Chelsea Point featured at ACSA Vancouver

Principal Kevin Deabler attended this year's meeting of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture's conference in Vancouver to discuss RODE's partnership with a Northeastern University research team led by Michelle Laboy.

The research team is sharing preliminary findings studying RODE's work at Chelsea Point, a large-scale industrial facility currently under construction in Chelsea, MA. The pilot site is funded by the 2022 Latrobe Prize of the AIA College of Fellows.

Researchers are collaborating with the City of Chelsea to test how sensor data and models can measure health hazards and the before / after effects of green infrastructure in architectural developments, and how to use those findings to support design.

Chelsea Point is intended to cater to large-scale distribution and logistics tenants, eager for locations with good access to urban centers and transit hubs. The project abuts a dense urban residential neighborhood, and incorporates a variety of green infrastructure improvements and interventions to modernize the neighborhood's industrial heritage:

the design arranges the industrial program to leverage site topography and existing traffic patterns, minimizing the impact of the new use on the residential neighborhood
the building far exceeds the required setbacks where it faces the residential neighborhoods, allowing for generous landscaped streetscapes with native plantings, shade trees, and site furnishings.
new shade trees visually screen the loading docks from residential areas, and reduce the heat island effect
the development significantly reduces impervious cover, with new native landscaping that requires no irrigation, and an improved stormwater management approach
the finished floor is elevated to provide 2' of freeboard to address potential coastal flooding