PERSPECTIVES

This March, as Covid-19 started to take its grip on the nation, there was a grassroots call-to-action asking those with 3D printing capabilities to produce protective equipment to those in the medical field. RODE, enthusiastic to help, virtually “came together” to design, produce, and donate PPE to those in need.

A “RODE Response Task Force” was established, and data and designs were strategized via video chats and phone calls. Just as it is when designing a building, many factors had to be considered:

• Porosity – Is the printer's PLA (polylactic acid) too porous to be protective as a mask?  
• Cleanability – Can it be easily sprayed and wiped cleaned?  
• Breathability – Does it protect, while allowing users to easily get air?  
• Moldability – Will it easily mold to different face and head shapes?

From their research, the team discovered it was more beneficial to print face shields instead of masks. “The face shields are flexible and easy to fit around all head shapes. Acting as a headband for your forehead, the shield allows a piece of plastic to clip into a frame, making sterilizing or replacing the shield component quick and simple. When used in tandem with other PPE, the shields are perfect for providing medical professionals with an additional layer of protection,” said Anna Arnot, Architectural Designer at RODE

Next, the team researched open source 3D print files for face shields and selected a shield created by Professor Jenny Sabin at Cornell University. Archimedia generously donated a 3D printer to the cause, and RODE began production.

The endeavor has been a big success. Alex Zee, Architectural Designer at RODE, provided his girlfriend a shield, enabling her to spend a week by her grandmother’s bedside in a Covid unit. The shield, used in conjunction with a mask, successfully protected her from the virus (she tested negative for Covid-19 the following week).

Currently, Alex is overseeing the production and assembly of 300 shields for UMass Medical. The DCU Center in Worcester will serve as an emergency clinic and our shields will protect health care workers and volunteers while working with patients. RODE is also hoping to provide other outlets with shields, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities in hopes we can help more individuals fighting the good fight.

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A message from RODE Architects Partner/Founders Eric Robinson & Kevin Deabler

After a week that has likely defined a new way of working and living, we wanted to send an update to RODE Architects’ employees, clients and partners. Adaptation has always been a core principle in our architectural design and implementation playbook. Of the many factors that play into working through the unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19, the ability to change how and where we work to achieve the same standard and level of excellence is something that will continue, and is a trait we regard as important as any drawing, sketch, or floor plan. The culture will no doubt continue to change as we navigate these uncharted waters but our commitment to excellence in serving our clients will not, as we best navigate a remote working environment.

RODE’s identity is built through those who are part of our team. Though we are not in office, we are still committed to building our culture through teamwork and a culture of supporting each other. The All-RODE chat thread is filled with encouragements, celebrating small successes, and the first signs of Spring! We’ve created a ‘Parent Support Group’ thread to share ideas on how to survive sharing a workspace with kids. And we look forward to our first remote Beer Friday, where everyone will sign-on accompanied by their favorite beverage.

Then there are the continued emails, google chats, videocalls. While we can’t just pop over to someone’s desk to work through a design challenge, we are still connecting. Our first successes will be achieved through “over” communicating at first, since we can’t know exactly how these conditions will affect our process. Like everyone else in the virtual workspace, we are already getting into a groove as a team, and a “new process” has emerged, one built on the foundations of the RODE way. Fortunately, we cultivated an energetic environment of communication and collaboration within our physical studio space, which gave the team a kind of social structure that is now working to help us in our remote communications. We can’t say it’s been effortless, but the transition has actually been quite smooth, all things considered.

While active construction has been halted in Boston, behind the scenes, our projects are still moving forward. We feel the angst of clients whose construction sites - some just days or weeks away from on-site completion - have come to a halt. There is a lot of coordination and planning that happens outside of the actual construction site, and as of now, we’ve been able to keep many projects moving even while the building has stopped. We continue to stay in close, regular contact with the Boston Planning & Development Agency, which is still working through these unprecedented circumstances.

We have created a communication infrastructure and system of daily “check-ins” that keep teams on task and projects moving forward effectively. Project managers can quickly communicate with each other to reallocate staff as priorities change or schedules realign. And through Google’s suite of tools - Chat, Meet, Hangouts – our staff have still been able to hold quick meetings, share design progress, and coordinate teams. As projects continue to move forward, we grow ever more fluent in these tools for remote communication, we know that working on the technical aspects of our job will become ever smoother.

