The new 140 Clarendon Street apartments in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, designed by Cambridge-based architecture firm PCA, provide permanent affordable housing with 210 new studio and one-bedroom apartments and a mix of community and amenity spaces. The conversion design doubles the number of apartments in the 1929 building while keeping several existing cultural and educational tenants in the multi-use building.
Developed by Beacon Communities in collaboration with The Mount Vernon Company, 140 Clarendon reimagines the Back Bay’s 13-story former YWCA. Dubbed “The Miracle on Clarendon” by the Boston Globe, the ambitious project arose from a collaborative effort by a team of development partners, architects, builders, funders, and neighbors. The property is managed by Beacon Residential Management. Pine Street Inn provides services for the 111 households who have experienced homelessness under the national Housing First model.
“The success of 140 Clarendon Street provides an inspired example of how public and private partners can collaborate behind a shared vision and solve seemingly insurmountable challenges,” said Darcy Jameson, Vice President of Development for Beacon Communities.
MEETING THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF THE TENANT MIX
Of the 210 apartments, 111 are designated for residents transitioning from unhoused to permanent housing. The remaining 99 affordable apartments are reserved for income-eligible households.
One major concern for the design team was reconfiguring the former hotel floor plates to meet the space needs and program essentials for a diverse mix of occupants. For example, the former YWCA floor plates had no kitchens, whereas all the new units required kitchens.
Nidhi John, AIA, a Principal with PCA and lead architect for the project, said, “Moving the project through its design and construction phases as quickly as we did reinforced the commitment of all our stakeholders to creating urgently needed housing for the most vulnerable among us.”
SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED BY PINE STREET INN
Pine Street Inn staff provides social and supportive services for the 111 residents transitioning to permanent housing. This nationally renowned nonprofit partners with people experiencing homelessness to help them move from the streets and shelters to permanent supported housing with wrap-around case management services.
“PCA’s work on 140 Clarendon Street is informed by their deep understanding of how to create affordable housing that meets a wide range of occupant needs,” said Jan Griffin, Vice President of Housing for Pine Street Inn. “The design provides a welcoming, accessible, and supportive experience in the building's individual apartments and community spaces. It supports our program goals and helps our residents thrive as they transition to permanent housing.”
TENANTS REMAINED IN PLACE DURING CONSTRUCTION
140 Clarendon’s existing residents and tenants remained in the building throughout construction, a challenge that necessitated a complex phasing of the renovation work. These tenants include individual residents, and the YWCA (the original building owner, which called 140 Clarendon home for almost a century), The Lyric Stage Company, the City of Boston Snowden International School, and Viga Eatery.
“We hear a lot from tenants and visitors about how the building is distinctive, and not at all institutional in its look and feel,” said PCA’s John. “From the lobby to the comfortable lounges on each floor, to the unique design and layout of each apartment, the occupant experience is warm and welcoming throughout. That is what we were aiming to achieve – a strong sense of home and belonging for everyone.”
140 CLARENDON BUILDING TEAM
Developers: Beacon Communities, The Mount Vernon Company
Owner’s project management: WaypointKLA
Architect: PCA
Interiors: PCA & Beacon Concepts
Structural engineer: Odeh Engineers
Civil engineer: Nitsch Engineering
MEP/FP engineer: Petersen Engineering
Exterior envelope: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Historic consultant: Ryan LLC
Construction manager:: NEI General Contracting
ABOUT PCA
Founded in 1982, PCA is one of New England's most creative and innovative design firms. With expertise in architecture, planning, and interior design, PCA teams provide thoughtful, award-winning designs for hospitality, housing, retail, higher education, and mixed-use clients — making places that thrive in the marketplace and bring lasting value to the community.
ABOUT BEACON COMMUNITIES LLC
Beacon Communities LLC is a privately owned real estate firm that develops, acquires, invests in, and manages a wide range of multifamily housing, including affordable, market-rate, and mixed income-housing, from new construction to historic adaptive reuse, to the renovation of existing housing.
ABOUT PINE STREET INN
Pine Street Inn partners with homeless individuals to help them move from the streets and shelter to a home and assists formerly homeless individuals in retaining housing. Pine Street Inn provides street outreach, emergency services, supportive housing, job training, and connections to employment.
ABOUT THE MOUNT VERNON COMPANY
The Mount Vernon Company, a real estate investment company founded by Bruce A. Percelay, has grown over the past 30 years to include 1,600 apartments, five hotels, and select commercial and vacation properties. Mount Vernon Company received the Community Excellence Award from the Rental Housing Association of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, the Paragon Award for Industry Excellence by the National Apartment Association, and the Best Landlord in Boston recognition by Boston Magazine.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Apr 22, 2022
San Francisco replaces a waterfront parking lot with a new neighborhood
A parking lot on San Francisco’s waterfront is transforming into Mission Rock—a new neighborhood featuring rental units, offices, parks, open spaces, retail, and parking.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 20, 2022
A Frankfurt tower gives residents greenery-framed views
In Frankfurt, Germany, the 27-floor EDEN tower boasts an exterior “living wall system”: 186,000 plants that cover about 20 percent of the building’s facade.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 20, 2022
Prism Capital Partners' Avenue & Green luxury/affordable rental complex is 96% leased
The 232-unit rental property, in Woodbridge, N.J., has surpassed the 96 percent mark in leases.
Senior Living Design | Apr 19, 2022
Affordable housing for L.A. veterans and low-income seniors built on former parking lot site
The Howard and Irene Levine Senior Community, designed by KFA Architecture for Mercy Housing of California, provides badly needed housing for Los Angeles veterans and low-income seniors
Market Data | Apr 14, 2022
FMI 2022 construction spending forecast: 7% growth despite economic turmoil
Growth will be offset by inflation, supply chain snarls, a shortage of workers, project delays, and economic turmoil caused by international events such as the Russia-Ukraine war.
Wood | Apr 13, 2022
Mass timber: Multifamily’s next big building system
Mass timber construction experts offer advice on how to use prefabricated wood systems to help you reach for the heights with your next apartment or condominium project.
Codes and Standards | Apr 13, 2022
LEED multifamily properties fetch higher rents and sales premiums
LEED-certified multifamily properties consistently receive higher rents than non-certified rental complexes, according to a Cushman & Wakefield study of two decades of data on Class A multifamily assets with 50 units or more.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 7, 2022
Ken Soble Tower becomes world’s largest residential Passive House retrofit
The project team for the 18-story high-rise for seniors slashed the building’s greenhouse gas emissions by 94 percent and its heating energy demand by 91 percent.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 5, 2022
New Covenant House New York contains multiple services for youth in crisis
The new Covenant House New York, a crisis shelter for homeless youth in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, provides a temporary home and multiple services for young people.
