RandomWalk
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
In the words of George Takei: Oh myyyy!
In the words of George Takei: Oh myyyy!
Ferdinand Building Renovation + Addition | Dudley Sq | Roxbury
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cca
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
This is what happens when great designers do great design. This must be high on the list for project of the year.
cca
Ps. Is there a bad picture of this building?
This is what happens when great designers do great design. This must be high on the list for project of the year.
cca
Ps. Is there a bad picture of this building?
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
I love this building.
I can't decide whether it's a good thing or a bad thing that this will be the administration building for the Boston Public Schools. Pro: city is investing in great design and quality construction; Con: how long until they turn off half the lights to save money and punish the workers? Pro: the school system should have the best! Con: why is the admin building so much nicer than the schools? Pro: maybe a great work environment will inspire great work! Con: Maybe not.
I love this building.
I can't decide whether it's a good thing or a bad thing that this will be the administration building for the Boston Public Schools. Pro: city is investing in great design and quality construction; Con: how long until they turn off half the lights to save money and punish the workers? Pro: the school system should have the best! Con: why is the admin building so much nicer than the schools? Pro: maybe a great work environment will inspire great work! Con: Maybe not.
Shepard
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
^ LOL.
I'm very impressed that this government project went all out to hit all the right notes. For the Dudley area, this will be really transformative. Critically, the building has no parking. I think that's a key point. Of course, Dudley already has lots of parking lots thanks to the legacy of urban renewal, but this will at least incentivize BPS staff to use public transit to the area. This might even spur some real SL improvements as Dudley transforms into an employment center.
^ LOL.
I'm very impressed that this government project went all out to hit all the right notes. For the Dudley area, this will be really transformative. Critically, the building has no parking. I think that's a key point. Of course, Dudley already has lots of parking lots thanks to the legacy of urban renewal, but this will at least incentivize BPS staff to use public transit to the area. This might even spur some real SL improvements as Dudley transforms into an employment center.
AmericanFolkLegend
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
Shocked that this turned out as nice as the renders. Better even.
Shocked that this turned out as nice as the renders. Better even.
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
this makes me lament even more the fact that theres no F line to Dudley green line train to this location. It just seems so logical, how could they not have done it????
this makes me lament even more the fact that theres no F line to Dudley green line train to this location. It just seems so logical, how could they not have done it????
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
What do you guys think of the fact that two occupied buildings were taken by the city (and subsiquently demolished/ 'facadectomied') as part of this project, instead of left to their own devices?
What do you guys think of the fact that two occupied buildings were taken by the city (and subsiquently demolished/ 'facadectomied') as part of this project, instead of left to their own devices?
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
Normally I dislike them due to the fact that the architect just seems to tolerate the old facade while steaming ahead with whatever piece of shit they are building. In this case you can tell that they went to great lengths to make both old and new work together.
My only peeve is that I wish there was a more definite transition between old and new. What I mean is that one facade starts and then there is the old one! I wish there was just a vertical element (I'm sure there is an architectural word that I don't know to describe what I mean) that would separate the two.
Normally I dislike them due to the fact that the architect just seems to tolerate the old facade while steaming ahead with whatever piece of shit they are building. In this case you can tell that they went to great lengths to make both old and new work together.
My only peeve is that I wish there was a more definite transition between old and new. What I mean is that one facade starts and then there is the old one! I wish there was just a vertical element (I'm sure there is an architectural word that I don't know to describe what I mean) that would separate the two.
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
Had they kept the El you wouldn't have even know this building was there!
Had they kept the El you wouldn't have even know this building was there!
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
I totally agree with this. The design integrates the old and new well, but in this case I think what really makes this work is that the quality of construction and materials for the old and new is on par. They didn't glue beautiful old stone work to an alcubond box.
I totally agree with this. The design integrates the old and new well, but in this case I think what really makes this work is that the quality of construction and materials for the old and new is on par. They didn't glue beautiful old stone work to an alcubond box.
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
^ I agree with you guys on the quality, it's very, very well done. My two slight aesthetic issues are the rusticated stone parts of the facade. The first is with the one corner that mirrors the Ferdinand (Beeline's first and second pics), which I feel detracts from the older building's prominence. The second is the new wall they constructed along the busway (Beeline's last two pics), which looks tacked on, especially from the front. These issues are relatively minor however, and the overall craft of the project is stellar.
But that's not really what I was asking. The main problem I was thinking of is ethics of taking (and basically demolishing) two occupied buildings for what seems to be nothing more than aesthetic preference. IIRC, there were apartments in those buildings that are no more, plus the ground floor businesses. Overall it makes for a prettier project, but I'm not sure if I like the precedence this sets. If it was a 'friendly taking' it would be one thing, but I think I remember the owners fighting it.
