Diagonal Cut into Building Allows Neighborhood Integration

In last fortnight's issue, TIME Magazine featured a really interesting article on how the Lincoln Center's new re-vamped design is more welcoming to the neighborhood's residents and visitors.

Also, more specifically, the diagonal cut into the building of the Lincoln Center (which, in addition to having that entire diagonal wall made of glass, is a crucial point to making it more inviting to people outside) is exactly what I was imagining we could do with our building at the Homans site. This would: (a) create enough room for the raingarden; (b) allow pedestrians to cut through the triangular area of the plot, passing by the rain garden and the cafe and, perhaps, entice them to come into the building itself. In addition, if we only make the diagonal cut on the first floor of the building and let the second floor of the building maintain a more rectangular form that juts out over the cafe's seating area, it will automatically provide some shade to people in the outdoor area.

LEED-ND Paper Items

These are the items I'll be covering in my paper for LEED-ND:

1. SLL Credit 3 - Preferred Location
2. NPD Credit 2 - Diversity of Uses
3. GCT Credit 4 - Building Reuse and Adaptive Reuse

Community Path

It looks like the community path is going to run along the train tracks. From the schematic in the bottom left corner of this image, it appears that the community path is going to run at a level higher than the rail tracks and slightly lower than ground level.


Source: Friends of the Community Path. http://www.pathfriends.org/scp/

History of Gilman Square

Some history on Gilman Square:

1842-1886
Rich landowners in East Somerville, such as Charles E. Gilman, Oliver Tufts, and Rufus Stickney, subdivided and sold their large tracts of land for residential development in the area that later became Gilman Square [1].

1885-1900
Gilman Square formed the interection of Pearl, Medford and Marshall Streets, developed into a commercial center adjacent to the then Boston and Lowell commuter station. The Boston and Lowell line, constructed in 1835, was the first passenger railway in the state and connected Boston to the Merrimack Valley textile mills [2]. As more residential homes were constructed, a pharmacy, an athletic equipment store, a post office, and a furniture repair shop sprung up in the neighborhood [1].
[Note: The existing commuter train tracks appear to be in the same location as the Boston and Lowell line].

1888
A large granite station was constructed on the south side of the train tracks [1].
[Note: The station used to be where the NSTAR service boxes are currently located].

1890
As the community grew, a three-story building called the Citizen Building, which housed offices of a local newspaper, the Somerville Citizen, and the Grand Army of the Republic Hall, was built at the intersection of Medford and Pearl Streets [1].
[Note: This building was later razed down].

1895
The Signet Commandery Building was built at 341 Medford Street [1].
[Note: This is the historic building across the street from the Homans Building].

1940
The commuter rail service was discontinued and the Boston and Lowell station was removed [1].


Sources:
(1) Zellie, C. 1990. Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts. St. Paul, Minnsota: Landscape Research.
(2) Binford, H. C. 1985. The First Suburbs: Residential Communities on the Boston Periphery, 1815-1860. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press.

Site Visit Photos

I just added to the right under "Links" a link to the gallery of photos from Thursday's visit. I've also put together some panoramics from the photos. This gallery will allow you to upload or download any other images - so feel free.

Zoning Restrictions

I've completed pulling all of the Somerville zoning particular to our lot. I've also highlighted those categories that we're considering for our redevelopment. Let me know if I missed anything. Click here.

Mixed-Use, Transit-Oriented Examples

The Burnside Rocket - Portland, Oregon click here.

The exterior aesthetic reminds me of the triple-deckers throughout Somerville. May be a nice application for neighborhood consistency.
Trolley Square - Cambridge, Massachusetts click here.

Local example of mixed use, affordable housing, and green design.
Placentia-Westgate - Placentia, California click here.

Nice example of reuse into mixed-use with attention to walkability and streetscape.
Hillsboro, Oregon click here.

Mixed use transit development. Great street facades.
Eastworks - Easthampton, MA click here.

This project is in my hometown. Its a reuse of an old industrial building redone for mixed use retail and residential. Highly successful, though not transit oriented. Our project is not as large but worth looking at.

(More to come)

Public Transport Dependence near Homans Building Site

A map showing year 2000 data of dependence of Somerville residents aged 16 or older on public transportation.








Source: City of Somerville (Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development). 2008. Consolidated Plan 2008-2013 - Section 12: Appendices and Maps. Available online at: http://www.somervillema.gov/aud3.cfm?aud=res&cat=Con%20Plan&instance_id=67. Accessed on February 15, 2009.

Homans Building Views from Google Maps

Some views of the Homans Building from various sides:

(a)





View of the northwest corner of the Homans Building site from Medford Street Surroundings include 2 gas stations (one abutting the site and one across the street) and a predominantly residential neighborhood.


(b)





View of the southeast corner of the Homans Building site from Medford Street with a parking lot flanked by Medford Street, the train tracks, and the building itself.




(c)





View of the rear of the Homans Building Site from the School Street bridge that passes over the train tracks behind the site.




