Whittier Choice Neighborhood | 1158 Tremont Street | Roxbury

It is like they finally got an architect that gets, "make it look urban, not suburban, and not cheap". Solid design.
 
JeffDowntown said:
It is like they finally got an architect that gets, "make it look urban, not suburban, and not cheap". Solid design.
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I hundred percent agree. The suburban look of a lot of affordable housing gives it away for what it is, but I am not even sure this is a cost issue as much as a unfortunately legacy of garden city thinking and low expectations for design in affordable contexts. I think this project's design offers a lot more dignity to the residents in that it speaks the language of the rest of development happening in the city. Rather than reading distinctly as "affordable housing" it reads as "housing" which has been recently built and mindfully designed.
 
goody said:
I hundred percent agree. The suburban look of a lot of affordable housing gives it away for what it is, but I am not even sure this is a cost issue as much as a unfortunately legacy of garden city thinking and low expectations for design in affordable contexts. I think this project's design offers a lot more dignity to the residents in that it speaks the language of the rest of development happening in the city. Rather than reading distinctly as "affordable housing" it reads as "housing" which has been recently built and mindfully designed.
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I agree, but and also, market rate housing has been getting closer to affordable for a while now. The cost constraints on building in Boston mean that market rate is frequently flat boxes with some random facade materials. If anything, affordable housing is looking better than the low end of market rate because they are constrained by so many guidelines--like this being 4-stories rather that the 6-8 we would see on a market rate project in this area.
 
What's so urban about the latest landscraper?
Yes it's attractive, but could as easily be Downtown Walpole or Stoughton.
 
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Um... I haven't been to either in a hot second, but a quick Google Maps survey tells me that neither Walpole Center or Stoughton Center have anything like this.
 
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There is a neighborhood designed just like this on the outskirts of Brooklyn (Gateway Center) that I finally went out to see. The newer sections are rather sterile but the "older" sections have had enough time for the trees and gardens to grow up and it's quite nice. Those were built as affordable housing so the quality isn't up to this. But it gives me hope that this will turn out very nice in a decade.
 
These are 100x better than my triple decker I live in now thats not “affordable housing”.

Theres still a mid rise portion to come too. Cant wait to see it fill in the area better along with the northeastern mid rise dorm proposed across the street. Hopefully these projects give more urgency towards finally getting the tremont crossing parcel next door finished.

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Phase 3 is fully mixed income --- should be very few BHA replacement units in it, if at all. Wonder if it will go up rapidly, soon and spur something new at Tremont x-ing.
 
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