News
Top 100: CBT HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE
January 12, 2010
| CBT Architects has a big Boston footprint: a 1M SF mixed use project rising on the 19th century Atlantic Wharf; re-design of the 1960?s era Prudential Center; and restoration of several stately 1800?s mansions on Beacon St in the Back Bay. The 120-person firm has also turned abroad to the UK, Curacao, Abu Dhabi, and Taiwan. |
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| After 42 years treading gingerly through complex local development guidelines here, founding partner Richard Bertman (right) says the firm has a chance to be more adventurous in designing projects in the Mid East, Caribbean, and Asia , where the above residential tower will be built. He tells us ?Boston is much more conservative.? We snapped him at CBT with Weiyu Lai, Margaret Deutsch,Shawnie Wang, Chris Coios, and John Carlson. |
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| The design team on one of the city's most ambitious current projects, Boston Property's nearly 1M SF, $400M Atlantic Wharf: Philip Casey, Jaejoung Kang, Junior Li, John Bedell and Henry Celli. About 60% built, the new 31-story, 750k SF office tower is rising behind and around three historic structures, which, when completed in 2011, will house about 85 rental apartments and 30k SF of ground floor retail. With six years of public approvals under their belt, and more ?still trickling? in, project manager Phil says the biggest hurdle was designing a contemporary glass tower that's compatible with the historic wharf buildings that sit on Boston Harbor. ?It took a lot of permitting.? Stow that one away for Best Understatements of 2010. |
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| We snapped Chuck Schwalm and Johanna Flynn fine tuning elements of the United Teen Equality Center in Lowell, an 1840 church being expanded and converted into an afterschool center. The one-year project should start this summer. With the kids reviewing designs, Chuck says it had to be ?crazy? and cool. One element the youngsters wanted: convert the old church steeple into a solar chimney. |
