Interstitch

INTERSTITCH takes inspiration from the Boston Triple Decker, Courtyard, and Cloister housing typologies to create a new model for contemporary urban living that repurposes the stereotypical notion of a front- and rear-yard to create a new semi-public domain that promotes community and neighborly engagement. The massing and site plan is derived from the leftover fissures and cracks, common to Boston's urban fabric.

Location: Boston, MA
Status: Competition

These fissures, or "voids," are leveraged as an architectural concept to provide access to light, air and ventilation for both the public and residential programs while creating a contextually-sensitive massing. The vertical voids of the massing are also deployed in a horizontal manner at both the Main Street and residential block facades to attract visitors deep into the site. Two towers housing the community climbing wall and yoga studio take advantage of the narrow slivers at the south of the lot.

This site strategy is expanded further by creating a helix-like courtyard residential unit that stacks its interior program vertically to mediate between the most public programs at the ground floor and the private spaces at the upper floor. Inherently introvert, this new three-dimensional courtyard home creates a fourth room (the outdoor "courtyard" room) and provides visual connection between all three wings of the home while limiting views from exterior neighbors to maintain a sense of intimacy necessary for a home. The elevated nature of the residential unit massing allows for an open ground floor plan to create a semi-public ground plan for personal and community benefit.