Project overview: Adjacent to its sister elementary school in Boston’s Chinatown, a less than one-acre site facing directly on to the Massachusetts Turnpike was selected for a new, full-program middle high school. This required developing a vertical plan stretching over eight levels with a large, accessible rooftop garden.
Shared assembly and public spaces including the gymnasium, auditorium, black box theater, and library occupy the first two floors for easy community access. A bridge-like, four-story truss system encases classrooms on the upper floors, allowing them to span over large column-free spaces below.
To differentiate itself from nearby condominium and office towers, the building is both functionally expressive and a little playful. The distinct metallic masses of the gymnasium and cafeteria are clearly expressed, while the repetitive masonry facades of the classroom floors gain distinction with colorful window surrounds inspired by images of multi-colored Chinese spice cabinets.
The unique truss system is subtly expressed in the facade. The school’s entrance is revealed by a small protective pedestrian plaza nestled beneath the sloped underside of the auditorium’s mass, creating a welcoming gesture to the community.
With no other possibilities for outdoor open space, the design of the large roof garden includes native pollinator plants, outdoor classrooms, student planting areas, and walking paths. In addition to its roles as educational space, and stormwater and heat island management, it provides a soft therapeutic role as a safe, fresh-air space where students can relieve stress, unwind, and socialize.
Project location: Boston, Massachusetts
Firm name:HMFH Architects
Architect of Record:Liza Bouton
Completion: 2024
Client:City of Boston
Jury comments: This Boston school delivers an impressive response to a very constrained urban site, with wonderful interior spaces, a starry sky auditorium, trusses spanning the highway, and a rooftop learning landscape. Sustainability metrics and LEED v4.1 Platinum performance are exemplary, and the vertical organization demonstrates real design ingenuity. While the exterior feels a bit heavy and the street presence could be more welcoming, the approach to the tight site and the rooftop as outdoor space show thoughtful solutions. Overall, a great interior and site, though the façade and urban engagement could be stronger.
Images/Photographer(s):Ed Wonsek General Contractor:Turner Construction Company (Jaime Meiser) Project or Construction Manager:Skanska (Jim Dowd) Civil Engineer:Nitsch Engineering (Joshua Soares) Specifications:Kalin Associates (Jay Ford) Structural:LeMessurier (William Lovallo) Mechanical:GGD Consulting Engineers (Dominick Puniello) Electrical:GGD Consulting Engineers (Dominick Puniello) Plumbing:GGD Consulting Engineers (Dominick Puniello) Acoustics:Cavanaugh Tocci Associates (Lincoln Berry) Audio Visual:Cavanaugh Tocci Associates (Lincoln Berry) Landscaping:Arcadis | IBI Group (Catherine Offenberg) Cost Estimating: Project Management & Cost, Peter Bradley Envelope: Thornton Tomasetti, Melissa Wong Food Service: Crabtree McGrath, John Sousa Geotechnical: McPhail Associates, Jason Huestis Geo-environmental: McPhail Associates, Jason Huestis Hazardous Materials: Universal Environmental Consultants, Ammar Dieb Theater: Theatre Projects, Michael Lindauer Traffic: BETA Group, Kien Ho
