by David Dahlbacka in All Ages, Assembly Square, Beat Reporter, City Finances, Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Events, Green Line, Orange Line, Transportation Projects, Union Square
Posted on September 6, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Last Modified on September 6, 2011 at 8:07 pm
| September 8, 2011 | ||
| 6:30 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
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Design Review Committee Meeting
Thurs. Sep. 8 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Somerville Public Library
1sts Fl. Conf. Room
79 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA (map)
This is a special meeting of the Somerville Design Review Committee to review proposals from Inner Belt and Assembly Square.
Agenda includes Assembly Square mixed use buildings on Blocks 1, 3, and 4, including a cinema. These proposals help fulfill the financial conditions needed for the success of the Assembly Square DIF and iCubed programs.
The Design Review Committee provides design criteria, guidance and recommendations to permit applicants. Its mandate is to maintain and enhance the natural, aesthetic, and cultural heritage of the City and to preserve the value of land and buildings.
For more information, see:
- Assembly Square Mixed-Use Development Project
- Assembly Row District Improvement Financing Program
- Infrastructure Investment Incentive (I-Cubed) Program
- Inner Belt / Brickbottom Development Project
- Somerville Design Review Committee (Agendas and Minutes)
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Beat Report: 9/8/11 Design Review Committee Meeting
Bottom line: Some revisions to plan for 70 Inner Belt project, warehouse being converted to co-located telecommunications. Second review of design for blocks 1 and 4, near Mystic River in Assembly Square. Chief issue for P1 was design of garage, very “horizontal”. Also arches and glass canopy need improvement. Might have Planning Board hearing Oct. 6. First review of design concepts for P3. Chief issue was too much variety of design elements with too little coherence. Might have Planning Board hearing Oct. 20. Blocks 1, 3, and 4 are part of the developments needed to support the Assembly Row District Improvement Financing Programand the Infrastructure Investment Incentive (I-Cubed) Program.
Detailed notes, slightly cleaned up:
Meeting at Main Library. Avalon Bay here (partners with Federal Realty, also here).
70 Inner Belt
Developer: Replace red facade w silver gray modernistic des data ctr (chg design of use) metallic gray metal panel and gray brick paint.
Feedback: monotone. Textured panel instead. Keep nat’l brick. Echo left side with less detail.
Feedback: good to add shadow boxes. Issue w brick on other side already painted. Concrete masonry to go away. Good to have nat’l brick.
Like brick color diff from nat’l. Blue 70 good. Looks OK.
Assembly Square Block 1 (P1)
Developer: Professional demographics, people in from suburbs. Larger apt, trad. bldg. To look like a series of diff blgs. There are to be balconies, on north facade. Lighter color palette trad style left side of P1. Think will be well used and controlled. Alum railings.
Feedback: Garage has very str horiz feel, can you minimize? could add vertical panel? Color of floor edge. Use mesh panels. Have to keep natural ventilation. Could put something sticking out from verticals. Signage maybe?
Feedback: neoclassical arches are foreign. Sloped glass canopy. Two towers are end caps. Unimpeded arcade on north facade, no shadows. Shed awning not appealing. Trellis would be better.
Feedback: good facade, but looks like movie set. Add elements for texture. Relate back to towers. Use some prepatina copper for accents. Intended to read as 5 bldgs. Planning staff said wanted appearance of multiple bldgs.
Q: what does it look like from the corner. Shod be credible from there.
Assembly Square Block 4 (P4)
Developer: Diff demographic. Emerging prof. Very diff bldgs, diff greeters. Modern mat’ls, more glass. Very active retail free designs. Entry and corner are zinc panels. Inner end to always have river views. Turn glass around corner. Use mesh screen on garage edge. East side.
Q: wood panels?
A: Townhouses only. AVA logo is our brand. Stenciled chars.New logo, new demo. Smaller rooms sliding doors. Gear rack for bike. 20-30 yr olds. Smaller, lower rent, 2 b’rooms.
Feedback: good contrast to other side. Responded to comments.
Q: Corner elements strong, but rest of retail absorbs articulation. Could improve distinction, have tenants relate more to bldg.
Staff: At Planning Board, we will lock in design above retail. We and FRIT need to create retail standard.
Q: are there elements that go to gnd?
A: are physical cols to deal with . Not so much design constraint. (Note: FRIT doesn’t agree with all cols going to gnd.)
Q: palette is kind of dark.
A: want to retain rendering lightness. Could have light mullions to look more warehouse like.
Q: could add articulation above retail.
A: 20 ft above gnd.
Q: where mech equip?
A: roof, back from edge. Internal courtyard , mech above corridor.
Q: solar orientation, etc..
A: as much as possible green mat’ls. Cld try leed, energy star. Efficient appliances.
Feedback: Somerville is on stretch code. Wld get vy close to leed that way.
Staff: use STD size bricks. Make sure use same bricks as in rendering.
Assembly Square Block 3 (P3)
Assembly Square Drive next to P4. Main St. side shows various scales of retail. Smaller shops along main parking deck. Top is stadium seating theater, no residential. Floor heights 18 ft, 22 ft, 44 ft open to sky. Cinema entrance on corner. Roof terrace for restaurant. Corrugated metal paneling. Retail under parking deck. Could get 2 story retail under parking.
Q: 2 story retail presence means 1 story retail, signs etc. above. Recessed top floors.
Q: why are you showing this when you want to change it?
A: want input. Elevations are correct but colored wrong.
Staff: another mtg in two weeks. Cinema is very plain.
Feedback: don’t like mat’ls. Very complex program. Not cohesive yet. Main st has curve, broken.
S: entry to cinema works, gets diluted. Is very horizontal, has something stuck on top. Need vertical elements. Use brick in modern way. Garage most stable.
Feedback: too diagrammatic by uses. Cinema glass entrance works, use elsewhere.
Feedback: tough to read. Axiometric helpful.
Feedback: corrugated didn’t work. Are better ways to use it.
A: Want to have good quality at pedestrian level.
Lots of tenant don’t have modern orientation.
Feedback: want to present void in acceptable way. Organic devel ok, but are other bldgs.
A: stuff above invisible to persons on gnd.
Q: independent stair to 2nd level?
A: glass box w stair.
Q: why corrugated metal sitting on top?
A: Needed to block view of mechanicals.
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