The Fenway Lofts

BOSTON, MA

Comprised of three penthouse apartment units featuring panoramic city views of downtown Boston, this once uninhabitable seventh-floor structure
was a complete rebuild of a 1927 rooftop artists loft and was deftly transformed into what may now be some of the historic city’s most interesting rental homes. The floor was the original concrete roof deck of the building sloped to drain, while the exterior shell was unreinforced terracotta block, presenting the need for an almost-total gut rehabilitation to meet code. This design/build project conceived by the firm’s in-house architecture department, overcame the daunting challenge of crafting generous floor plans with extraordinary views while also achieving code compliance.

The design included two large, two-bedroom and two-bathroom apartment units on the rooftop and an impressive 1,450-square-foot, three-bedroom duplex interconnected by a contemporary stainless steel spiral stair. Views of the Back Bay skyline are afforded through the exterior masonry wall facing east. One of the 2- bedroom units features a soaring 24-foot-high window wall bringing northern light and inspiring city views. All new mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems were tied into the base building, while structural reinforcement of the perimeter walls, new windows and skylights, and new titanium-colored metal panels completed the rebuilt of the exterior envelope.

Date:
2011

Client:
Boylston 1078, LP

Collaborators:
Hamilton Construction Management Corporation