Tree House Residence Hall Tower @ MassArt | 578 Huntington Avenue | Fenway

Re: Mass Art Dormitory

I like it. This area and Longwood get/should get the bold, experimental, "cutting edge", and just plain "different" architecture, since little of that sort is allowed downtown, Back Bay, etc...
 
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I like it too, specifically the gradient change that goes from brown to amber as it rises, and the subtle flaring of the sides and crown. Goes to show there's more to it than just the flashy facade treatment, and is a breath of fresh air when you look at all the comatose buildings surrounding it. Maybe it'll end up being a bad joke later on, but for now I'm enjoying its humor.
 
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I hate seeing the horizontal "cracks" every other floor. I would say that otherwise it looks ok, but I really think the cracks are so awful that it all but ruins the building for me. It looks too obviously fragmented.
 
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I didn't like it so much after coming back to school, but it's growing on me. I just wish they didn't screw up the colors so much; the bottom half is correct, but the top half is supposed to be much paler and not so...orange. It's just orange and it doesn't look as good. Also, I don't know what's going on with some of the windows--some of them have the green skin panels bordering around them and it looks absolutely awful. I hope it's just a temporary fix because it looks kind of like it was a mistake in ordering the panels for the skin around said windows. The green just looks downright horrid; it sticks out like a foot and a half from the window. I feel like it would actually hinder the view from outside the window. I'll get a picture of it and post it on here later. It just frustrates me so much. There's one window on the front that does this and I think two or three on the back.
 
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The green windows annoy me too. It looks like it was planned that way sadly. The thermal envelope was showing on those couple windows the whole way through.
 
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So there are two of those windows on the back. It's really dumb.
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Also, they started building the lower roof and installing the glass panes on the front.
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thanks for the awesome photo update! I rather it was copper/or any other metal than this lime green!
 
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Has anyone noticed that when you take into account the position of the various windows and the Lime Green lines in each grouping -- that the entire facade is a non repreating sequience of "characters" (i.e. a set composed of windows and locations which may or may not be occupied by Lime Green two-story lines)
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

whighlander said:
Has anyone noticed that when you take into account the position of the various windows and the Lime Green lines in each grouping -- that the entire facade is a non repreating sequience of "characters" (i.e. a set composed of windows and locations which may or may not be occupied by Lime Green two-story lines)
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The facade is random. Quoted from the architect:

"5 colors, 5 widths, 5 depths, 5000 panels"
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Can't fault the designers for trying something different, but they sure miscalculated this building's finish. It appears like it's made of plastic which makes it look like a cheap child's toy or something. The shimmering, jeweled curtain effect in the renderings is nowhere to be seen.
 
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briv said:
Can't fault the designers for trying something different, but they sure miscalculated this building's finish. It appears like it's made of plastic which makes it look like a cheap child's toy or something. The shimmering, jeweled curtain effect in the renderings is nowhere to be seen.
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A LEGO tower, like I worried about many pages back.
 
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Yep. You were right.
 
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A good idea that was horribly executed. Luckily, the tower is in a place where most of us will never really have to see it.
 
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Lime green is really emerging as a sort of "buzzcolor" in the architecture world right now. I would assume it's essentially meant to be symbolic of the sustainable architecture that the building consists of. The green buildings tend to be the ones that end up with lime green on them.

For the record, I like the green strips a lot on this tower. I would have preferred if the green motif had not been applied to windows though. It pushes it over the top with those ridiculous window casings.
 
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I thought the lime green was a retro throw back to the 60's/70's?
 
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statler said:
I thought the lime green was a retro throw back to the 60's/70's?
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It very well could be and retro/vintage is "in" across all the design disciplines right now, including fashion design. Even the winter/holiday retail season is seeing great pops of neon in everything.

I just don't recall the architect mentioning a retro concept when he was discussing the facade. Maybe dshoost or UrbEx can remember more about the facade. I remember him talking about Alucobond and its use in the 70s, but I don't recall a concept for the design of this tower.
 
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In ten years, this building is going to be considered as ugly as the interior of an orange line car.
 
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Have yet to see it in person, but I think the building looks fine. I don't know much about the building, but I am wondering if it is green or anything like that (I didn't read all the posts here in this thread.)

But of course the building could have been better, but I think many of you are being a bit harsh on its style. Hopefully they improve and do some nice street level enhancements around the building.
 
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