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One Charlestown

Building a public-private model for preserving affordable housing

  • $1B

    Development Value

  • 2,700

    Units

  • Boston, Massachusetts

    Boston, Massachusetts

Our context sensitive planning and design is helping transform public housing into a sustainable, mixed-income community

Created with developer Corcoran/SunCal, our plan offers an audacious vision for the Boston Housing Authority’s Bunker Hill Apartments–it provides a blueprint for replacing deficient, 80-year-old buildings with a dense, sustainability focused urban village.

Our plan reflects a year long collaboration with residents, as well as broad outreach to neighbors that helped shape restoration of the historic street network. Placing 2,700 apartments on the site, it respects the scale of neighboring blocks, makes no distinction between market-rate and affordable units, and moves nearly all parking into garages beneath green parks and courtyards. Our architecture team’s five diverse firms developed design strategies based on Charlestown’s urban fabric to ensure that new development introduces a varied, contemporary look and feel while reinforcing the historic context.

Ultimately, we built a plan intended to reknit an area long divided by income and physical barriers. Its pedestrian friendly streetscapes, scale, and public realm invites the broader community to share new parks and amenities, supporting efforts to break down social barriers and bring low-income residents fully into the community.

At a Glance

Offices
Meet Our Team

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

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.

Nels Nelson, Senior Planner

Urban form and function deeply impact our lived experiences. We're creating places that enable productivity, happiness, and health for all.

Tamara Roy, Principal

I pursue artful solutions in every design project—turning constraints into opportunities for creative invention.

Jeff Sauser, Associate, Planner

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

Phil Schaeffing, Senior Planner, Urban Designer

From helping cities revitalize their downtown or creating new neighborhood centers, my goal is to create plans that benefit everyone.
Phil Schaeffing Senior Planner, Urban Designer Read More

David Dixon

Vice President, Urban Places Fellow

Wei Jin

Urban Designer

Nels Nelson

Senior Planner

Tamara Roy

Principal

Jeff Sauser

Associate, Planner

Phil Schaeffing

Senior Planner, Urban Designer

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
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