester’s Institute of Global Citizenship Renamed for Notable Alumnus

The institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College (St. Paul, MN), is being renamed the Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship following a unanimous vote by the Macalester College Board of Trustees. Annan is the Founding Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation, the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, winner of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize, and member of the Macalester class of 1961. This rededication honors Annan’s global leadership and dedication to peace.

The Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship is housed in Markim Hall, a 16,675-sf facility completed by Bruner/Cott in 2009. Markim Hall was one of the first campus buildings in the United States to earn LEED Platinum Certification, the highest level certification for energy efficiency and environmental design awarded by the USGBC. The building’s design and construction align with the institute’s mission and reflects the college’s deep commitment to sustainable practices and responsible citizenship.

 

The Kern Center Receives Living Building Certification!

We are thrilled to announce that the R.W. Kern Center at Hampshire College in Amherst , MA has finally been certified as a Living Building by the Living Future Institute! We are very proud of this accomplishment.

Completed in 2016, the Kern Center is now the 18th Living Certified project in the world (17th Living Certified building), the 3rd Living Certified building in Massachusetts, and the 5th largest Living Certified project in the world (by gross building area).

 

About the Living Building Challenge:

The Living Building Challenge is a green building certification program and sustainable design framework that visualizes the ideal for the built environment. It encourages teams to think holistically to find solutions that tackle multiple issues at once, for instance, projects must integrate local culture, biophilic elements, and beauty in order to foster community and natural connections.

The program outlines a design framework that promotes the highest standard of sustainability for the built environment. Rather than a checklist of current best practices, the Living Building Challenge includes a series of performance goals that empower teams to find creative design solutions.

To learn more about the Living Building Challenge, visit the International Living Future website.

 

Congratulations to Hampshire College and all members of the Kern Center team, including:

Bruner/Cott Architects
Living Building Challenge Advisor: Bruce Coldham
Construction Manager: Wright Builders
Code Consulting: Cutler Consulting
Cost Estimating: A.M. Fogarty & Associates Inc.
Energy and Systems Consulting: South Mountain Company
LBC Material Vetting: Integrated Eco Strategy
Lighting Design: Lewis Lighting Design, LLC  
Specifications: Kalin Associates
Electrical Engineering: R.W. Sullivan
Fire Protection Engineering: Rybak Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering: O’Reilly, Talbot & Okun Associates
Mechanical, Plumbing, & Controls Engineering: Kohler & Lewis Engineers
Site/Civil Engineering & Permitting: Berkshire Design Group
Structural Engineering: Foley Buhl Roberts & Associates
Landscape Architecture: Richard Burke Associates

Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine One Step Closer to Construction

The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine has purchased 1.12 acres of land at Thompson’s Point in Portland, advancing toward planned construction of the new 30,000 sf facility. This is a very exciting step forward for the organization, who have been in their current Portland location for the last 25 years. This new land will allow the museum to stretch its legs, as it has been outgoing the 18,000 sf facility it now calls home.

To learn more about the deal, click here.