Planning Board Hearing October 0th, 06 Developer: Real Estate Management & Leasing: Architect: Transportation Engineers: Landscape Architect: Civil Engineer:
THE ARSENAL PROJECT Planning Board AGENDA Introduction + Master Plan Status Design Guidelines Landscape Design Building Development Phasing + Updates Q+A Discussion Page
65 Grove Street LINX Office Building Greystar Project Hanover Project Athena Campus Project The Arsenal Project Residence Inn CONTEXT MAP Page
February 0: Watertown Comprehensive Plan Process Commences November 04: Design Guidelines and Standards Process Commences June rd, 05: Watertown Comprehensive Plan Adopted June 0th, 05: Design Guidelines and Standards Adopted August 05: RMUD Zoning Amendment Process Commences January 9th, 06: RMUD Community Meeting # January 6th, 06: RMUD Community Meeting # March rd, 06: RMUD Zoning Amendment Adopted PROJECT TIMELINE Page 4
May 8th, 06: Community Meeting #: Open Space + Infrastructure May 6th, 06: Community Meeting #: Building Characteristics + Site Plan June st, 06: Community Meeting #: Project Team Open House June 7th, 06: Developers Conference Application June st, 06: Developers Conference: Meeting with Department Heads August 7th, 06: Community Meeting #4: Landscape Architecture + Building/Site Renderings August st, 06: Community Meeting #5: Traffic + Animated Walkthroughs September th, 06: Planning Board Submission October th, 06: Revisions to MPSP Submitted to Planning Board October 0th, 06: Planning Board Hearing PROJECT TIMELINE Page 5
EXISTING CONDITIONS Page 6
PROPOSED DEMOLITION Page 7
DESIGN PROCESS Page 8
DESIGN PROCESS Page 9
PROPOSED SITE PLAN Page 0
placemaking curation and incubation 0/0 vision. form and function Competing in Today s Experience Economy Page
WATERTOWN MASSACHUSETTS DESIGN GUIDELINES TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTION: JUNE 0, 05 DESIGN GUIDELINES Page
4 UPPER LEVEL EXTERIOR SPACES Juliette balconies and outdoor roof areas facing the woonerf/courtyard activate the public area with a variety of levels of activity. 6 4 5 7 5 Fig. PR-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: Ground level retail throughout the site. OPEN SPACE NETWORKS/CONNECTIVITY Added pedestrian and bike paths into and through the site promote additional connectivity to existing Watertown amenities. PUBLIC SPACES The Courtyard/Woonerf, River Green, and Cinema Plaza provide large public gathering spaces throughout the site. 4 5 6 7 Canopies + awnings provided throughout, as well as overhead elements within public spaces. Frequent entrances to ground and second floor retail, parking garages, and residential units. Street trees and vegetation throughout site. A variety of street furniture throughout site. Ground level transparency throughout with retail storefronts. A variety of paving patterns throughout. PUBLIC REALM INTERFACE DESIGN GUIDELINES Page
4 STRUCTURED PARKING A residential building is provided along Arsenal Street at Building B to help screen the parking structure from the public way. Additional garage screening methods will also be implemented along the garage faces. ENCLOSED PARKING At-grade parking at Building B is located at the rear of the building in order to screen it from the public way. Fig. PA-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: 4 5 Raised table tops throughout the site allow for traffic calming measures and pedestrian safety. Sidewalk widths have been carefully designed to allow for comfortable zones of walking and sitting, as well as planting buffers, throughout the site. Secured bicycle storage provided for the residential units, as well public bike racks located throughout the site. Artistic screening methods are used at the face of the garages to screen the cars beyond. Loading zones are strategically located at each building to either be separated from the public way or screened from view via garage doors. BICYCLE LANES AND CYCLE TRACK Provided to connect the existing bike path through the site and into Arsenal Park. BELOW-GRADE PARKING Provided under Buildings B, C, D and F, the below grade parking helps reduce the need for surface parking throughout the site. PARKING + ACCESS DESIGN GUIDELINES Page 4
