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

Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Colleges do need athletic fields, so if this one gets built on, what will replace it?
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Huntington Ave isn't all that broken; recent infill has succeeded in filling gaps. This neighborhood's big offender is the poorly designed and implemented low income housing units.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

ablarc said:
One is too many.
Click to expand...

I would beg to differ. There are plenty of small parking lots that open up a dense urban streetwall which actually improve areas. The trick is that they are few and in between.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Given a choice, I'd rather go with the "one is too many" philosophy.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

As would I. If you were to ask how I felt about larger underground or wrapped-in-retail garages, I would typically answer in praise.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Don't mean to bump an old thread with no news, but this was scheduled to start construction this month. I have been searching a few local newspapers, but haven't found anything. Has anyone been down there recently? Has construction started?
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

No pictures, but when I passed by the site last week hoardings were already up.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

The parking lot is being ripped up as I type this.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

mass_art_tower_const_1.jpg


mass_art_tower_const_2.jpg
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Sexcellent! Something to follow!
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

awesome! this is going to be a huge transformation of that street corner
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Could the setback be the result of:

1. The large number of larger sewer pipes that intersect there. One of the primary pumping stations for the system is just behind the site. Kind of like a 176 Federal Street avoidance of utilities. You would think that the the old and new dorm would have been connected.

or

2. MassArt really doesn't have an outdoor gathering spot for its students. Might the setback be the attempt to create somekind of outdoor common space? I know the violation of the street wall is frowned upon on these pages but who wants to congregate on the corner of Longwood and Huntington? You have a tight corner with fencing and a popular bus stop. This new space might give ample smoking room and be a campus focus point. They are not going to sit in the park across the street.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

The setback seems to be an attempt to preserve the views from both the existing MassArt midrise and the apartment building on Huntington. I'm guessing that, politically, this was probably the path of least resistance. Meh.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

@JohnCostello
In fact you are correct, the existing gigantic MWRA sewer main that joins into others on this site is the reason for the building being located in the back of the property. The pipe runs from the pump house (behind the Artists Residence dorm on Ward Street) and curves through this site to join with others under Huntington Avenue.

Moreover, the curved base of the tower aligns with the required setback from the curved pipe underground. The height of the curved base is determined by the dimension needed to raise the pipe if it ever needed to be replaced. Above the minimum height for maintenance, the tower becomes a more efficiently shaped rectangular slab, appropriate for its dormitory use.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Welcome markarms3! Thanks for the inside info.
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

Is this these start of this project?
274.jpg
 
Re: Mass Art Dormitory

These photos suck and really dont show it, but it appeared like the foundation was already done:

massart_oct_2010_a.jpg


massart_oct_2010.jpg
 
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