Author Archives: xchangearch

Greening our Buildings: one rejuvenated structure at a time

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Construction progress at 40 Aspinwall Avenue – source: Brookline Teen Center Facebook site

On this Earth Day week, we are heartened to see the construction progress at the Brookline Teen Center project site in Brookline Village.  Designed by Studio MLA with Graham/Mues Inc. and being built by Kaplan Construction, the dramatic transformation of this 12,000 SF building – a former autobody shop located at 40 Aspinwall Avenue – is expected to be completed at the end of this summer.  We are ardent supporters of the idea that the “greenest” buildings are the ones already standing.  Existing buildings, like the structure being repurposed by the Brookline Teen Center, have the potential of enjoying great second acts.

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View of existing building, 450 Broadway

In 2012, XChange Architects was retained by an early education client to prepare a feasibility analysis for the re-use of a 1950s-era industrial flex space building for an indoor children’s play gym.  The 14,000 SF facility, located in the Greater Boston area is an aggregation of 3 older structures built over the years.  Our redevelopment proposal is characterized by a dramatic, color-intensive exterior makeover, the raising of the rear building roof (to accommodate larger inflatables),  and new clerestory glazing around the largest warehouse volume to maximize ventilation and passive daylighting.

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Perspective view of renovated building along Broadway

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Study Model

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 Proposed south elevation – 450 Broadway

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Springing Forward on Newbury Street (Part Deux): Diane von Furstenberg Boston

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DVF - exteriorAs the Greater Boston area returns to normalcy, we are inspired by the resilience of the American people and reminded of the price of living in a free, democratic society.  With investigation scenes in Boston, Cambridge and Watertown scaling down, we encourage our friends and neighbors to take back our streets.  Please be advised that Newbury Street is open for business and hope indeed springs eternal here in the heart of the Back Bay.  Please consider (re)visiting some of our clients out there, including our first Newbury Street project – the DvF Boston store.

XChange Architects was invited to collaborate with Diane von Furstenberg Studio in 2010 on the design and construction administration of the first DvF store in New England at 73 Newbury Street.  Although an extensive corporate design standard was available, there were considerable challenges in applying them to a turn-of-the-century brownstone.  A range of custom design solutions – from unique universal access concepts to a considerable re-use of the existing HVAC system – resulted in the skillful merging of a contemporary design aesthetic with a New England flair.  We are most appreciative of the collaborative problem-solving spirit of our design team – including DvF’s New York City-based interior architecture team and R.G. Vanderweil Engineers – as well as our unflappable General Contractor, Sleeping Dog Properties.

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Interior view of the main retail bays, looking towards Newbury Street. Copyright Roberto Farren Photography, 2011.

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CREDITS

Photography:  Roberto Farren Photography

Design Lead:  David Del Villar, VP of Design and Construction – DvF Studio LP

General Contractor:  Sleeping Dog Properties, Inc.

M/E/P & FP:  R.G. Vanderweil Engineers, LLP

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Take Back the Streets: Time to Renew Your Outdoor Seating Permits

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OneFundFlag-smIn acknowledgement of the recent events in Boston, Cambridge, and Watertown, our thoughts go out to the affected and we owe a debt of gratitude to our region’s resilient citizenry, first-responders and law enforcement officials. Please consider making a contribution to the One Fund to aid those affected by the events of April 15, 2013 in Boston http://onefundboston.org/

The lock-down in the Greater Boston area was challenging, but proved to be a necessary inconvenience. Ironically, we were scheduled to meet with our client today, Yoki Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, in Central Square in the City of Cambridge, to update a sidewalk seating concept requiring approval by the Department of Public Works for the spring-summer outdoor seating season.

For our hospitality clients, please check with your local building and planning officials to confirm permitting requirements for outdoor restaurant seating.  The criteria may include service restrictions (especially with alcohol being served), seating requirements (typically limited by available restroom fixtures), structural and dimensional requirements for outdoor dividers, exterior signage, lighting, plantings and applicable insurance coverage.

Let’s take back our streets in the Greater Boston Area.

