The Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony

Location

South Boston, MA

Client

Beacon Communities Development LLC & Boston Housing Authority

Services

Architecture, Master Planning

Sector

Multi-Family

Square Footage

340,000 SF

Number of Units

887

Sustainability

Passive House & LEED Platinum Certified

The decade-long redevelopment of Old Colony, originally built in 1940, involves one of the country’s oldest federal public housing developments.

The sustainable multi-building campus design is the result of broad stakeholder participation, which reimagined the historic public housing community and laid out a strategic vision to knit Old Colony back into the fabric of the South Boston neighborhood.

TAT_The Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony 3C_Ed Wonsek_12

The original master plan by NBBJ involved the demolition of seven dilapidated buildings and the design and construction of numerous new buildings to create an entirely affordable housing community.

Existing superblocks have been broken down and replaced with new neighborhood-scale blocks to incorporate pedestrian-friendly streets and open spaces with view corridors to the adjacent park and waterfront. The latest phases continue the mix of midrise and townhome buildings, with varied architecture and heights that respond to the surrounding context.

A Phased Transformation

Phase One, completed in 2011, provides 116 LEED Platinum Certified affordable units and a 10,000 square foot LEED Gold Certified Tierney Learning Center, which promotes education, wellness, and community building among Old Colony residents and the entire South Boston neighborhood.

Completed in 2015, Phase Two was awarded a HOPE VI grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and provides an additional 169 units. Phase Three represents a $150 million investment and includes three subphases. Having replaced 250 existing units, Phase Three A offers 135 new apartments and Phase Three B offers 115.

Old Colony Public Housing Project, South Boston

Phase Three C will create 55 Passive House Certified units for seniors and people with disabilities, adding to the City’s affordable housing stock. The redevelopment was voted Best Urban Project in the nation by Affordable Housing Finance.