WELCOME

5 models for developing affordable housing in union square by students from the advanced studio at the Boston Architectural College

Over the past 4 months, students from the Boston Architectural College’s Advanced Studio have been investigating issues that impact the development of affordable housing in Somerville. This studio proposes 5 models for the rehabilitative development of existing structures, in an effort to locate affordable housing opportunities along the proposed Green Line corridor.

Please comment on the students work you see below.

MODEL 1A

 Objectives:
The two main issues with the site are the feeling of disconnection from the community and the lack of public safety. In the future, another factor moving forward will be the impact of the green line extension. This will likely increase property values in the area and price people out.  The affordable housing project will enrich this diverse community now and retain the characteristics which it holds into the future.

The objective for this project is to maximize the amount of affordable housing and create spaces which bring the community together. This is accomplished by courtyards and porches. The ground floor courtyards and commercial shops will hone in on the essence of what makes Union Square unique. The porches are designed in a way that also brings neighbors together. Porches, courtyards and commercial spaces are the design ideas that connect the families to the community. When the public is brought together then people communicate. It brings more eyes to the streets and creates a safer atmosphere because there is an assimilation of people.

Proposal:
The existing building at 380 Somerville Avenue will remain because it is considered a historic structure. The garage in the rear of the building will be demolished and a small green space will be created for public use. The other two buildings on this block will be demolished because they provide limited opportunities for maximizing the amount of housing. The buildings will be split up into three groups: the existing building at 380, a front building and a rear building. The new front building and rear building will be 5 stories. The ground floor will only be commercial use and will draw in the people from Somerville Avenue. The rear building is split from the front building to draw in the people from Market Basket. The upper four floors of both buildings will be affordable residences. One objective in this design is to create a design without any ‘double loaded’ corridors. This will bring people out to the porches and courtyards and bring neighbors and together. The final design will have a total of 40 apartment units and several commercial properties. The final product will be a transformation from an underutilized site that was disconnected from the community to a site that connects Market Basket to the essence of Union Square.

Jeremy Baldwin - jeremy.baldwin@the-bac.edu

MODEL 1B

Objectives:
•    Consolidate vehicular access and egress by providing one driveway entrance from Carlton Street and one egress to Church Street.  This will eliminate the traffic points acting directly with Somerville Avenue, and also restore additional parking by eliminating existing curb cuts on Somerville Avenue.
•    Consolidation of utilities, water and sewer.  Redundant systems, if required, can be added more efficiently.  Life/safety systems with addressable alarms will provide better coverage and greater accuracy locating trouble spots. 
•    The 19th century historic fabric and scale of the block can be preserved as an entire block in a way that respects its past and adapts it to 21st century efficiencies and needs.
•    The revitalization of an entire block will have greater impact on the community, and be a model for the Landmark Arts zoning policy.

Proposal:
•    The three principle structures will be modified to allow room for construction of a new residence block at the rear property line (south), and spanning the distance from Church St. (east) to Carlton St. (west).
•    The addition of a five story residential building with a combination of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units will provide much needed housing with variety of layouts available for different household sizes.
•    A portion of these units will qualify as “affordable housing” to encourage economic diversity and to preserve the availability of affordable housing in the Union Square neighborhood of Somerville.
•    In recognition of the high density of arts and design professionals currently living and working in Union Square, the proposal includes “live/work space” lofts for qualified artists and design professionals. 
•    A new one-story block is to house commercial/retail space with approximately 200 linear feet of frontage on Somerville Ave. and Church Street. Access will be from the sidewalks and from the rear at the driveway.
•    This proposal requires that the existing two houses be incorporated into the new commercial block. The houses shall be rehabilitated for approximately six affordable housing units.
•    The new “frontyard”, elevated above the busy street, creates an oasis for the residents that they can use as their own outdoor space for personal recreation and family activities, enhancing the sense of home.
(380 Somerville Avenue will be restored to its original form and condition)

Terry McCarthy - terry.mccarthy@the-bac.edu

MODEL 1C

Objectives:
Throughout Union Square there are many underutilized spaces. These spaces are often parking spaces connected to high use pedestrian sidewalks. Some of these inlets are derived from historical conditions where deep sites at the rear of the property where used for light farming or to stable animals. As density increased owners often built second houses or other structures in the rear of the property. Most of these spaces are connected by alleys; the alleys act as a type of corridor into the space. Often European cities have utilized these “back door” spaces by activating their edges either as a square for various business interests, other storefront related uses, semi-public and public green space. 

Proposal:
The garage space is arguably the most flexible space in a building; the uses are vast.  I proposed designing garages as a model for the edge of the open inlet spaces.  Garages are conducive for start up type businesses and artist studios.  The design proposed includes potential living space above the garage creating a work, live opportunity.  Space above this model would be additional housing. Although cars are able to access the garages this is not the intention of the overall program.
•    Create space for businesses in underutilized space specifically for mom and pops level establishments.
•    Create open space that could serve the function of community gathering.
•    Create opportunities for affordable housing in the proposed building.
•    Articulate southern exposure.
•    Create open space within the site for pedestrians to walk through the site instead of around it. 
•    Create opportunities for restaurant or café.
•    Address the continuation of the street wall.
•    Address the pedestrian approach from the Market Basket parking lot.
•    Vehicle access; vehicles are able to drive into the site via two streets that cross the site.  However in order to maintain the pedestrian nature of the site I propose limiting access to a tenant and tenant service vehicles only. This can be achieved with bollards at the main entrances which drop into the ground to allow access.