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An earlier outdoor seating concept for 485 Massachusetts Avenue

About the project – XChange Architects was invited by Yoki’s management team to develop a cost-effective design solution for their second restaurant that could 1) absorb the extant interior and building systems of a previous restaurant and 2) help develop a new visual and graphic identity that could be standardized and deployed in future roll-outs. The 3,000 SF interior renovation was completed in August 2012.

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View of main sake bar. Copyright Roberto Farren Photography, 2012

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Perspective view – Sushi Bar

CREDITS

Photography – Roberto Farren Photography

Electrical engineer – BLW Engineers, Inc.

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Out to Bid: South Natick Painting Studio Addition

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Axonometric view of hybrid wood and steel structural frame – Painting Studio Addition, S. Natick

We’re delighted to complete our bid package for a painting studio addition to a single family residence in South Natick, Massachusetts.  Generous use of operable windows and vented skylights will provide for a naturally illuminated north-facing and well-ventilated studio space for an artist to work on her oil paintings.

We look forward to starting the bidding process this week to identify a General Contractor to work with our team and client this spring.

CREDITS

Structural Engineer:  Phelan Engineering

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Tax time reminder for small businesses – universal access pays!

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View of rear cashwrap area (left) and fitting room lobby (right) – DvF Newbury Store. Photo copyright Roberto Farren Photography, 2011

As we approach the April tax deadline, we’re often reminded that small businesses commonly forget to claim tax credits for their commercial construction fit-outs that include Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG)-related improvements.  Tax year construction expenditures to remove barriers to universal access – including retrofits or new construction to provide accessible lifts, bathrooms, signage, and entry doorways, amongst others – are eligible for a tax credit covering over 50% of the eligible access expenditures in a year up to $10,250 (maximum credit of $5000).  For the latest information on this tax credit, please refer to the ADA website http://www.ada.gov/taxcred.htm and the IRS link on this credit for barrier removal http://www.irs.gov/publications/p535/ch07.html#en_US_2012_publink1000208925

DVF details - fitting roomXChange Architects was invited to collaborate with Diane von Furstenberg studio in 2010 on the design and construction of the first DvF store in New England at 73 Newbury Street in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay.  Although an extensive corporate design standard was available, there were significant challenges in applying them to a turn-of-the-century brownstone.  Custom-designed, ADA-compliant fitting rooms and a slide-out sales counter features for the store addressed State MAAB and Federal ADAAG requirements with universal access design concepts that are both operationally-efficient and synergistic with the design-oriented DvF customer service approach.  This collaboration resulted in the skillful merging of a contemporary design aesthetic with a New England flair.

CREDITS

Photography:  Roberto Farren Photography

Design Lead:  David Del Villar, Vice President of Design and Construction – DvF Studio, LP

General Contractor:  Sleeping Dog Properties, Inc.

M/E/P & FP:  R.G. Vanderweil Engineers, LLP

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Brookline’s Marathon Gateway: St. Mary’s

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BM-3With the Boston Marathon less than 48 hours away, we are bracing for both the exhilaration and logistical insanity of the race on Monday.  One of the most intriguing aspects of the Marathon is its immediate and palpable urban intensity – transforming your everyday main street into the hub of the universe for a day.

One of our main corridors here in the Town of Brookline, Beacon Street, is one such destination along the Marathon route that becomes flooded with a sea of humanity on Marathon Monday.  As the final Brookline gateway before the final mile and a half of the Marathon, the St. Mary’s neighborhood, in particular, provides a uniquely dramatic backdrop for the final push: characterized by throngs of supporters (many from nearby Boston University) and the emergence of myriad large-scale graphics and banners, similar to the ones on the left and below at the St. Mary’s MBTA “T” stop.

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INSPIRATION – the supergraphic advertisement at the St. Mary’s T Stop during the 2012 Marathon.