^ I agree with you guys on the quality, it's very, very well done. My two slight aesthetic issues are the rusticated stone parts of the facade. The first is with the one corner that mirrors the Ferdinand (Beeline's first and second pics), which I feel detracts from the older building's prominence. The second is the new wall they constructed along the busway (Beeline's last two pics), which looks tacked on, especially from the front. These issues are relatively minor however, and the overall craft of the project is stellar.
But that's not really what I was asking. The main problem I was thinking of is ethics of taking (and basically demolishing) two occupied buildings for what seems to be nothing more than aesthetic preference. IIRC, there were apartments in those buildings that are no more, plus the ground floor businesses. Overall it makes for a prettier project, but I'm not sure if I like the precedence this sets. If it was a 'friendly taking' it would be one thing, but I think I remember the owners fighting it.
Spectorsky
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
What's the ethical problem with the government taking private property for a public purpose, even if the owner fights? That's what the Fifth Amendment says it can do, as long as it pays for it. The "precedence" [sic] is therefore the United States Constitution. Also, if I recall correctly from articles linked to earlier in the thread, the displaced businesses did not own the buildings, but were tenants in them much like the apartment dwellers. Sometimes things happen and a tenancy is terminated earlier than the tenant would have liked. Nothing illegal in that, as long as any damages due are paid. Unethical? Under what standard? What more do you expect?
What's the ethical problem with the government taking private property for a public purpose, even if the owner fights? That's what the Fifth Amendment says it can do, as long as it pays for it. The "precedence" [sic] is therefore the United States Constitution. Also, if I recall correctly from articles linked to earlier in the thread, the displaced businesses did not own the buildings, but were tenants in them much like the apartment dwellers. Sometimes things happen and a tenancy is terminated earlier than the tenant would have liked. Nothing illegal in that, as long as any damages due are paid. Unethical? Under what standard? What more do you expect?
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
It's not just about the outside appearance, a building needs to serve a function on the inside moreso and if you can save the facade while modernizing and expanding the inside then what is the problem? The alternative would be to knock the whole thing down!
It's not just about the outside appearance, a building needs to serve a function on the inside moreso and if you can save the facade while modernizing and expanding the inside then what is the problem? The alternative would be to knock the whole thing down!
cca
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
We can all keep nit-picking here ... but I think we should hold this up as an example of how things can be:
This for me is an example of people with all the right intentions getting together and getting it done. This project makes a serious improvement on a place that desperately needed it ... without destroying the character of that place. THAT, is/was not easy. I will continue to sing its praises.
cca
We can all keep nit-picking here ... but I think we should hold this up as an example of how things can be:
- Contextual
- Contemporary
- Sensitive to the History of a Place
- Well designed
- Well crafted
- Reproducible (if anyone cared to put the effort into it)
This for me is an example of people with all the right intentions getting together and getting it done. This project makes a serious improvement on a place that desperately needed it ... without destroying the character of that place. THAT, is/was not easy. I will continue to sing its praises.
cca
Tombstoner
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Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
I think that will be the only false note in an otherwise terrific project.
I think that will be the only false note in an otherwise terrific project.
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
I'm going to have to disagree with everyone. I am not a fan of this project at all. It feels too monolithic and has too much going on. I would have loved something that had more reference to the architecture of the older buildings (facades) that were saved and made this into a coherent block like it once was. I don't agree that the modern and the old blend well here. They blend better than in many cases, but it's still very jarring IMO. I don't understand the strange two-story section on the one side. Why not keep the building heights more consistent on the street edges?
I'm going to have to disagree with everyone. I am not a fan of this project at all. It feels too monolithic and has too much going on. I would have loved something that had more reference to the architecture of the older buildings (facades) that were saved and made this into a coherent block like it once was. I don't agree that the modern and the old blend well here. They blend better than in many cases, but it's still very jarring IMO. I don't understand the strange two-story section on the one side. Why not keep the building heights more consistent on the street edges?
Re: Dudley Sq's Ferdinand Building to be Restored/ Renovated
I wonder how long it will take them to get it? The Silver Line was over capacity on the day it opened, and now with all of the development going on on Washington (this, Ink Block, Graybar, the E. Berkeley/Washington building, Tropical Foods, etc.), there's no way the current situation will be sustainable for much longer.
I wonder how long it will take them to get it? The Silver Line was over capacity on the day it opened, and now with all of the development going on on Washington (this, Ink Block, Graybar, the E. Berkeley/Washington building, Tropical Foods, etc.), there's no way the current situation will be sustainable for much longer.
