North Bennet Street School at Hoosac
Winning proposal to convert the historic harbor-front Hoosac Warehouse building to be the new campus of the North Bennet Street School, the 119-year old institution dedicated to the teaching of traditional handicraft skills.
The architectural intent of the development
was fivefold:
- Fully and creatively serve the needs and vision of the North Bennet Street School
- Rehabilitate the Hoosac Sales Warehouse so as to honor the history of the building and district
- Employ sustainable design practices
- Enrich the neighborhood with the activity of the School
- Create an effective backdrop to the USS Constitution
The design proposal derived inspiration from the features of the Warehouse: vertically stacked freight doors, small shuttered masonry openings patterning the long walls, the structure’s weightiness. The overall massing of the existing building remains legible from all vantage points as the new additions are light and transparent (distinct from the predominant heavy masonry walls), set in from building corners and below the roofline. The site is developed to both accommodate School functions and provide a special public connection between the Freedom Trail, the Charlestown Navy Yard, and the waterfront.
