The power of home to transform lives
Thoughtful design made accessible to all
Location
Jamaica Plain, MA
Completion Date
2024
Size
144,000 SF
Client
Pine Street Inn & The Community Builders
Team
Eric Robinson
Alex Zee
Kelsey Karns
Jessica Haley
Awards
Description
To help address Boston's housing crisis, RODE partnered with the Pine Street Inn and The Community Builders to complete over 200 units of supportive and affordable housing for homeless and low income residents, the largest of its kind in Boston.
Given the opportunity to instill transformative change in the communities that need it the most, it was essential that the design create a sense of home and place for the residents, with market rate finishes, amenities and thoughtfulness.
With a focus on wellness and privacy, the design features two outdoor amenity areas that provide ample access to natural light and fresh air with a facade that is stepped and angled to direct views away from neighbors, while simultaneously expanding the ground level plaza. The building will also be the operating home of the Pine Street Inn, with offices and resources to provide a holistic support system for the building's residents.
As an urban infill project along a major corridor in Jamaica Plain, it was of utmost importance that the building responds thoughtfully to its context in scale, materiality, and composition. With two anchoring corners along Washington St, the massing progressively steps inward to welcome the community into an expanded urban plaza. The scale of the building is dissolved with the use of contextual materials to bring a scale, tone and texture that is familiar along Washington St. The massing also features a south facing courtyard and a stepped down roof deck to provide residents with ample access to views and sunlight.
