The Graphic Lofts
Additional Info
Award Winner : Tocci Building Corporation
Architectural Excellence : The transformation of this industrial site into a vibrant mixed-use complex is a momentous step in a decades-long planning process. Only a 15 minute rapid-transit ride to downtown Boston, this location can’t be beat. The new modular building at “The Graphic” complements and draws from the character and scale of the adjacent historic Graphic Arts Finishers building. Exterior materials invoke the former industrial uses at the site, employing corrugated metal cladding and over-sized windows. This tight urban site, with irregular edges, only allowed one right angle. Many of the boxes were irregular, crossing multiple units, or were made up of additional pieces which were built off site in sections, for site assembly. 128 modular boxes house 125 new apartments. Interiors are crisp and thoughtful. To break up lengths of corridor, “door drops” detailed with carpentry and carpet create black punctuation. Vibrant whites and CMYK colors complete the branded look.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : ICON's design resulted in a highly efficient modular program, where 125 units were made of 128 boxes. This included amenity areas such as fitness and yoga studios, as well as mechanical spaces. Tocci’s early coordination efforts identified potential conflicts between structural steel + the collection of plumbing pipes below the modules, within the podium ceiling plenum. Each conflict was identified, located, structurally detailed and fabricated off-site resulting in significant savings to the client.
Design Firm Name : ICON Architecture, Inc.
Engineering Firm Name : Wozny Barber & Associates, Inc.
Green Building Description : The Graphic Lofts exemplifies the benefits of wood-frame modular construction. The project utilizes less material waste due to offsite fabrication, and apartments and corridors convey superior acoustical performance with doubled floor/ceiling assembly and demising walls. High construction quality is enjoyed via tighter tolerances maintained through construction in a controlled environment. Additionally, since the modular boxes were manufactured off-site and shipped in, this dense, heavily trafficked urban site enjoyed less disruption than conventional construction would have allowed.
The building is certified LEED Gold. Green features include EnergyStar appliances, Watersense fixtures, and LED lighting throughout. The building boasts a super-insulated exterior envelope with high-efficiency large format windows and high albedo roofing. Residents are encouraged to enjoy the lushly landscaped courtyard and roofdeck with views of the city.
Occupied Date : 6/1/2019
Owner Firm Name : Berkeley Investments, Inc.
Production Start Date : 2/1/2018
Project Location City : Boston
Project Location State Name : Massachusetts
Technical Innovation : The two most impactful cases of innovative initiatives in The Graphic Lofts was the use of 3D Coordination and the fabricator's use of automation during construction. ICON and TOcci leveraged 3D modeling to design and coordinate the building prior to fabrication.
This approach enhanced communication through 3D modeling and shared files, where the model functioned as the source of truth between all team members – Owner, Architect, Contractor, and Fabricator. When one object moves in the model, it's clearly identified (and easily seen) by all parties to smooth the process of design and construction.
While under fabrication, Tocci used a 3D reality capture to virtually bring team members to the factory who couldn't travel there.
Total Square Feet : 136000