Town Warrant Article | XChange Architects

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.

Latitudinal building section – through the skylight

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.

Earlier 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

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.

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.