Skip to main content
Start of main content

Northland Needham Development

From historic mills to a new mixed-use neighborhood, Northland Needham Development promotes walkability and a healthy, connected community

  • 1.4M

    Square Feet

  • 10

    Acres Open Space

  • 800

    Rental Units

  • Newton, Massachusetts

    Newton, Massachusetts

Seven miles from downtown Boston, Northland Needham Development raises the bar for sustainability, affordability, and walkability

Northland Development is reinventing a strip mall and post-industrial site in Newton, an older suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. They engaged our team to craft an urban design strategy that would make the site a focal point for the area around it—a destination with a strong sense of character.

We took inspiration from the historic commercial villages throughout Newton. Built before cars, they embodied just the right scale for walkability. Our walkable village design is based on landscape urbanism principles—buildings with assorted green amenity roof decks reside within a new naturalistic landscape. The open spaces serve various functions and include a central village green, verdant park spaces, as well as vibrant retail streetscapes and plazas with outdoor dining. Additionally, a mobility hub plaza serves as a gateway and provides free last-mile shuttles to nearby transit.

The site includes an adapted mill building that pays homage to the site’s history while 13 new buildings offer modern design with sustainability in minds. Designed to meet high energy efficiencies using Passive House (PHI) standards, it was the largest PHI residential community in the United States at the time of approval. The development is also targeting Gold certification in LEED for Homes and LEED for Neighborhood Development.

At a Glance

Offices
Client
  • Northland Development
Partners
  • Cube3 Studios
  • Steven Winters Associates
Architect
Stantec Architecture, Cube 3 Studios
Meet Our Team

Christopher Bridle, Design Director, Landscape Architecture/Urban Design

Good design is rigorously simple—free from prescribed styles or precepts.
Christopher Bridle Design Director, Landscape Architecture/Urban Design Read More

Jeff Sauser, Associate, Planner

As a planner and urban designer, I enjoy the opportunity to make a difference in communities across North America.

Wei Jin, Urban Designer

My design focus: people and the sense of place and environment. Integrate physical design solutions with social aspects and natural systems.

Anushree Nallapaneni, Urban Designer

I enjoy graphic visualization of design ideas and urban data analysis and strive to incorporate innovative approaches in my work.

David Dixon, Vice President, Urban Places Fellow

We help communities manage change to become more livable, equitable, and resilient.
David Dixon Vice President, Urban Places Fellow Read More

B.K. Boley, Senior Principal, Buildings

We achieve design excellence through understanding the story behind our clients and their projects.

James Gray, Senior Principal

Housing satisfies a universal human need, and in that mandate there is the challenge I relish: design solutions at a range of scales, from the individual eye and hand to the macro level of a city.

Christopher Bridle

Design Director, Landscape Architecture/Urban Design

Jeff Sauser

Associate, Planner

Wei Jin

Urban Designer

Anushree  Nallapaneni

Urban Designer

David Dixon

Vice President, Urban Places Fellow

B.K. Boley

Senior Principal, Buildings

James Gray

Senior Principal

We're better together

  • Become a client

    Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You’re exactly what’s needed to help us make it happen in your community.

    Contact Us
  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

    Join the Team
End of main content
To top