Four51 Marlborough Wins Boston Preservation Alliance Award

The Boston Preservation Alliance recently announced ten projects recognized with a 2017 Preservation Achievement Award and our project, Four51 Marlborough was among them. This is our third Alliance Award, and we are honored to have our work awarded in the company of nine other noteworthy projects, including the Boston Public Library’s Johnson Building and the book Heroic, from our friends at over,under to name a few. Four51 Marlborough was recognized as a successfully executed infill project in a historic district, with an entirely contemporary yet contextually sensitive design. The Boston Preservation Alliance noted:

“Marlborough Street, with its rows of brownstones, brick sidewalks, and wrought iron fences, has all of the history and charm that make it one of the most desirable residential streets in Boston. Designing a new building to replace inappropriate 1960s infill on such an iconic streetscape required a sensitive balance of new expression with appropriate height, scale, materials, and detailing. Collaborating with the Back Bay Architectural District Commission, the design team spent months developing the design and addressing site challenges. The massing of the new building skillfully mediates the significant height differences between its historic neighbors while referencing design elements of each in a modern form. Reinforcing the character and texture of the neighborhood, the new building uses materials found throughout the Back Bay such as brick and precast limestone with an emphasis on quality and durability. The new building embraces its architectural context such as bay windows without attempting to mimic the historic architecture. Four51 Marlborough demonstrates that with careful attention to detail and a sensitive design, new buildings in historic districts can be both contextually appropriate and contemporary.”

Commenting on the project, Boston Preservation Alliance’s Executive Director, Greg Galer said, “New infill amongst historic structures is one of the most difficult challenges architects face. Four51 Marlborough shows that careful consideration of context and significant detailing can be respectful and appropriately referential to historic design while creating a thoroughly modern building. It’s a challenging needle to thread as successfully as in this project. The building is fascinating to examine in the richness of its façade and how it plays off its surroundings.”

We share this award with our client and contractor, Holland Development (also the Architect of Record), and the rest of the project team, including: Allied Consulting Engineering Services, DeCelle-Burke and Associates, Solution in Metal, Souza True & Partners, Tangram 3DS, Tricket Woodworking, William Bray Cabinetmaker, and project photographer, Trent Bell. Congrats to all of this year’s winners!