Mixed-use

The Viridian Completed

The Viridian / Photos © Robert Benson

The Viridian / photos © Robert Benson

Cambridge, MA – Bruner/Cott & Associates announced the completion of The Viridian, a $200 million, 350,000sf, mixed-used high-rise at 1282 Boylston Street. The development is part of the transformation of a one-story retail strip to a smart-growth, transit-oriented neighborhood.

Small in size, big on design, the building’s apartment layouts shift the emphasis from large personal space to community and amenity venues. Over half of the 342 units are 700sf or less, with micro studio units and one-bedroom metro units as well as traditional one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. This unit mix supports a diverse population from graduate students to empty-nesters, with 38 of the units meeting affordable housing requirements.

The Viridian’s 350-foot-long street plane is highly activated, with 10,000sf of neighborhood retail space that provides the base for its two residential towers and includes a new Fenway Community Center. Highly articulated and transparent at the pedestrian scale, a large three-story opening marks the residential entry into a contemporary “living room lobby that engages Boylston Street. Below-grade parking provides space for 290 vehicles and over 300 bicycles.

The owner/design team conceived the steel-framed complex in multiple volumes that ease the transition from historic low-rise buildings nearby to the new towers. These volumes include zinc and glass bays along with a ceramic tile rainscreen of varying textures, colors, and glazed accents designed to read at a variety of human and urban scales.

LEED Gold registered, the project includes energy-efficient mechanical systems, environmentally responsible materials, and easily-accessible bicycle storage.