The Aberdeen | 1650 Commonwealth Ave. | Brighton

[bigpicture7]

They've broken ground on The Aberdeen at 1650 Commonwealth Ave. in Brighton. ~6 stories of condos w/ ground floor retail.

A few related articles:
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/property/article/2015/10/27/the-aberdeen-brighton/

http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2015/...e-brighton-1650-commonwealth-ave-development/

http://boston.curbed.com/2015/8/19/9929250/new-brighton-condos

BPDA project docs:
http://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/1650-commonwealth-avenue

From Boston Magazine:
Architect Stephen Tise, of Newton’s Tise Design Associates, cruised the area for design cues; he found them at the art deco–style Parklake Apartments overlooking the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. “We were inspired by them—especially the industrial-style, oversize corner windows and polychromatic brick detailing,” says Tise, who hopes to echo “iconic New York art deco residential buildings from the 1930s.”

 

[West]

Not bad, I like that subset of Art Deco, especially for apartment buildings of this general size, and this looks like a nice modern take on it.

The color palette of the middle render seems utterly different than the color palette of the other two renders. Is it supposed to be a really sunny day or something in that render, or is this just simply off kilter? I like the lighter colors in the middle picture better.

ETA: Now that I look some more, I see other differences, such as different cornice treatment above the address numbers. It seems like the middle render is from a different iteration of the design progression.

 

[bigpicture7]

^ yeah I'd love to see the middle render's color palette with some of the detailing in the others. The city project docs show the darker scheme, as do all sources (including realtor websites) aside from the Boston Mag article. I'll keep my eyes out for a facade mockup or renders posted at the project site.

 

[Shepard]

This fills a nice hole along Comm Ave, and the retail spot will be appreciated. Although, retail doesn't seem to do so well along Comm Ave, for whatever reason (which baffles me).

 

[dwash59]

The top and bottom rendering are from Diamond Sinacori, which did 1501 Comm Ave aka the Lancaster. You'll notice the antique car out front just like the renderings for 1501. They claimed they couldn't get the project approved due to union opposition from them not using union labor on 1501 Comm Ave, so they sold the project to another developer. I believe the middle rendering is from that developer. It has been sold to a third developer, so the details may have changed some more.

Merrill Diamond discussing the project middle of last year: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/allstonbrighton2006/zUZ4hLoOJtc/bExYyq0AQAAJ

 

[JohnAKeith]

Developer sold the property (actually, the parcel of land w/ permits) yesterday.

$15.25 million, according to Registry of Deeds.

Buyer is Matteson Company. Developer of 6 West Broadway (hotel) and Parcel A hotel(s).

 

[JohnAKeith]

Hmm. It seems the buyer already had plans to take over the land. It abuts his Best Western hotel. He mentions on this page a "residential development". Smart guy.

http://www.mattesonco.com/bestwesternuniversity

1650 Commonwealth Avenue consists of a 74 room Best Western Hotel on 1.73 acres, located between Boston College and Boston University and directly on the Green Line. The business plan is increase the hotel revenue with increased occupancy and charging for parking. The bigger up side will be dual tracking; the permitting of a 3 FAR or a 225,660 square foot residential development.

 

[bigpicture7]

Foundation progressing nicely:

 

[bigpicture7]

Cores are up and foundation looks close to completion.

 

[bigpicture7]

Some steel is up...

This thing is moving right along
(sorry for the sunlight wash-out)

 

[bigpicture7]

Some updates on this project:

I walk by this semi-frequently, and noticed they are using a very unusual (at least to me) construction method. It is a steel-and-wood hybrid distinct from your typical 5-on-1.

It has your typical all-steel first floor. Then the next two floors above the podium are steel and wood. Then the top-most floors have steel primary structure in the corners (notice the steel corner posts that extend to the roof) but are otherwise wood. According to the project docs, the entire thing will be encapsulated by a hand-laid brick veneer.

BTW, I feel that the overall shape, massing, and integration with the adjacent period art-deco building are coming out quite nicely.

Photos courtesy of BldUp (from 8/3):

[/url]View From Commonwealth Avenue by BLDUP Boston, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]View From Commonwealth Avenue at Mount Hood Road by BLDUP Boston, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[TomOfBoston]

That had been a vacant lot for some time. Any idea what was there before?

 

[bigpicture7]

That had been a vacant lot for some time. Any idea what was there before?

Gas station long ago, I believe. The gravel lot that was there for many years appeared to be a post-remediation site. As mentioned upthread, the parcel changed hands a few times before the project finally started.

 

[statler]

Am I the only one who doesn't like that arch? It has a weird 80's chintzy-ness to it.

 

[estyle]

No, I agree. It's not a bad looking building in rendering--clearly retro but the jaggy arch marking the entrance is not working as well as the rest of the building. Too bad as just squaring it off would look very appropriate.

Am I the only one who doesn't like that arch? It has a weird 80's chintzy-ness to it.

 

[bigpicture7]

I think the jaggy-ness attempts to riff off the period architecture in/around the Aberdeen neighborhood. This part of Brighton is somewhat distinct, having been developed from the turn of the century into the 1920s/30s...whereas further inbound on Comm ave is marked by older/more row-house style apartment houses.

I totally agree that this has the potential to look 80's-ish if not executed right, but I want to see how the brickwork ultimately ends up looking before I conclude that.

Here are some nearby (similarly jaggy) architectural details I think it tries to sync with:

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.341...4!1sYLnRZLCSgw9OFunCcVFb_w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.344...4!1sb823omqazVGyY-dE5XW45Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.338...4!1sn0I9diLxyM_-YE8ZhXnpdA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.338...4!1sL2Ad_mi2UOUKZkewx0tEZg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This city report discusses the architecture of this neighborhood (a ctrl-F for "art deco" is interesting):
https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/aberdeen-study-report.pdf

 

[statler]

^^ Thanks, I can definitely see what they are going for. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope it comes out looking better in real life than in the rendering.

 

[estyle]

The context pictures are great. Thanks for adding them to the thread. And I agree, it's clear what they are trying to do, it just seems a little overdrawn--like with a crayon instead of a pencil. We'll have to wait and see, it might turn out really well, depending on the detailing and the actual colors used.

I think the jaggy-ness attempts to riff off the period architecture in/around the Aberdeen neighborhood. This part of Brighton is somewhat distinct, having been developed from the turn of the century into the 1920s/30s...whereas further inbound on Comm ave is marked by older/more row-house style apartment houses.

I totally agree that this has the potential to look 80's-ish if not executed right, but I want to see how the brickwork ultimately ends up looking before I conclude that.

Here are some nearby (similarly jaggy) architectural details I think it tries to sync with:

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.341...4!1sYLnRZLCSgw9OFunCcVFb_w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.344...4!1sb823omqazVGyY-dE5XW45Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.338...4!1sn0I9diLxyM_-YE8ZhXnpdA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.338...4!1sL2Ad_mi2UOUKZkewx0tEZg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This city report discusses the architecture of this neighborhood (a ctrl-F for "art deco" is interesting):
https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/aberdeen-study-report.pdf

 

[statler]

it just seems a little overdrawn--like with a crayon instead of a pencil.

Well said.

 

[bigpicture7]

Updated rendering from the developer's site, as well as pricing and details released:

http://aberdeenboston.com

Per bldup (8/24):
- One bedrooms start at $600k
- Two bedrooms start at $800k
- Three bedroom penthouses at $1.2mil

There will be 2,400 sq-ft of ground floor retail
(what has looked like a coffee shop in past renderings)