Boston, MA – R. G. Vanderweil Engineers LLP, a Boston-based, full-service engineering firm, is collaborating with the Boston office of top international design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman, with RODE Architects serving as Associate Architect, and Planeta Basque Interior Design. The team continues to work closely with the development team consisting of Forest City – Boston and The Hudson Group; along with the construction management team at Suffolk Construction, to successfully bring to life the design of a new, state-of-the-art 26-story residential and mixed-use building located at 120 Kingston Street in downtown Boston.
The 292,000 sf high-rise tower, will be located along the Rose Kennedy Greenway, bordering Chinatown and the Leather District located within the highly sought after downtown Boston area.
The residential portion of the building will include 240 rental units, consisting of: 18 studio apartments, 175 one-bedroom units, 43 two-bedroom units, and 4 three-bedroom units. Those residing on the upper floors will have striking views of either the Boston Common or Waterfront, depending on which side their unit resides. In addition to the residential units, the building will also include a three-level parking garage, a retail component, gym, and restaurant. The restaurant will offer a seating area that will flow onto a large outdoor patio; adding further vibrancy and draw to this historical area of the city.
Vanderweil is responsible for the design of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, security and audio visual systems. The engineering services were designed to comply with the Stretch Energy Code, which requires that the building consume 20% less energy than the Energy Code minimum performance requirements. Sustainable design elements include such features as an integrated facility design comprised of an optimized heat pump system and envelope design, lighting power densities, low discharge cooling towers, heat recovery systems, along with low flow plumbing fixtures. LEED® Silver certification is targeted for this building.
Going off a previous schematic design, Perkins Eastman led the design development process, working collaboratively with the owner, developer, and construction manager to improve building efficiencies and reduce the construction budget. The team redesigned the building’s core while reducing the number of parking floors from four to three without reducing parking—allowing greater floor-to-floor heights within the same envelope. The building’s skin was re-imagined to achieve greater efficiencies of the prefabricated elements and window wall systems. All of the units were redesigned to accommodate the rotation of the core, allowing the standardization of bathrooms and kitchen types within the curved triangular footprint of the building. The interior redesign was a collaborative process with the ownership group, associated architect RODE Architects Inc., and Planeta Basque.
The interior redesign was a collaborative process with the ownership group, associated architect RODE Architects Inc., and Planeta Basque Interior Design. An emerging design firm specializing in architecture for the urban environment, RODE is responsible for the design, layout, material concepts, and selections for all residential and common space.
120 Kingston Street is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in late 2014.