Project type: Adaptive Reuse, Renovation or Historic Preservation
Honor Project name: Church Street Residences
Project overview: The project involves restoring and adding to a historic structure at South Cove Plaza in Boston’s Bay Village Historic District. It includes two existing two-story buildings on a corner lot, a two-story vertical addition, and a conversion to residential use. The design restores the historical character by removing contemporary alterations and adding a new contemporary addition that respects the historic context. The project enhances energy efficiency, durability, and comfort for residents.
Architects used historical research and original blueprints to design the restored facades. The project features new street-level facades reflecting the original buildings’ Federalist historical character. The existing buildings, previously used for commercial purposes, are now live-work and residential spaces, with the first floor as a live-work unit and five residential units above.
A key challenge was integrating various historic construction types into a cohesive design. The two-story addition draws inspiration from row houses and art-deco elements, reflecting the neighborhood’s early 20th-century film industry connections. The renovation includes a new helical pile-supported foundation and a steel frame that seismically braces the existing structures. The vertical addition is a steel frame with timber infill.
Project location: Boston, Massachusetts
Firm name: Studio Luz Architects
Architect of Record: Studio Luz Architects, Ltd.
Completion: 2023
Client: TCR Development and JB Ventures
Jury comments: The blending of new, modern construction with the historic city fabric makes for an elegant, well-sited, extremely contextual, sustainable urban residence. By restoring two existing structures and introducing a new vertical addition, the design not only respects the site’s architectural character but also provides new live-work and residential. The integration of an Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) system and high-efficiency fan coil units further underscores the project’s commitment to sustainability without reliance on fossil fuels.
Images/Photographer(s): Jane Messinger Developer: TCR Development and JB Ventures General Contractor: Smart Choice Services Project or Construction Manager: Pawel Honc Civil Engineer: Boston Coastal Specifications: Kalin Associates Structural: Roome and Guarracino LLC Mechanical: Allied Consulting Engineering Services. Inc, Electrical: Allied Consulting Engineering Services. Inc, Plumbing: Allied Consulting Engineering Services. Inc, Acoustics: Intertek Building Envelope: C3, Jeff Brouillard