Source: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=350+Medford+St,+Somerville,+MA+02145&sll=42.368835,-71.082061&sspn=0.010653,0.027895&g=101+Sciarappa+St,+Cambridge,+MA+02141&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr

Green Line Extension

Map of New Stations

Proposed Green Line Extension includes stations at the following locations: Union Square, Innerbelt/Brickbottom, Washington Street, Gilman Square, Lowell Street, Ball Square, College Avenue, Winthrop Street, and Mystic Valley Parkway/Rte 16.

Source: http://www.greenlineextension.org/img_SlideView.asp?GID=3448&GroupID=11903&reccount=1&maxrec=0&View=&Expanded=&Image=3448


Accessibility of Gilman Square Station for Pedestrians, Cars, and Abutters
Comments from the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development sent to the Executive Office of Transportation on September 12, 2008 read as follows:

• "Homan's Building - This building represents a key a development site for the City of Somerville and only the absolute minimum area should be taken as part of the Extension project, if anything is needed. The parking lot also needs to be preserved for the building.
• Kiss and Ride - No rider parking or Kiss and Ride should be included at this location.
• Size and Elevation - This station seems significantly larger than shown at other locations. The only entrance should be at the upper level off of Medford Street and not from the parking lot for the Homan's Building since this will be a development site.
• Connection With High School and Community Path - We believe that direct access to the platform should be provided from the Community Path and Somerville High School because Medford Street access alone will not be sufficient for the key potential rider groups. High School students will be one of the key user groups for this station and their paths should be carefully considered in the planning effort to make sure they do not develop cut-through paths that are contrary to safety at this location.
• School Street - Allowing direct access from School Street should be considered."
  

Source: http://www.somervillema.gov/cos_content/documents/A-12OSPCD-EOTletter-GreenLineStationConcepts9-12-2008.pdf


The Board of Aldermen seem to have included these comments in a presentation made on 17 September, 2008:

• No Kiss & Ride or Commuter Parking
• Needs Adequate Bus, Bike and Pedestrian Access and Circulation
• Preservation of Holman Property for Future Development
• Direct Access from High School, Community Path and School Street
  

Source: http://www.somervillema.gov/cos_content/documents/A-9BOAPresentation-GreenLine9-17-2008.pdf

Homans Building - Green Design Feasibility Study

Apparently, the City of Somerville did a feasibility study to examine opportunities for green design at the Homans Building, but I haven't been able to find it online although I've looked for almost an hour. We might want to ask Brad about this.




Project Overview from the website of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative which seems to have awarded a $20,000 grant to the City of Somerville to conduct this feasibility study:

"When planning the conversion of three former warehouse buildings into offices, the City of Somerville did a feasibility study analyzing the potential use of building-integrated photovoltaics and related energy efficiency measures including heating and cooling design, and daylighting techniques. Through its feasibility study grant, the city analyzed the potential use of building-integrated photovoltaics and related energy efficiency measures including heating and cooling design, and daylighting techniques. The study is valuable in its analysis of renewables and energy efficiency in large-scale renovation projects."





Source: http://www.masstech.org/project_detail.cfm?ProjSeq=408

Zoning Map - Section 11

History of the Homans Building Renovation

Here’s a bit of history on the Homans Building:

1998 (1)

• The City of Somerville purchased the Homans building for $1.2 million several years ago during the Capuano administration for use as a community/youth center (2).
• At the time, the first floor was being used for storage of surplus furniture and equipment; the second and third floors were lying empty (2).

1999 (1)

• The Gay administration proposed that the building be rehabilitated into office space for city and school departments currently housed in the city-owned City Hall Annex, and in rented space at the Tufts Administration Building (TAB) on Holland Street (the former Western Junior High School) and the Boys and Girls Club on Washington Street (the former Pope School) (2).

1999 (1)

• The Gay administration proposed that the building be rehabilitated into office space for city and school departments currently housed in the city-owned City Hall Annex, and in rented space at the Tufts Administration Building (TAB) on Holland Street (the former Western Junior High School) and the Boys and Girls Club on Washington Street (the former Pope School) (2).
  

2000-2001

• The City, with approval from the Board of Aldermen, designed a proposal to tear down several later additions to the building, mostly enclosed loading docks, and rehabilitate the original structure, which comprises approximately 43,000 square feet of space (2).
• The Council on Aging and Health Department was to be moved to the ground floor, and put on the second floor the other city departments presently housed at the City Hall Annex on Evergreen Avenue. The School Department would like to move its administrative offices to the third floor. It is claimed that the demolition of the additions to the building would yield enough open space to create 110 parking spaces (2).
  

2003

• As the estimated cost of the project rose from $5 million to $9 million, the Board of Aldermen voted to authorize the issuance of bonds to raise for the approximately $7.5 million needed for the renovation project. The Board of Aldermen's analysis showed that the plan was financially feasible if it proceeded along a tight time schedule (2).
• While some design work was done, the project was not otherwise commenced during the Gay administration (2). The Curtatone committee agreed with the goal of consolidating scattered municipal offices into a single location but found the actual Homans building insufficient to deliver fully on this promise (1).
  

