point cover jan 13 - Boston Redevelopment Authority

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
The Point, Boston
the Project is to create an iconic landmark to mark the entrance of the Fenway neighborhood invigorating the
pedestrian realm with both residential and commercial activity.
The Project further represents an extension of the City’s urban revitalization strategies for the Fenway
neighborhood, which have most recently focused on the revitalization of Boylston Street. 1330 Boylston Street
and Trilogy have successfully created a new vibrant streetscape along both Boylston Street and Brookline
Avenue. By strengthening the sense of a gateway and creating a new landmark, the Project proposes to
expand upon the commercial growth of Boylston Street and carry over retail and commercial activity from
the Landmark Center to Brookline Avenue. The Project also aims to strengthen pedestrian circulation and
street life between Boylston Street and Brookline Avenue.
The Project will provide a two-story retail base designed to human scale in order to activate and invigorate
the street edge and welcome pedestrian activity. To reduce potential congestion on local roadways caused by
servicing the building, an off-street/on-site loading dock will be provided as part of the Project and will be
accessed via the service driveway on the eastern edge of the Project between Brookline Avenue and Boylston
Street. At the southeast corner of the Project Site, an outdoor seating area for restaurant occupancy will
expand existing outdoor dining opportunities at Trilogy along Boylston Street. No new parking will be
constructed as part of the Project as a shared parking arrangement with Trilogy is anticipated. A floor-toceiling
glass walkway at the second level will span the driveway between the Project and Trilogy and
contribute to a more lively and active street life. Refer to Figures 2.2a and 2.2b for the proposed building
elevations.
Height and Massing
Instead of extruding the triangular outline of the parcel up the entire height of the project, the distinctive
architectural massing converges towards and fans away from the corner of Brookline Avenue and Boylston
Street, both in plan and elevation. The building massing is vertically broken into components that reflect the
different functions of the building, creating a rhythm and scale appropriate to the Fenway neighborhood.
Differentiated by their form and geometry, these key components are retail and residential. The two-story
retail base is anchored at the corner of Brookline Avenue and Boylston Street and reinforces the street wall at
the Project’s perimeter, creating a pedestrian-appropriate scale at the street level. The residential tower above
the retail base is set back on the north and on the south and broken into three slender bars with the middle
bar pushing toward the junction of Boylston Street and Brookline Avenue. The residential floors push toward
the Emerald Necklace moving up the building. Refer to Figures 2.3a and 2.3b for the proposed building
sections and to Figure 2.4 for the massing diagrams.
The façade is also broken into vertical components in a distinctive saw tooth pattern that gradually decrease
in frequency toward the corner of Brookline Avenue and Boylston Street. The effect is a dynamic rhythm and
the feeling of dematerialization as the building moves toward the Emerald Necklace. The proposed façade
treatment has various benefits. At the street level, it breaks down the building into an appropriate scale,
enhancing the pedestrian realm. While on the residential levels above, it minimizes the effects of solar glare
and heat gain on adjacent properties and public spaces. Further, the setback of the upper residential levels
minimizes shadow impacts on neighboring buildings and open public spaces.
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_PNF\02_Urban Design_FINAL.doc 2-3 Urban Design