Proposed - public artWe’ve always wondered if there was a way we could capture the excitement of Marathon Monday and somehow make it a permanent part of the urban fabric of this neighborhood.  The kinetic energy of movement – runners, cars, and trains – at St. Mary’s is a key design theme in our streetscape study for the Economic Development Department in the Town of Brookline.  In 2012, XChange Architects was invited to assist the Town Economic Development staff in a concept-level urban design charrette to help imagine the possibilities to enhance the commercial vibrancy of the St. Mary District by rethinking existing streetscape elements.

As a threshold between the Town of Brookline and the Fenway District  of Boston, we propose a public art installation for St. Mary’s in the form of a pair of large-scale directional signage that celebrates this sense of movement; borrowing from Fenway green while taking scalar clues from Marathon supergraphics.

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All photographs, images and drawings copyright Blair Hines Design Associates and XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Early Education in Brookline: Excellence – by Design

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Interior view of the new Pre-Kindergarten annex, Little Children Schoolhouse. Copyright Roberto Farren Photography, 2011

Education is one of the most sought-after products from the Town of Brookline.  From day care and early education facilities to the high school, we sweat the details here.  In the May 2013 Annual Town Meeting, the Department of Planning and Community Development will be seeking Town Meeting support on Warrant Article 18, which will amend current Brookline zoning for day cares to be in alignment with Massachusetts General Law.  In short, the proposed zoning amendment will bring the town’s Zoning By-Law into conformance with state regulations, provide appropriate review for child care facilities logistics (e.g. adequate drop-off and pick-up zones), and mitigate potential over-crowding of public parks and amenities.  We agree with the amendment to the zoning and agree that the quality of day care and early education could only improve with enhanced regulatory coordination and common-sense design and planning.  For more information on the Warrant Article 18, please refer to the Town of Brookline website – http://www.brooklinema.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=275&Itemid=270

In the Fall of 2011, we completed our first day care facility – a Pre-Kindergarten addition for Little Children Schoolhouse.  The project consists of a 900 SF gut interior redevelopment of an underutilized storage space.  Situated in a tight urban infill site on busy Washington Street in Brookline Village – abutted by commercial, mixed-use  neighbors on both sides and single family residences in the rear – daylighting was scarce.  As such, we took advantage of the available roofscape to bring in light as well as additional HVAC service into the new rear addition.

C:Documents and SettingsDerrick ChoiMy DocumentsMy DropboxLLatitudinal building section – through the skylight

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Site and Floor Plans – 306 Washington Street

CREDITS

Photography:  Roberto Farren Photography

General Contractor: PSC Contracting

Mechanical and Plumbing Engineering:  VAV International, Inc.

Electrical Engineering:  Sam Zax and Associates

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Smallest Whole Foods Store Opens in Brookline: Saint Mary’s Re-imagined?

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WF - opening weekendThe smallest branch of the Whole Foods empire opened yesterday morning in the St. Mary’s Commercial District in Brookline, Massachusetts.  In replacing the old Johnnie’s Fresh Market, a neighborhood favorite (disclaimer:  our previous studio was a mere 2 blocks away from the store), the new addition elicited a healthy debate about change, vibrancy, and the quality of community character in the commercial districts in Brookline.  Whatever your opinion of WF may be, there is no question that the new store will generate considerable  foot traffic to the area, which serves as a vital eastern gateway to the City of Boston – directly abutting Audubon Circle in the Fenway.

XChange Architects was invited by the Economic Development Department in the Town of Brookline in 2012 to assist in a concept-level urban design charette with commercial area stakeholders and the Brookline Chamber of Commerce to help imagine the possibilities to enhance the commercial vibrancy of the St. Mary District by rethinking existing streetscape elements:  wayfinding components, street fixtures, storefront interfaces, edge conditions, and the inter-relationship between the Commercial District and the MBTA above-ground “T” station.

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PUBLIC ART – a site art concept using colorful footprints to literally map pedestrian foot traffic to highlight the MBTA platform’s role as a bridge in this neighborhood

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STOREFRONTS – a potential storefront renovation concept for The Wine Press

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STREET FURNITURE – a concept to provide modular retractable street furniture to subdivide public and private sidewalk spaces along Beacon Street in order to activate the deep, underutilized sidewalks on Beacon Street.

