Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

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Three questions to the engineers:
(1) what's the purpose of the vertical pipes (with hoses) spaced out across the floor of the pit? Something being pumped down and in? or up and out?
(2) what's being constructed behind the tarps running up the left side (from Franklin St.) of the Burnham Building - something to match the original architecture remaining on the right side?
(3) what are the carpenters building on top of the T structure: construction offices?
 
Gromit said:
Three questions to the engineers:
(1) what's the purpose of the vertical pipes (with hoses) spaced out across the floor of the pit? Something being pumped down and in? or up and out?
(2) what's being constructed behind the tarps running up the left side (from Franklin St.) of the Burnham Building - something to match the original architecture remaining on the right side?
(3) what are the carpenters building on top of the T structure: construction offices?
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all great questions that I am interested in hearing answered by those who know. I thought that the answer to your first question was that the piping was being used to brace the walls of the pit as they construct the lower levels. But I could be wrong. I am very curious about your second question as well.
 
Gromit said:
Three questions to the engineers:
(1) what's the purpose of the vertical pipes (with hoses) spaced out across the floor of the pit? Something being pumped down and in? or up and out?
(2) what's being constructed behind the tarps running up the left side (from Franklin St.) of the Burnham Building - something to match the original architecture remaining on the right side?
(3) what are the carpenters building on top of the T structure: construction offices?
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1) Do you mean the seafoam green firehose looking thing? It's probably to pump out melted snow/ground water. They had a bunch of pumps running when they did Charlesview, and that was only one story deep and far above the water table.
2) I've been searching renderings and can't find a view of this side. I suspect its either a like-in-kind replication of the other side, or some sort of masonry at least. The proportions are correct, and they are rebuilding some of the original facade on the washington st side.
3) Same thing as what they did when they restored the copley headhouse. People are still going to be using the entrance as construction goes on, so they are building a temporary wood shelter to protect riders heads.
 
davem said:
1) Do you mean the seafoam green firehose looking thing? It's probably to pump out melted snow/ground water. They had a bunch of pumps running when they did Charlesview, and that was only one story deep and far above the water table.
2) I've been searching renderings and can't find a view of this side. I suspect its either a like-in-kind replication of the other side, or some sort of masonry at least. The proportions are correct, and they are rebuilding some of the original facade on the washington st side.
3) Same thing as what they did when they restored the copley headhouse. People are still going to be using the entrance as construction goes on, so they are building a temporary wood shelter to protect riders heads.
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Re (3) above: it will be one heck of a thick wood shelter, then -- I'm still betting on offcies for architects, etc. There's very little room anywhere else on the site. But then again, I'm just a gawker.
 
Gromit said:
Re (3) above: it will be one heck of a thick wood shelter, then -- I'm still betting on offcies for architects, etc. There's very little room anywhere else on the site. But then again, I'm just a gawker.
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It's thick because it is likely designed to handle some sizable impact loads, being right under the crane. It seems like there is enough room to drop a job trailer on the north corner, behind the T head house, as long as they don't need it for deliveries, and that would only be until they can set up a site office inside the burnham building.
 
bobthebuilder said:
It's thick because it is likely designed to handle some sizable impact loads, being right under the crane. It seems like there is enough room to drop a job trailer on the north corner, behind the T head house, as long as they don't need it for deliveries, and that would only be until they can set up a site office inside the burnham building.
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OK - good answer. I retract my bet.
 
Check out the mock-up of the curtain wall being built on Franklin St side of the MTA entrance/exit. Good view from TJ Max or (better) from the parking garage. No glass yet (noon Mar 3), but packing crates contain something that looks like glass --
 
Gromit said:
Re (3) above: it will be one heck of a thick wood shelter, then -- I'm still betting on offcies for architects, etc. There's very little room anywhere else on the site. But then again, I'm just a gawker.
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The Architects are probably in Suffolk's field office in an office building across Hawley Street. I was going to be on the Architect's CA team for the original project and that's where we were going to go.
 
Omg the facade mockup is gorgeous. The glass is just beautiful. They had been building it for a few weeks. It was a weird, almost sculptural, black steel construction until now when they finally put the glass in. It's located on Franklin St. next to the headhouse. I didn't get to snap a pic this morning. Will try later on my lunch break or when I'm leaving.
 
datadyne007 said:
Omg the facade mockup is gorgeous. The glass is just beautiful. They had been building it for a few weeks. It was a weird, almost sculptural, black steel construction until now when they finally put the glass in. It's located on Franklin St. next to the headhouse. I didn't get to snap a pic this morning. Will try later on my lunch break or when I'm leaving.
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I saw it this AM as well. Is looks like the façade will be spectacular. Drool!
 
datadyne007 said:
Omg the facade mockup is gorgeous. The glass is just beautiful. They had been building it for a few weeks. It was a weird, almost sculptural, black steel construction until now when they finally put the glass in. It's located on Franklin St. next to the headhouse. I didn't get to snap a pic this morning. Will try later on my lunch break or when I'm leaving.
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Just to be clear that is the mockup for the tower, correct? Anyone have any idea or want to venture a guess as to how long before we start to see the tower rising above ground? It seems like they are still digging. Won't it take 3-5 months or so to complete the underground levels once all of the excavation is done?
 
BosDevelop said:
Just to be clear that is the mockup for the tower, correct? Anyone have any idea or want to venture a guess as to how long before we start to see the tower rising above ground? It seems like they are still digging. Won't it take 3-5 months or so to complete the underground levels once all of the excavation is done?
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Yes the tower. All glass.
 
BosDevelop said:
Just to be clear that is the mockup for the tower, correct? Anyone have any idea or want to venture a guess as to how long before we start to see the tower rising above ground? It seems like they are still digging. Won't it take 3-5 months or so to complete the underground levels once all of the excavation is done?
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BosDev -- I was told by some guys with supervisory hats on a recent Sunday -- in answer to a question about pumping concrete -- that we should expect the pumping truck in March

That would imply that concrete was going to start flowing although some amount of it could be going into the hole for some few weeks
 
Behold!!

Crappy cell phone shot. It looks better in person. The opacity of the glass is just right. Picture doesn't capture the opacity right.

2ainiud.jpg
 
this will be the most photograph construction site in Boston in the years to come :)
 
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I got a quick peek into the Burnham this morning. A lot more HVAC in place than I might have expected at this stage. Numerous air handlers and trunks were visible. Also pallets of wall board and studs going in.
 
It's rare that a facade mockup really changes my opinion on a project. But this is dangerously close to going from "Eh" to "Wow".
 
Arborway said:
It's rare that a facade mockup really changes my opinion on a project. But this is dangerously close to going from "Eh" to "Wow".
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Pictures don't even do it justice. You have to go down and see it!
 
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