GFA 16600 m², 13 millions USD, 8 storeys
Design: Mattia Malavenda in collaboration with Metrogramma
Client: Boston Housing Authority

Condor street social housing is the second project site of the ReGen Boston international architecture competition, together with Sargent Wharf site, sponsorized by the Boston Housing Authority in 2010.

The site is basically a brown-field, a contaminated and successively remediated site on which to restore the natural habitat in harmony with the human activities.
Being a brownfield the site is agood candidate for a LEED certification.    

The project aims to create an housing complex that integrates the urban morphology of the East Boston residential area with the waterfront and wetlands characterized by a natural but also industrial landscape. The oil tanks, the salt hills, the steel bridge, etc. are dominant element of the context. 

The new design take in fact inspiration from the round-shaped tanks, from which derive the ellyptical plan of the housing buildings and the positioning of the new buldings, on the platforms left by the presence of previous tanks.

At the southern side of the site, the type of the houses is different compared to the waterfront side because it relates with the morphology of the Est Boston residential area, with its three-floor independent and close houses, through a mimic approach.

In this project, with a total of 208 affordable apartment, facilities and green areas, the architectural form is designed taking inspiration from the surrounding enviroment and harmonizing with it.

To minimize the visual and acoustic impact of the internal car route and car parks, these are covered by a landscaped and pedestrian upper level.

 The car park, located at the same level of the central green area, is shielded by a vegetative metal mesh hanged from the pedestrian level, which limit its view from the garden but let enter the natural light.
The green area is planted with tall local trees, wild shrubs and with two circular water pool used as water reserve for irrigation.