Andrew Shelburne - andrew.shelburne@gmail.com

MODEL 2A

Objectives:
Union Square is one of the oldest squares in Boston. Through the years it has changed and evolved into what is now a well balanced “micro community” that others areas try and reproduce.  Union Square possesses one of the largest artist/design communities in the Boston Metro area, due to its present affordability. The future extension of the Green Line will add a new element to the square that may unbalance the symbiosis of present conditions. Many land owners are looking forward to the new connection to city of Boston that the T will provide. City offices are currently looking at the effect that this new broadening of the Green Line will have for the economic development of the square, but few are looking to preserve the culture that is already present in Union Square. If the affordability of the square changes, the artist community  will have to move to other places to be able to work and live. With this possible exodus of these key contributors to the local community, the culture and style they impart to the community will likely be gone. By establishing areas in the square now, as “artist preserves”, we can safeguard the square from the possible evacuation of culture.

Proposal:
This site abuts a very busy intersection, with problems from the vehicle traffic and its byproducts; noise and light. It is not a site that young families may feel safe to allow their children to run and play along the street. But for an artist the site is ideal, the vibrant social activity on the street with existing stores that support the local artist. These retail stores below provide a connection to the community, and at the same time a buffer for the artist. The noise from studio space above won’t draw the same un-welcomeness it would if these “artist preserves” where located in a more residential part of Union square.

The sidewalk below is already a local community meeting area. A place where neighbors can socialize not because of planned meeting but because of the chance meeting.  Artists would add to this social phenomenon  that is already happening at the site. By providing a gallery space in this building it could connect the other residents of Union Square to the local artists.

There are numerous sites within Somerville that this prototype could be adapted to.

S. Kasper - scott.kasper@the-bac.edu

MODEL 2B

Objectives:
Union Square is a diverse community made up of many different cultures. What make this area so unique are the people who convey their freedom to live the American dream.  Uniting all cultures defines the authenticity of the Square, making it an attraction for genuine entrepreneurial start-ups. 

New zoning has classified Union Square as a Commercial Corridor and Arts Overlay District. This zoning classification encourages commercial/retail  along the ground floor and provides development incentives for art related industries. The city also intends to redirect vehicular traffic patterns and maximize safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. The redesign of traffic patterns along with the development of the Union Square Green Line station will provide the infrastructural changes necessary to encourage new development.

Proposal:
The design goal of this affordable housing addition to the existing Eberle Building is to connect future residents with the excitement and diversity of the Square.  This location has a great potential to become a landmark for Union Square. 

The proposal of four additional levels will maximize the gross square footage (habitable space) as allowed by new zoning, passed in April 2009. The open area patios share a social connection with the heart of the Square; allow visibility from many angles of the streetscape while not increasing the building gross square footage. Double level loft spaces may seem small in terms of square footage size, but will feel larger with high ceilings and generous volumes;  bringing that excitement from the streets of Union Square into the units and enhancing the social connection.  The new zoning ordinances may constrain square footage by limiting the allowable floor area ratio, however, opportunities exists to create spacious volume and community patios wile using minimal floor area.

Wendall Chin - wendall.chin@the-bac.edu

Deliverables

+ Email by Sunday the following items:
- Microsoft Word Document containing you the title of your project, synopsis, bullet point summery of proposals, and contact information
-3 vignettes illustrating the major issues (hard/soft) and your architectural/planning response

+ Deliver to J. J. Sullivan 346 Somerville Ave, around 12 noon, Wednesday May 19th, a 24"x36"x1/2" composition printed on bond paper and firmly fixed/adhered/mounted in landscape orientation on honeycomb board. This composition should attempt to illustrate the scope of your entire project however, only include the work that will be legible from the sidewalk, (ie: big images, diagrams, site sections, program layouts/plans, and others expressions of you design response.) Process, studies, and other work from the semester can be submitted on a CD (see below) and will be included in the source-book for Jeremy.

+Meet outside J.J. Sullivan at 6:30pm, for a wrap discussion. Please bring with you a CD with all of your previous assignments, sketches, diagrams, graphs, studies, iterations, and other reasonably presentable work. This work will be archived and presented to the SCC as a source-book for developing in CCD zoned neighborhoods.

Inbetween Urban Living

 

Exhibit at J.J.SULLIVAN 346 Somerville Ave.

Through the network of Mimi Graney and Union Square Main Streets this studio has found a home to exhibit its work. Mr. Joe Sullivan has encouraged our efforts by letting us use the lower portion of his storefront windows at 346 Somerville Avenue.

The exhibit will run for roughly a month beginning on May 19th. Please stop by and see our work!

Retail Frontage

The attached plans, elevations and section are my progress proposal for the site.

I propose that the four parcels will be treated as one building site. The three principle structures will be modified to allow room for new construction:

• Six story residence block at the rear property line (south), and spanning the distance from Church St. (east) to Carlton St. (west).
• One-story commercial block at the front northwest corner of the site. utilize existing curb-cuts for direct and continuous driveway access from Kilby Street to Church Street.

This proposal requires that the existing two houses be raised to make way for the new commercial block. The houses shall be rehabilitated for approximately six affordable housing units. These units will share the new "frontyard" with the wraparound "planter cornice" and be accessed by a dedicated street level entrance. These features are shown in the perspective sketch and section.

The new commercial block is one-story new construction to house commercial/retail space with approximately 200 linear feet of frontage on Somerville Ave. and Church Street. Access will be from the sidewalks and from the rear at the driveway.

Hal-Al, the building on the corner of Carlton St. and Somerville Ave. will retain its retail space on the ground floor and two floors of residences above. The rear addition (cement block) is to be demolished. This building is of some architectural historical significance and should be restored to its original appearance as appropriate.