Architecture
Interior Design
Moderate Rehabilitation
- Type
Preserve North Residences
Peabody, MA
Built in the late 1800s, Preserve North Residences was originally home to the AC Lawrence Leather Company. The property was converted into affordable housing in the 1970s. The recent $49.3 million rehabilitation involves extensive exterior renovation and improvements to 284 units across a series of three mid-rise buildings and a seven-story structure, totaling more than 289,000 square feet. Comprehensive improvements include roof replacement, new plumbing, LED fixtures, select Energy Star appliances, low VOC paints, flooring, kitchen and cabinetry upgrades, and a new milled and resurfaced parking lot.
The focal point of the campus is a Federal-style three-story historic building, with two original enclosed pedestrian walkways connected to adjacent mills, reconfigured to accommodate a new fitness center, movie theater, and other resident amenities. The largest mill structure on this six-acre property is demarcated by black steel framed buttresses, with private resident patios allowing for direct access to Proctor Pond via a newly landscaped green space.
Grand ceilings, exposed brick and beams, and plank flooring combine with modern aesthetics to create an inviting atmosphere that blends elements of the building’s historic use as a leather tannery with contemporary finishes, warm neutral tones, and accents of vibrant hues. Residents are encouraged to gather, work, and play in the artfully redesigned community which also features a new dog park, and accessible courtyard. Preserve North Residences successfully maintains Peabody’s affordable housing stock for a new generation.
Related Projects
-
