JP Developments

[Pierce]

Alot going on, I've been meaning to start this thread for a long time.... Sorry I wasn't more thorough, but I had to get to work. I at least stopped my bicycle to take them, though.


BLESSED SACRAMENT CAMPUS REUSE
http://www.jpndc.org/bss.php

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JACKSON COMMONS (I think this one has another story to go)
http://bostonredevelopmentauthoritynews.blogspot.com/2010/04/revised-jackson-square-project-in.html/

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OLIVER LOFTS
http://bostonredevelopmentauthoritynews.blogspot.com/2010/03/oliver-lofts-celebrates-groundbreaking.html

 

[BostonUrbEx]

That concrete trench in the last few pics is real attractive.

 

[Shepard]

How do you suggest it could be made beautiful?


Pierce - thanks for this thread, I agree it's long overdue.

 

[palindrome]

I rode past the Oliver Lofts yesterday on CR and was wondering what was going on there. Thanks!

 

[blade_bltz]

Awesome! I've been looking for recent pics of Blessed Sacrament online for months to no avail. Looks like Hyde Square has got quite a bit more urban.

Also - do you know if the first phase of that Jackson Square redevelopment project has broken ground?

 

[Pierce]

Is that plywood building pre-phase 1? The only work I know of is that building and some infrastructural work between in the space between the T station headhouse and Columbus Ave.

Hyde Square, or that corner, feels more urban architecturally but is in a sad state with the still-vacant Milky Way/Bella Luna space, the newly vacant June Bug space, and the apparently evicted Pupusas Guanaca. Looking up though, the Haven has opened in the former Zon's space, though I have not tried yet.

 

[Boston02124]

thanks for shareing its nice to see other neighborhood developement's on here!

 

[czsz]

Good to see this thread.

That concrete trench in the last few pics is real attractive.

Keeps the noise and exhaust from the trains from disturbing the surrounding neighborhood. That stretch of track (Amtrak Northeast Corridor plus several commuter rail lines plus Orange Line) isn't going anywhere; it's one of the busiest pieces of railroad in the country.

 

[ablarc]

Looks pretty decent urbanistically. ^ ^

 

[Arborway]

Alot going on, I've been meaning to start this thread for a long time.... Sorry I wasn't more thorough, but I had to get to work. I at least stopped my bicycle to take them, though.


BLESSED SACRAMENT CAMPUS REUSE

I'm not sure when or why it was decided that ugly expansion joints had to be put into masonry exteriors every 4' or so. It's a fairly recent phenomena, despite the fact we managed for centuries without breaking up facades into small, very visible chunks.

 

[czsz]

Looks pretty decent urbanistically. ^ ^

True; what's going in the base here, though? Hopefully retail and not just offices and lobbies?

 

[briv]

I agree, it does look decent urbanistically; but otherwise, it looks like the product of absolute minimum effort and expense--or are they just riffing of the Bromley Heath aesthetic?

But yes, it appears to behave like an urban building should. It's pretty sad that this basic fundamental quality is so rare in new Boston construction today that its presence can elicit praise from such a drab edifice.

 

[ablarc]

But yes, it appears to behave like an urban building should. It's pretty sad that this basic fundamental quality is so rare in new Boston construction today that its presence can elicit praise from such a drab edifice.

Yeah, appalling, isn't it? We're into about the third generation of architects misled by anti-urban, Modernist dogma transmitted to them from Corb et al., by their teachers. Since future teachers are equally deluded, we can expect another generation or two of architects who don't know how to design in cities.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Holy crap that area changed fast. I was there not 2 years ago. A cool area, though this development is as basic as you could get. Not terrible but not enough to inspire any great improvement.

 

[Lurker]

Yeah, appalling, isn't it? We're into about the third generation of architects misled by anti-urban, Modernist dogma transmitted to them from Corb et al., by their teachers. Since future teachers are equally deluded, we can expect another generation or two of architects who don't know how to design in cities.

Part of the problem is that what is 'urban' is being redefined in schools to the point that word no longer has a strong relationship with reality. Sert is getting a lot of praise lately, which is laughable given the man was Le Corb part Deux. Koolhaas and Mayne are also wracking up quite the collection of zombies in academia these days. So unfortunately I forsee another generation lavishing in overscaled object centered architect with the utter disregard of context (hello International style) under the justified guise of 'Generic Cities'.

Even the fetishization (proper English?) of 'green' is highly problematic in regards to urbanism. The focus is again on fanciful Archigram-esque techno-babble and Corbusian dead space space. Destroying the inherent environmental efficiencies of a dense urban city is seen as being green as long as some sod is thrown on every damn surface possible.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

I'm not sure when or why it was decided that ugly expansion joints had to be put into masonry exteriors every 4' or so. It's a fairly recent phenomena, despite the fact we managed for centuries without breaking up facades into small, very visible chunks.

Could it be seismic code that didn't exist 30 years ago?

 

[kennedy]

Yeah, appalling, isn't it? We're into about the third generation of architects misled by anti-urban, Modernist dogma transmitted to them from Corb et al., by their teachers. Since future teachers are equally deluded, we can expect another generation or two of architects who don't know how to design in cities.

Considering most of what I know of architecture and urbanism has come from this board and personal experience (and Jane Jacobs' book,) when I get to school, I'll hopefully have my own preconceived notions of design before the teachers can get to me.

 

[czsz]

Even the fetishization (proper English?) of 'green' is highly problematic in regards to urbanism. The focus is again on fanciful Archigram-esque techno-babble and Corbusian dead space space. Destroying the inherent environmental efficiencies of a dense urban city is seen as being green as long as some sod is thrown on every damn surface possible.

Totally agree. Apropos, look at this NYT piece equating high density development in Hong Kong with global warming. Total nonsense. Thankfully the commenters know better:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/chinas-instant-cities/

Considering most of what I know of architecture and urbanism has come from this board and personal experience (and Jane Jacobs' book,) when I get to school, I'll hopefully have my own preconceived notions of design before the teachers can get to me.

Easy to say now when your rubric of success isn't driven by their level of approval.

Planners and architects have rightfully recognized that there was a middle ground between Jacobs and Corbusier, that society needed to make room for masterpieces and grands projets. The problem is that every kid in architecture school is being taught to create the grands projets, individual works of art on tabluae rasae.

 

[rikahlberg]

Is that plywood building pre-phase 1? The only work I know of is that building and some infrastructural work between in the space between the T station headhouse and Columbus Ave.

Yep, it's not part of the Jackson Square project. It's something the JPNDC developed separately. The infrastructure work (including some changes to the intersection of Centre & Columbus) is supposed to start real soon now.

 

[rikahlberg]

True; what's going in the base here, though? Hopefully retail and not just offices and lobbies?

They hope for retail (there are Now Leasing signs in English & Spanish) -- but given the amount of vacant retail space in the neighborhood (and ground floor office use), I don't think we'll see a lot of new shops any time soon.