South End Infill and Small Developments

He was adding some factual info on a specific building that was brought up in this thread as an example of the Catholic Church being a slumlord and purposely destroying a business. To point out what the building was actually used for and that there are a number of projects built in that neighborhood and beyond by the church seems to have hit a nerve.
 
another example

to get back on topic after my rant...

Just a few block up Washington St., Project Place is constructing a new building that will have retail on the first floor. This will be a Chinese restaurant called Rice from the owner of the bakery Flour further down Washington St.
http://www.projectplace.org/pages/news_jan06.html

The city needs all the tax producing property it can get so they should encourage non profits to include taxable space. Project Place's old building will be sold, probably converted to condos.

I just moved to Washington St after living outside the city for 22 years. At some point I hope to post a photo essay on Washington St in the south end and what I think should be done. There is a lot of potential but there are also a lot of problems.
 
I just don't think the neighbors understood ...

I just don't think the neighbors understood what the gym was going to look like. And, to be clear, it's a gymnasium, not a "gym" as in health club.

It's a basketball court.
 
I think people need to stop seeing the Catholic Church as an inherently good or bad thing. It's not inherently good or bad. It's a business, a business that is allowed to use sales techniques that I would be fired for. It's going to do what it sees is in its best interest, and ultimately its goals are to gain market share ("souls"). To do this, it does "good" for the community (whether subsidized housing is good for anyone is a matter of debate and imo is not a good thing). By doing such "good" things, it gains followers. It also gives its followers something to do, which is why they are church members in the first place - to fill a hole in their lives, something they are missing or something that is wrong with them, and to make them feel like their life has a purpose. Such "good" things also get them donations.

To clarify, the church is more of an oligopoly than a business. And as such, it can afford to cover up scandals and allow them to go on - because it knows that if they are exposed, they will pose little threat to their "market share".


^ Just my extremely cynical personal views.
 
DudeUrSistersHot said:
I think people need to stop seeing the Catholic Church as an inherently good or bad thing. It's not inherently good or bad. It's a business, a business that is allowed to use sales techniques that I would be fired for. It's going to do what it sees is in its best interest, and ultimately its goals are to gain market share ("souls"). To do this, it does "good" for the community (whether subsidized housing is good for anyone is a matter of debate and imo is not a good thing). By doing such "good" things, it gains followers. It also gives its followers something to do, which is why they are church members in the first place - to fill a hole in their lives, something they are missing or something that is wrong with them, and to make them feel like their life has a purpose. Such "good" things also get them donations.

To clarify, the church is more of an oligopoly than a business. And as such, it can afford to cover up scandals and allow them to go on - because it knows that if they are exposed, they will pose little threat to their "market share".


^ Just my extremely cynical personal views.
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Shut up. Please for the love of God shut up. The topic was back on track and you have to post an uninformed and misguided reply just to get your voice in the fight, and will surely start more flame throwing crap in this thread. I'm not religious, I was raised Catholic but don't practice at all and don't believe in much of the faiths teachings, but I have respect and I'm not ignorant to the good the church does do/has done, nor am I to the bad. It's hip to bash the Catholic Church, and it is mostly deserved, but you really should stop making these minimally informed generalizations just from what your parents have told you and what you tell your friends to make yourself seem smart, important, worldly, and informed. Please get over yourself.
 
This is 700 Harrison, southeast of the ArtBlock. Taken today

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good materials and execution.. it looks sharp in person
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It's blocky alright, but I don't know about the art part... Churlishness aside, looks pretty harmless.

justin
 
Penny Savings Bank. I think this one looks better in photos than in person

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^ see the John Hancock?

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^ The old part looks good.

The new part looks dopey: too small, badly detailed glass, inexplicable angle. Could hardly be worse.
 
ablarc said:
^ The old part looks good.

The new part looks dopey: too small, badly detailed glass, inexplicable angle. Could hardly be worse.
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Actually the angle makes more sense when you see in person. Driving up Washington street all you see is the older building until you are about a block away.

This was by far the single worst rendering I ever saw for a project in Boston. Then I saw the angled set back which saved it from being the single worst renovation in Boston.
 
I can tell what they were thinking: let's make the addition inconspicuous; a glass box emerging from the old bank would be dopey; this will disappear against the sky. It was a noble attempt to preserve the old bank from mutilation.

Unfortunately, it seems to have been a missed opportunity to buttress the streetwall. In isolation, the project is sensible. In context, it's disappointing.
 
czsz said:
I can tell what they were thinking: let's make the addition inconspicuous; a glass box emerging from the old bank would be dopey; this will disappear against the sky. It was a noble attempt to preserve the old bank from mutilation.
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I don't like this project at all. It's so timid and uncreative.
 
This is on the Boston Medical Center campus, with a blocky new addition to the right

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complete gutting and a small addition to this building at the western corner of Mass Ave and Albany St.

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And a couple of the Penny Savings Bank

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Does anybody know if the Penmark is new construction, rehab, or a mix?
http://www.thepenmark.com/home/

GOD I HATE FLASH INTROS!

Also, does anybody know if "the 1850" is selling?

http://www.the1850.com/home/index.php

MORE FLASH! It's like a high school techie webmaster gone mad.

I'm looking into a research project on architecture & sales in the SoWa areas, and can't seem to find any information on the Penmark or the 1850. Are these projects considered architecturally successful by this crowd? Conversely, are regular folks buying these units?
 
I think it's some sort of ambulatory care center for BMC. There's a thread on it somewhere.
 
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Photos by kz1000ps

ablarc said:
^ The old part looks good.

The new part looks dopey: too small, badly detailed glass, inexplicable angle. Could hardly be worse.
Click to expand...

I, too, am no fan of the ill-conceived intervention on the Penny Savings Bank. But this month's Architectural Record features a story on Banq, the snazzy eatery on the ground floor. The interior (by Office dA) is stunning, and the food is pretty friggin' good.
 
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