Cambridge Infill and Small Developments

Here's that project at the intersection of Mass Ave and Mount Auburn:

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And this beauty:

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^^ Great batch of pics, you and Boston02... are basically half this website. I don't take pics often but when I do, everyone is looking at my like I'm a terrosist taking reconnaissance pics for evil plots, or just a pysco. You seem to be able to take pics in a crowd and no one looks up. Kudos.
 
Thank you, KZ, from someone down here in Maryland.

I feel like I just took a nice tour of that library!
 
Public Library is a gem. I was a little ambivalent about the exterior when it was being built, but it turns heads. Inside is where it's at, though. It had the feel of a somewhat underwhelming town library before. Not a lot of resources compared to what's available at every local school. But they've taken great advantage of the new space to fill out their collection and get much better tech in there. Plus the space is just perfect for a library, especially camping out by the windows.

I go there a lot more often than I used to, and find I don't have to go downtown to BPL as much as before to have good shot at getting what I'm looking for. Ultimately that matters more than what it looks like, but they did a hell of a job making this the complete package now.
 
I'd drop any remaining objection to it if they toned down the lipstick-red sign. Also: needs less park, but we all know that open space only expands in the Boston area; it never contracts.
 
BostonUrbEx said:
This is such an improvement, thank god! Need to do something with the buildings around it though, make it more lively.
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They need to destroy the parking lot and one-story bank across the street pronto. Also more food trucks :)
 
GW2500 said:
I don't take pics often but when I do, everyone is looking at my like I'm a terrosist taking reconnaissance pics for evil plots, or just a pysco. You seem to be able to take pics in a crowd and no one looks up. Kudos.
Click to expand...

First, thanks for your kind words. Now while I was careful to avoid getting faces as much as possible, you guys aren't seeing the shots I got where I DID get some funky looks. But for the most part I just go about my business of taking photos as deliberately and non-secretive as possible. If they have a problem with it they'll have to confront me; otherwise I'm going to keep taking my nice little pics thankyouverymuch.

vanshnookenraggen said:
What is your set up?
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Thanks, V. Right now I'm rocking a Canon Rebel T3i, a 18-55mm all-purpose lens with a polarizer, and the new guy is a 70-200mm f/4.0 zoom. Those, and then I use plain old iPhoto for mild tweaking of colors and levels.
 
wow. i never realized how beautiful the old wing of the library was. that mural is stunning.
 
I'm really loving the pictures from the new camera, kz. Really beautiful stuff.

I'm over this new addition. The new wing feels a lot like a Borders, especially when entering from the old building after spending a little time there. I've found that once you get over the sparkling newness of this addition, it's pretty boring.
 
BeeLine said:
Did a walk around yesterday.
New crane at the 150 Second site. Foundation completed.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beelinebos/6902924239/in/photostream
The second crane is at the 225 Binnet (Biogen HQ) site. Drilling along the east side of the site. Some retaining walls in place.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beelinebos/6903168843/in/photostream
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Beeline

According to some Googling around the foundation excavation is supposed to be done in June
the whole Bogen building is supposed to be ready in 2013 with other buildings in the Campus of 5 buildings to follow

http://nerej.com/51458

Alexandria Real Estate Equities breaks ground on $500 million Alexandria Center at Kendall Square

Cambridge, MA Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. celebrated the initial groundbreaking for its Alexandria Center at Kendall Sq., a $500 million, 1.73 million s/f, 11-acre, build-to-suit science and technology campus. The Alexandria Center's first building at 225 Binney St. will house Biogen Idec when the biotechnology company returns its executive offices to Cambridge in 2013.

51458_kendallbuilding_opt.jpg

225 Binney Street - Cambridge, MA


The other site is the Skansa speculative development
 
What's the shorter building in that shot? Seems like a prime candidate for replacement, at least from an aesthetic perspective; it's nothing too special - and that row could use the anchor of another ~10 story building at that end.
 
Ron Newman said:
It's the Rowland Institute -- which I didn't realize was now part of Harvard. It started as a private research spinoff from Polaroid.
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Ron -- Rowland was a private lab that Land set-up for himself and a handful of associates after he left / was kicke-out from Polaroid in 1980 -- sort of a 20th Centtury version of Edison at Menlo Park

Unfortunately, Land died 1991 before he's had much chance to have fun over there. I think that he willed it to Haaaaahvd as he was going there when he quit to start Polaroid

seems to have been taken-over by Haaaaaahvd in 2002 -- probably there best location in Cambridge being just a few blocks from MIT
 
How in the world did these brick fortresses ever come into style? It always boggles my mind when I see them planted all around the city. There's virtually no redeeming qualities to them from an aesthetic standpoint. At least with stuff like brutalism I can understand why some like it. I may not agree with them in most cases...but I at least "get it". For the brick masses like this, the Four Seasons on the Public Garden, and the massive growth near it which covers both Charles Street and Stuart St--nearly 1/3 of an entire city block--I will never understand the reasoning.
 
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