As we stitch together this new network of connectivity, how can we guarantee that projects will still be given a spark of inspiration; will we still experience the “lightning bolt” moment that invigorates our studio culture? These early days give us comfort in that regard. We follow the same recipe that gave us success in the first place: bring the right people together, foster an atmosphere of inclusion and robust contribution of ideas, and eagerly pursue those ideas that have merit. Our impressive team of creative minds possess the ability to adapt to something they haven’t done before – creating and designing inspired architecture in a virtual workspace. Much like creating the vision for a project in a difficult environment with multiple planning challenges, the team is making it happen, and finding opportunity in the challenges. Our team understands that disruption to the norm can generate great creativity and thus, those signature RODE lightning bolt moments. The commitment to continuing our mission to servicing clients in the COVID-19 climate is as strong as ever.

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Every year Taubman College coordinates a weeklong unpaid externship during U of M’s spring break. The program is intended for students interested in exploring the architectural profession and adjacent design related fields. Students are hosted by a variety companies and offices across the country.

Students are expected to engage in observational and/or hands-on activities at their given firms in order to further their understanding of architectural practice. I chose to spend the week at RODE Architects for a couple reasons - I spent six years in Boston while (and after) completing my bachelor’s of science in civil engineering, so I was eager to return and visit my girlfriend old friends who still live in the city. I was also impressed with the variety of projects in RODE’s portfolio, projects ranging from small scale renovations to hotels to restaurants to multifamily residential, etc. - large scale and small. The smallish size of the firm appealed to me, and the culture surrounding the office seemed to be a good fit as well.

During my week at RODE I was exposed to a wide variety of projects - I attended a passive house meeting, visited the 960 Mass Ave. site, went on a walkthrough of the 233 Hancock St. mixed-use development, and sat in on a couple other meetings as well. My main responsibility during the externship was the production of a model of the 1515 Commonwealth Ave’s revised configuration.

I can’t take much credit for the model pictured here, though - that’s all Zoe Wong who built the site model and prepared all the laser files for the project - her hard work really set me up for success [ed: take credit, Adrian - the model looks great!!]. I had a lot of fun with the model building process, but mostly I’ve enjoyed getting to know the RODE team. Everyone’s been extremely friendly, helpful, and happy to fill me in on what they’ve been working on. I’d definitely recommend the experience to any Michigan student looking for experience in Boston!

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The folding planes of the building complete the streetwall along Savin Hill Ave, and provide exterior spaces for the commercial tenants. Photo Credit Michael Dellefave; blog cover photo credit Dan Sheehan.

RODE is proud to announce that the residents of Savin Hill have yet another reason to love their neighborhood! New market "the Daily" opened its doors at 110 Savin Hill Ave this week, joining Savin Hill Fitness Studio and a potential co-working tenant on the upper floors. The market replaces a distressed property - that lay abandoned for more than a decade - with bright, welcoming, street-level windows, casting energy out into the Village and offering a new place for neighbors to meet, and shop.

RODE was drawn to the opportunity to create a space that would anchor this small retail district, a mission that was shared by developers James Baker and John McDonough. “When we were kids... every corner had a market. It was really part of a fabric of the community, and we’re looking to do that, replicate that, and make sure people feel this is a gathering place, a place to commune, quite frankly. And we think we can do that," offers Baker. The market is located across from the Savin Hill Redline station, providing a convenient stop for local commuters.

The Daily carries a number of offerings from nearby food incubator Commonwealth Kitchen; RODE designed their commissary at the Bornstein Pearl Food Production Center in 2014.

The building strengthens the streetscape of Savin Hill Ave, bringing new vitality to this neighborhood village. The folding forms tie into the street wall, activate the sidewalk, and reference the adjacent Flats on Savin and Cristo Rey High School, while creating outdoor spaces for the commercial tenants.

Read more about the market's opening in the Dorchester Reporter: On deck in Savin Hill: The Daily Market

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Boston-based firm completes work at 100,000 square foot upscale hotel based in historic South Boston

BOSTON, MA (Jan.  28, 2020) – RODE Architects, a Boston-based collaborative design and architecture firm, is proud to announce the completion of Cambria Hotel Boston, Downtown-South Boston at 6 West Broadway. Located in historic South Boston, the hotel’s architecture and design pay homage to its surrounding neighborhood, and bring 159 upscale rooms to one of Boston’s most vibrant communities. In addition, the hotel features a rooftop restaurant with unobstructed views of Downtown, Back Bay, Dorchester, South Boston, Seaport and the Harbor; a lobby lounge; a 160-person event space; and fitness center.