2004

• The project failed to meet its timeline in the months after the Board of Aldermen voted conditionally to approve the bond authorization for the project (2).
• One of the Board's conditions was the creation of a Municipal Property Review Committee to craft a long-term facilities plan for the city which, ironically, recommended that the Homans project be abandoned, and that the municipal departments be instead re-located into the Powderhouse School (2).
• According to the committee, the Powder House School has more than double the usable square footage of the Homans Building, would be less expensive to renovate, is more conveniently located, and is already equipped with needed communications infrastructure. Construction costs were estimated to be approximately $63 per square foot in the Powder House, as opposed to $185 for the Homans project (1).
• The committee estimated the city would save more than $12 million over 20 years if it moved city offices into the school, as opposed to the $4.9 million savings projected by renovating the Homans building (1).

Sources:
(1) City of Somerville. 2004. “Curtatone Committee Puts Homans Renovation on Hold.” March 29, 2004 Press Release. Available online at: http://www.somervillema.gov/newsDetail.cfm?instance_id=171. Accessed February 15, 2009.
(2) Provost, D. 2006. “City of Somerville as a Developer: Homans Building.” What is Happening in Somerville? Available online at: <http://www.provost-citywide.org/what.html. Accessed February 15>, 2009. PERSONAL WEBPAGE - NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE.

Google Earth Shots

Here are some pictures I grabbed off of Google Earth of the site. I'll bring these to our meeting Monday.

Report Organization

Cover Page

Title of the report, graphic illustration, authors, department, date.

Table of Contents

Chapter headings and subheadings.
The more detailed, the better: a Table of Contents should reveal the structure of the report.

List of Tables and Figures

Maps, site plans, historic views, charts (pie or graph) and numerical tables.
Photos throughout the report should have captions (should tell a story) but need to be listed here.

Executive Summary

Summary of major findings and recommendations. No more than two pages.
Gets written at the end, after the report is complete. Can be in paragraph or bullet format.

I Introduction

Group project members, site names and location, contact person, purpose of the project.
If applicable, short history of the site and past planning studies.

II Site Description

Site location, history (only what supports your proposal), current uses, surrounding uses.
Characteristics, both positive and negative, of access, circulation, uses, image, character, districts, edges, nodes, landmarks

• Urban Design Analysis - issues map (plan of site w/ graphics to point out pros & cons)
• Challenges - problems with existing conditions, past barriers to planning improvements, constituency or neighborhood issues, ownership issues
• Opportunities - qualities of existing conditions, potential, changing trends

III Analysis

NOT NECESSARY
For UEP 294, this is mostly a design analysis, with the addition of the first bullet, if performed.
For full urban design and planning group projects, this section would include some or all of the following.

• Interviews of resource people - what has been said, proposed and done about the site; what is the vision of the city or other constituency for this site
• Resident survey - to gather input from residents, opinions about current issues and potential futures of the site
• Shoppers survey - used to determine what's missing
• Market analysis - findings from previous studies in past 5 years (no time to do a real one)

Otherwise, the issues map, challenges and opportunities of the previous section constitute your analysis of the site.

IV Urban Design Principles, LEED-ND Criteria

From the findings of your observation and the results of your analysis, develop the urban design principles that should guide future development of the site.

• Urban Design Principles - guiding rules for the desired height, massing, setbacks, streetwall, and architectural character of the built environment; desired characteristics of the open spaces and pedestrian environment environment; relationships between built and open space; relationships between uses, private and public spaces
• LEED-ND Criteria - the criteria you have chosen to focus on. Evaluation of the points earned and level of certification achieved.

V Program of Uses

Program of Uses - a chart of the quantity (square feet, number, units, spaces) and location (building, floor level) of different land uses on the site

• Housing (number and type of units) - 1,000 SF typical
• Retail, office, institutional space (gross square feet GSF)
• Parking (number of spaces) - space and space of circulation - 300 SF/car
• Open spaces (type, GSF)
• Public realm elements (streets, sidewalks, streetscape)

Rationale for and explanation of the program. Relationships between program elements.
What would you tell the architects you want to see on the site.

VI Proposed Design

• Proposed design - a description/explanation of the design that houses the program. This can be a conceptual design for the site, showing one possible application of the urban design principles, with a detailed design of a section or component, such as streetscape elements, or it can be complete design of the whole site.
• A site plan showing roofs of buildings and circulation paths, courtyards and buildings.
• A section through the site showing changes in grade, streetscape elements, heights and shapes of buildings
• On the plan and in the text, identifying parts of the site by name (northwest corner, main entrance, etc.) and if there are several buildings, identify each building by name, letter or number.
• One good way of describing a design is to describe the experience of someone walking through the site, going through several spaces and activities in sequence. Maybe a scenario based on demographic.
• Describe the desired sense of place desired to be achieved.

VII Implementation

An outline of the steps that could be taken to implement the plan. This can be:

an action plan, with most visible actions first, to build support for future steps, OR
• a chronological plan: what needs to be done first to unlock the potential of the rest.

An outline of who would do what among different agents - city departments, state agencies, private developers, resident and/or merchant associations, local institutions and corporations. The two can be combined into a chart of action steps (y axis) and the roles of different agents in initiating them (x axis).