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MBTA SUBWAY PLATFORM INTEGRATION THROUGH SITE INSTALLATIONS – a series of landscape interventions and site art installations were explored to improve the metering and flow of T customers accessing the platform

Design Collaborator:

Landscape Architect – Blair Hines Design Associates

All drawings, images, and photos are the copyright of Blair Hines Design Associates and XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise indicated.

Springing Forward on Newbury Street: Wich!t Sandwich

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Newbury blizzardAfter a brutal 2013 Winter, we are more than ready for the return of Spring on Boston’s Newbury Street.  We are delighted to announce the completion of our latest restaurant design and the emergence of one of the newest culinary gems on Newbury – Wich!t Sandwich.  Formerly based in Lawrence, MA, the aunt & nephew management team of Rose and Chris Young have brought their craft sandwich savvy to the heart of Boston’s Back Bay.

With just about 1,000 sf of usable lease area, every square inch of this sandwich shop demanded a heightened attention to detail and a required a concerted effort to integrate the client’s vision with the operational directives of the kitchen coordinators and the realities of the building and the regulatory process (from the Back Bay Architectural Commission to the Boston Redevelopment Authority).  Wichit - Main elevationEach of these planning considerations provided the insights that led to design opportunities and ultimately, innovation.  The use of the extant brick party walls, stainless steel work stations and exposed conduits and junction boxes allowed the team to develop a concept that conformed with tight financial parameters without compromising the design vision to create an environment that celebrated the honesty of craft sandwich fabrication.

LEFT – main restaurant elevation, 244 Newbury Street.  Store branding, graphic design and signage concept by Brian Colcord

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View of the main service line.  Image courtesy Thrillist Boston.

Chef Chris Young envisioned an open kitchen concept that engaged customers immediately upon entering the store.  The decision to eschew wall partitions in the open plan resulted in a more open and inviting space for diners without compromising precious kitchen operating area.

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Wichit-sign Wichit-dining

Check out both the hot and cool craft sandwiches at Wich!t at 244 Newbury Street (Fairfield and Newbury, next to Daisy Buchanan’s).  For more on the restaurant, go to the Thrillist Boston review in December 2012 – http://www.thrillist.com/eat/boston/ma/02116/back-bay/wicht_asian_catering_coffee-shop_delivery_healthy_lunch_sandwiches_african_feature/occasion_type/cu

CREDITS

Photography:  all images posted courtesy of Thrillist Boston

General Contractor:  The Evergreen Group, Inc.

M/E/P:  BLW Engineers, Inc.

Kitchen consultant:  Boston Showcase Company

Graphic Designer:  Brian Colcord

 

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Coolidge Corner Theater Expansion: Connecting the Past, Present & Future

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ClippingEarlier in March, The Coolidge Corner Theater Foundation (CCTF) announced their intention to expand their current facilities into an easement area and surface parking lot with portions of this area belonging to the Town of Brookline.  The CCTF will be seeking Town Meeting support in May to vote on a set of warrant articles that will allow the Coolidge to build on that easement and parking area at the rear of the theater, facing the Centre Street parking lot.  A Town vote in the affirmative will allow the CCTF and their consultants to conduct more detailed planning and design studies for a proposed rear theater expansion that will result in a third major auditorium at the Coolidge.  For more information on Warrant Articles 19-21, please refer to the Town of Brookline website – http://www.brooklinema.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=275&Itemid=270

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View of the existing Coolidge Corner Theater alleyway which connects vibrant Harvard Street to the Centre Street surface parking facility.

During the observation of the 75th Anniversary of the Coolidge Corner Theater, the CCTF retained XChange Architects, through an invited competition in 2009, to further develop a weather protection canopy concept to activate the theater’s existing alleyway into a safe and inviting area for customer queueing.

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INSPIRATION: A view of the main cinema with the “Coolidge” logo cast onto the theater curtain.