RODE was the architect for the full exterior, rooftop bar, and all elements of the interior design – lobby, event space, guest rooms, and more. In designing the new Cambria, RODE worked to curate a sophisticated, Boston-specific character, referencing the architectural language of South Boston and the Fort Point with concrete, brick, and wood textures, then layering on references to the region’s iconic natural seasons and its rich contributions to literature and academia. Light and nature appear as engaging, active elements applied in a simple, refined palette of high-contrast shadows traced over solid forms and accented by jewel-tone emerald greens. The personality of New England is represented by the occasional touch of an inspirational quote or reading-room-inspired fixture, establishing an intellectual presence that connects to history and inspires travelers.

“We’ve been living and working in this neighborhood for 15 years and are excited to see this hotel reach completion,” said Kevin S. Deabler, AIA, LEED-AP, Principal & Co-Founder of RODE Architects. “Cambria Hotel Downtown-South Boston highlights our firm’s ability to develop and bring concept to life through a cohesive exterior and interior design while respecting the surrounding neighborhood. We are excited to continue building our portfolio of projects that add vitality to our city.”

Based on a concept design by Minneapolis-based VJAA, the hotel embraces the drama of the bustling streetscape at its front door. The form of the building reflects Boston’s irregular street grid with folding planes and geometries that spotlight the surrounding urban bustle. RODE’s design features floor-to-ceiling glass curtainwall throughout the main public spaces of the hotel, and stone flooring in the lobby and at the sidewalk draws a visual continuity between interior and exterior spaces. The energy of the public realm connects with the adjacent lobby of 14West, a 49-unit condominium building also designed by RODE.

Key features in the building’s interior include custom collaborations resulting in two unique installations. RODE collaborated with London-based artist Simon Heijdens to bring his Lightweeds installation of light-projected tree-forms to the hotel’s common spaces, providing an interactive experience for guests that replicates each of Boston’s distinct seasons. Additionally, RODE collaborated with Yellow Goat Design to create a custom chandelier, which was inspired by the weeping willows of Boston’s Public Garden. The chandelier has more than 1,200 leaf ‘elements’ suspended from a 16-foot-long armature, hanging 16-feet-high against the glass curtainwall of the lobby.

Additional custom design elements include:

• A corridor carpet that presents the twisting silhouetted lines of tree branches, which transitions to the dappled light of a leafy canopy in the guest rooms  
• Rooms featuring an integrated bed and nightstand, with leather-binding and brass detailing, and substantial bathroom vanities  
• Millwork components that cater to the “modern traveler” with a simple, clean, and open design  
• Charred-wood wall finishing and a felt wall in the lobby to evoke the notion of academia  
• Brass finishing on shelving and the lounge back bar  
• Light fixtures inspired by reading room task lighting

The hotel sits directly across from a public transportation stop along the MBTA’s red line, which provides guests with easy access to all the main attractions of Boston and Cambridge. The hotel is positioned to frame a prominent gateway into South Boston, and is a hallmark of that neighborhood’s elevated position as an economic and cultural engine for the region.

“The building taps into the architectural language of the Fort Point neighborhood, leading to simple but confident moves in familiar concrete, brick, and wood beam textures,” said Jessica Haley, Associate, Head of Interiors at RODE Architects. “By giving unique twists to established designs, the hotel fits in harmony, while also giving a new architectural flare to the neighborhood.”

Amid the completion of Cambria Hotel Boston, Downtown-South Boston, RODE is currently working on more than six projects in South Boston, ten in Dorchester, five restaurants and many other mixed-use buildings throughout the Boston area.

For reservations or hotel information please visit www.CambriaBoston.com. See the project page here and for the design fact sheet, click here.

About RODE Architects

RODE is a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners who know that great design has the power to transform our environment. We have cultivated a network of driven people – employees, clients, builders, community members – who share this mission, and know that working collaboratively is the best way to achieve our goals. The breadth and depth of our collective capabilities enable us to apply our practice across an array of project types that includes mixed-use, hospitality, multi-family, commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Clients select RODE to drive the design process and ensure their vision is realized. For more information and to be inspired visit www.rodearchitects.com.

About Cambria Hotels

The Cambria Hotels brand is designed for the modern traveler, offering guests a distinct experience with simple, guilt-free indulgences allowing them to treat themselves while on the road. Properties feature compelling design inspired by the location, spacious and comfortable rooms, flexible meeting space, and local, freshly prepared food and craft beer. Cambria Hotels is rapidly expanding in major U.S. cities, with hotels open in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. There are over 125 Cambria properties open or in the pipeline across the United States, with 50 currently open. To learn more, visit www.choicehotels.com/cambria.

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