The Casco | 201 Federal Street | Portland

I think that is a big improvement over the original design.

What are you planning for the architectural cap to cover mechanicals on the roof? That’s not clear in these renderings.
 
Love the revised design and it looks like the mechanical portion has been decreased and now covers only the western portion of the structure. Should still reach 204' at the very top. Thanks for keeping us updated!
 
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Dr. StrangeHat said:
I think that is a big improvement over the original design.

What are you planning for the architectural cap to cover mechanicals on the roof? That’s not clear in these renderings.
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They are behind metal paneling that has some texture but pretty basic - envisioning same color as building paneling. Played with darker colors but thought lighter was better.
 
Redfern said:
We had a glass curtain wall in the corner just like this - it was the first thing to go after we picked up our jaws from the first round of pricing - sadly.
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Love this insight, thanks for sharing. I like the asymmetry of the new design and black/dark colored muntins. The base feels more contemporary while simultaneously drawing to mind 19th century mill architecture of northern New England.
 
Agree, lighter color paneling would be perfect for the mechanical wall, a dark color would not pop visually. I also like how the brick facade extends about 4 feet above the cornice and adds a nice variation to the roofline. As myself and others have mentioned, please consider adorning the top of the building with some LED lighting similar to the Hilton Garden on Commercial Street. It would make the view of Maine's tallest from I 295 and the waterfront even more impressive at night!
 
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Great to have this inside info Redfern! The Hiawatha was a flawless addition so I expect good things .
I 100% agree with lighting on top. Doesn’t have to be crazy colorful but even white lights aiming up or something . Just want to make sure this isn’t Franklin tower part 2
 
Just a thought. If your design team raised (extended) the brick facade another 10 feet above the roofline you would naturally hide a majority of the mechanical equipment. This would eliminate the need and expense of constructing a metal mechanical wall on the roof, concerns on what color and texture to chose, would add a little more true height to that section of the building and the potential cost savings can go to rooftop lighting. The added 14' (already raised around 4' with current renderings) should be counted as a mechanical/ornamental partition and would not affect the actual height to the roof. A similar effect was accomplished with the top of Back Bay Tower and is most noticeable from the Cumberland Avenue portion of the upper facade.
 
I really like these revised designs! The base especially feels less imposing than the earlier renderings, and as someone else said it's a bit reminiscent of a classic New England mill building. I'll add my voice to the chorus requesting some kind of lighting feature around the top.

Is the overhead door facing Federal Street for entry to parking or would it be for the retail space?
 
Portlander said:
I'm happy that there hasn't been any negative articles from the local press or complaints from the same contingent that opposed the Midtown project. Wonder if it's because the tower is planned for the center of downtown, not a cluster of high rise structures and no city tax breaks or grants being involved?
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The midtown project from what I recollect had no TIF or city contribution (I believe it was all federal funding) so I’d guess it was the location as well. Good to see not too much pushback. My guess is that the pandemic also lessens the likelihood that protests will be held via zoom or whatever the city is using to hold remote meetings.
 
Redfern said:
Hi Folks. We have been pushing forward, including a positive Planning Board Workshop on Nov 10th. Our design has progressed based on feedback we received, including some thoughtful critiques on this forum. We have moved away from pre-cast concrete and are working with Red Brick with metal panels. The design goal has been to create a building that is modern but respects and acknowledges its location in the Old Port. Thus, the red brick. As you can imagine, there are also major budgetary constraints. We would love to build a contemporary glass & steel tower, but that is simply not in the cards. So we have a design that is modern with a fairly traditional materials palette. While the last design was symmetrical, this is a little more playful with the metal cap dipping down the facade. Also, one of you mentioned that the last design seemed too reminiscent of One Portland Square. We tend to agree. Not that we don't like that building, but it says 1990's and we want 200 Federal to be a building of the 2020's.

So hot of the presses - as in literally today at 5:00 and renderings aren't fully baked - you guys are the first look at our most recent design!

We welcome your feedback!View attachment 8434View attachment 8435
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I think it’s great that you’re sharing on here. Personally I liked the other design, but this one isn’t bad either. In my experience it’s impossible to make everyone happy but this approach is likely to get as close as possible to that (utilizing brick). I wonder if the dimensions are the same. It looks a little more squat here but that could be because the other images were photorealistic and set in an actual city setting.
 
Redfern said:
We had a glass curtain wall in the corner just like this - it was the first thing to go after we picked up our jaws from the first round of pricing - sadly.
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Well now that min. wage is $150/hour you should be able to underwrite that cost with higher rents. I kid I kid I joke I joke. ;)
 
Max said:
I really like these revised designs! The base especially feels less imposing than the earlier renderings, and as someone else said it's a bit reminiscent of a classic New England mill building. I'll add my voice to the chorus requesting some kind of lighting feature around the top.

Is the overhead door facing Federal Street for entry to parking or would it be for the retail space?
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As I said above I’ll take either design and while not criticizing the current design (from my armchair) I think there is something to be said for more imposing bases, as they tend to be the sections of buildings that are more interacted with by the public (like a traditional town / cityscape structure), but again this design isn’t bad at all. Just stating my personal preference from a design utopian perspective. Anything here will be an improvement (I think that’s what a lot of people at city hall and in the general public tend to forget).
 
My grandfather worked on building franklin towers. I have zero construction skills so hire me and I guarantee it won’t look anything like it! Or any building for that matter

am I the only one who has a hard time picturing that building going on that parcel of land? And with room for a pocket park?
 
^ review the photo in post #83 and visually slice the width of 2 Monument Square in half and add around 70' in height and you'll get a better perspective. The bottom three floors of 200 Federal Street will also jut out similar to 2MS, and you are correct that the pocket park will be on the small side and will have an "alley" vibe to it. I'm sure Redfern will add more site plan details and building renderings as the project continues to move forward.
 
We have some great ideas/images for the pocket park! It's a real opportunity for a little, cozy urban oasis. It will also have direct access to a commercial space next to it - so if it's a sandwich or coffee shop you can grab something and hang out in the park.
 
I would like to see some color illumination of the building at night, add some vibe to that section of town. Possibly the top section of the building. Otherwise, great revamped design...
 
Jonathan, you have to give the people what they want and rooftop lighting is a winner! :)
 
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