Our concept envisages the canopy as a projection device that captures the movement of the sun throughout the day to create a dynamic and inviting public space.  The canopy features perforated metal screens on the underside that project shadows of the Coolidge logo onto the alleyway; resulting in serendipitous branding and place-making for the Coolidge.

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Sectional diagrams illustrating typical seasonal canopy functional characteristics.

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Daytime view of proposed canopy, looking towards the Centre St. parking lot

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Evening view under the proposed canopy,  looking towards Harvard Street

View 4 - combo-loresBirdeye view of the canopy connecting Harvard Street (left) and the Centre Street parking lot (right)

CREDITS:

Stephen Lew PE, Structural Engineer – Weidlinger Associates Inc.

 

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Sequestration and the MA Transportation Bond Bill

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View of existing Administration and SRE Building, Beverly Municipal Airport

The automatic Federal budgetary cuts associated with Congressional Sequestration coupled with the ongoing uncertainty in the Massachusetts legislature over Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposed $19 billion dollar Transportation Bond Bill for overhauling the Commonwealth’s aging transportation network over the next decade will have an immediate, significant, and long-term impact to the Massachusetts aviation system – one of several key gateways to the New England region.

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Birdseye view of one of the potential SRE building expansion concepts

At the invitation of the on-call airport engineer, Jacobs Engineering, we recently assisted Beverly Municipal Airport – one of several MA airports that has been scheduled by the FAA to begin scaling down contract air traffic control tower operations in April as a result of the Sequester – in developing the project scope for a flexible and cost-effective adaptive re-use building expansion to enhance the Airport’s existing 1980s hybrid Administration and Snow Removal Equipment (SRE) Facility.

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Model: typical building expansion bay with rooftop PV array

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.

Tree Gardens: Architecture and The Forest

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TG Cover

We’re delighted that our friend and collaborator – landscape architect, writer, and educator – Gina M. Crandell, has just announced the release of her latest book, Tree Gardens:  Architecture and the Forest, published by Princeton Architectural Press.  For more information and reviews of the publication, please go to the PAP website http://www.papress.com/html/book.details.page.tpl?isbn=9781616891213  To purchase a copy, kindly consider supporting your local book purveyor.

In anticipation of the release, we developed an installation concept for a potential book-related event.  Our proposed exhibition concept entitled, Tree Gardens: Architecture and the Forest, will fully exploit its eponymous book’s case studies of 15 designed urban forests—ranging from Versailles to the recently opened 9/11 Memorial Forest—while seeking to transform the exhibit space into a dynamic three-dimensional experience that projects key spatial principles of the book.

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Our proposed “forest” of sculptural trees makes visceral the dimensions of each of the projects’ structures as it also directs visitors to the exhibit’s photographs and drawings that illuminate the context and depth of each project.  On the left is the exhibition floor plan illustrating the array of “tree grids” occupying the space.

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The photomontages above depict the potential exhibition components in situ.

Drawings and montages copyright XChange Architects LLC and Gina Crandell Landscape Architecture.  Cover thumbnail image of Tree Gardens was posted with the permission of the Author.

The (un)Official Start of Spring – MIXX’s Fenway Opener 2013

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MIXX Fenway - entrance

Our latest collaboration with the MIXX Frozen Yogurt team, their second store, was completed last September – just as the infamous 2012 Red Sox campaign came to a close.  So here’s to a new season, the unofficial start of Spring in New England, and to MIXX Frozen Yogurt’s inaugural spring season in the Fenway Cultural District.  The 3,000 SF project was permitted for 49 total seats (inside and out) – we have plenty of space to hang out here.

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View of fro-yo stations at the rear of the store

As for the goods – they offer 12 flavors and over 50 toppings, sauces, and condiments galore.  Check ’em out at 1258 Boylston Street in the Fenway (across from Jerry Remy’s and next to The Machine).

CREDITS

Photography – Roberto Farren Photography

M/E/P engineering – BLW Engineers

General Contractor – Sleeping Dog Properties, Inc.

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Perspective view – proposed exterior at 1258 Boylston Street

All photographs, images and drawings copyright XChange Architects LLC, unless otherwise noted.