Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this project included the adaptive reuse and expansion of the historic, Queen Anne style, American Brewery Company complex, originally designed in 1891. The landmarked exterior of the brewery was restored and the structure was converted and expanded into 79 residences– including apartments and direct entry townhomes.  Built into the hillside, this 135,000 square foot brick structure was designed to integrate with the historical neighborhood. 

      

Originally sited due to its proximity to aquifers and nearby artesian wells, the complex included a head house, brew house, and cold storage structures.  The facility had been used for art storage for many years following the closure of the brewery.

      

The redevelopment has added to the vitality of the neighborhood and now provides a mix or market-rate and affordable housing within one block of the Heath Street T-Stop. The expansion also included common amenity space and structured parking built around the central courtyard.

      

MHR Development provided site acquisition, development planning, market research, and design / value engineering services for the developer (Commonwealth Ventures).  MHR worked with an extensive team of experts, including Commonwealth Ventures and Elkus Manfredi Architects, to develop cost-effective design and construction solutions that met strict planning and zoning criteria.  The team worked extensively with neighborhood organizations and regulatory agencies to develop a project, in the context of the existing neighborhood. 

      

The American Brewery Lofts won the 2008 Preservation Achievement Award from the Boston Preservation Alliance and the 2007 Best of Year Award from Interior Design Magazine.