Charlestown Infill and Small Developments

Charlestown: the last refuge of redbrick neotraditionalism.

At least it's not precast.
 
I'd take Robert A. M. Stern-looking red brick neotraditionalism every day and twice on Sundays over pretty much anything being built in Boston right now. Particularly for smaller developments in a place like Charlestown.
 
^ this times a thousand.

Only problem is the next wave of red brick designs will probably almost exclusively rely on bricks-set-into-precast to achieve the look, to which we'll endlessly whine about those unsightly expansion gaps....le sigh.
 
Buildings like the big one on the corner always leave me wondering. Is that really a wood-frame structure? It's six stories tall and covers half a city block. When you get to a size like that, does a wood structure really make sense? If nothing else, wouldn't the sound isolation be terrible in such a building? And presumably a big wooden structure raises much more complicated fire code issues than a steel or concrete one. Do any of the members of the group who know more about construction techniques and choices have insight on this?
 
Yes it is a stick built structure and wood structures of that size have significant challenges. IBC allows for structures of this size with appropriate fire rated assemblies and full sprinkler coverage. Construction costs are still lower with wood than other materials largely on a labor basis.
 
bweiss said:
Buildings like the big one on the corner always leave me wondering. Is that really a wood-frame structure? It's six stories tall and covers half a city block. When you get to a size like that, does a wood structure really make sense? If nothing else, wouldn't the sound isolation be terrible in such a building? And presumably a big wooden structure raises much more complicated fire code issues than a steel or concrete one. Do any of the members of the group who know more about construction techniques and choices have insight on this?
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bweiss,

In wood building construction of this size there are a couple items that are typical.
1) If the cavity space between floors is not sprinklered then it it is required to be filled solid with insulation.
2) There will be gypcrete poured through-out each floor.
3) There is typically an acoustic underlayment that is specified to be installed underneath the flooring. (i.e a cork or foam type product) This material can also be installed prior to gypcrete.

The insulation and gypcrete help with the transmittion (people talking, etc) while the underlayment helps with the impact transmission. (women walking in heels, etc.)

Hope that helps.
 
bweiss said:
If nothing else, wouldn't the sound isolation be terrible in such a building??
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Developers dont give a shit about that.

By the time you realize you can here even the gentlest steps above you at 3am, and they sound like small explosions, its too late. They have your money.
 
jass said:
Developers dont give a shit about that.

By the time you realize you can here even the gentlest steps above you at 3am, and they sound like small explosions, its too late. They have your money.
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I'll never forget seeing a wood frame, three story condo going up on Comm Ave near Harvard in Allston. Half a million dollars each.

I could only imagine what it would be like to drop $500,000, sit back and relax in my new home... only to have the guy upstairs fire-up his home theater.
 
bweiss said:
Buildings like the big one on the corner always leave me wondering. Is that really a wood-frame structure? It's six stories tall and covers half a city block. When you get to a size like that, does a wood structure really make sense? If nothing else, wouldn't the sound isolation be terrible in such a building? And presumably a big wooden structure raises much more complicated fire code issues than a steel or concrete one. Do any of the members of the group who know more about construction techniques and choices have insight on this?
Click to expand...

Steel studs are considerably more expensive than traditional wood.
 
Interesting meeting I came across while browsing the BRA calendar:

Charlestown Residential Parking Requirements
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

The Boston Redevelopment Authority will host a public meeting regarding residential off-street parking requirements for the Charlestown Neighborhood Zoning District. At the request of the Charlestown Neighborhood Council, the BRA is holding a public meeting to discuss residential parking requirements for the Charlestown Neighborhood Zoning District. Currently, residential parking is an allowed use in the district, and the construction of new residential units requires the provision of off-street parking for those units.The BRA has been asked by the Charlestown Neighborhood Council to review these requirements, and to make suggestions for amending the zoning code to address neighborhood concerns. Possible changes include: making off-street residential parking a conditional use (requiring proponents go before the neighborhood for such a use), and/or removing or reducing the residential off-street parking requirement. All interested parties are invited to attend this public meeting. The meeting is an opportunity to ask questions about parking regulations in zoning, and share your opinion about whether current regulations should changed.
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Sign of good things brewing in Charlestown?
 
75 W School St, Charlestown on 1/18, different angle than above
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Anyone know why the building is located at an angle on the lot? It seems to have an akward pie shape front yard as a result.
 
I'm a big booster of neotraditionalism, but it has to be done right. But I'd rather have a brutalist nightmare than the cheap knockoff Federalism we get with that School St project. If you strip out the details like the 6 over 6 windows, or just make the mansard straight instead of curved, it screams a big cheap FU and says "we're doing the minimum to get approval."
 
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