LEED SILVER CERTIFIABLE Buildings will be designed to be LEED Silver Certifiable including: high efficiency HVAC building systems; white/light roof membranes; low water demand for irrigation; low flow/high efficiency plumbing fixtures; low LPD; daylighting; low VOC containing interior finish materials. 4 GREEN ROOFS A feasibility study is being conducted for the implementation of green roofs at buildings B and F. Fig. SS-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: Use of locally sourced materials wherever possible. LATENT ENERGY A feasibility study is being conducted for the implementation of solar panels on existing sloped roofs facing south. PERMEABLE PAVERS Permeable pavers will be installed at various areas throughout the site including Cinema Plaza and River Green. 4 5 6 The building envelope will utilize high R, high performance skins throughout. Low emissivity glazing will be provided wherever possible. Solar shading will be provided where appropriate to reduce solar heat gain. Street trees provided throughout the site will help shade the pedestrian way, provide buffers along roadways and reduce solar gain. Stormwater management systems provided throughout the site. SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN GUIDELINES Page 5
VERTICAL ELEMENTS The expression of the stair towers servicing the parking garages help break up the longer garage facades. Fig. BM-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: CORNER CONDITIONS The corners of Buildings B and C along Arsenal Street are emphasized in a way to provide a glassy, tall and inviting face of the center, as well as promote porosity. PASS THROUGHS Connections through and between Buildings C and D are provided to draw pedestrians off of Arsenal Street and through the site. Stepbacks are utilized on new buildings at a variety of elevations to break down overall volume of building. Windows, juliette balconies, recesses and overlooks are utilized to break down the massing for each building. Public spaces and roads are designed with around a : to : ratio (height of building:width of public space) to help define outdoor rooms and are provided with amenities such as benches, bike storage, water features etc. BUILDING MASSING DESIGN GUIDELINES Page 6
MECHANICAL PENTHOUSES The screening of the mechanical penthouse at Building G is designed to be a continuation of the building s facade. PARAPETS/CORNICES Varying parapet heights at Building C and D are utilized to help break up longer facades along Arsenal Street and within the site. Fig. BH-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: The heights of the new buildings are designed to respect the heights of the existing buildings, as well as provide a range of buildings heights across the site. The new buildings are also designed with flat roofs to provide a contrast to and respect for the pitched roofs of the existing buildings. Awnings and canopies are provided throughout the center to help shield pedestrians, as well as define the ground floor level. UPPER STORY STEPBACKS The top floors of Buildings B, C and F are stepped back further from the facades below to reduce the impact of the building height along Arsenal Street and within the site. BUILDING HEIGHT Page 7
IDEAL HEIGHT TO WIDTH RATIOS FOR CREATING OUTDOOR ROOMS.5 SMALL STREET GATHERING SPACE LARGE STREET EXAMPLE: HANOVER STREET, BOSTON BUILDING HEIGHT DESIGN GUIDELINES Page 8
48 60 D LARGE STREET 5 SMALL STREET HVMA E B (garage) GREEN ST. MAIN ST. PARK ST. 70 60 6 LARGE STREET GATHERING SPACE SMALL STREET C D A ARSENAL ST. COURT ST. CROSS ST. 9 84 LARGE STREET 48 LARGE STREET E F G ARSENAL ST. CROSS ST. GREENOUGH BLVD BUILDING HEIGHT SITE SECTIONS Page 9
REAR STEPBACKS Provided at the faces of Buildings F and G that front the park, rear stepbacks allow the buildings height to respect the public area while also creating activity at various elevations, further activating the park. SIDE SETBACKS AND STEPBACKS Buildings are sited throughout the project to promote a : to : (building height:sidewalk/street width) proportion. This allows for generous sidewalks and public gathering areas that being to feel like outdoor rooms. Fig. BS-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: Stepbacks are provided at all new buildings. FRONT SETBACKS Buildings B and C are set 0 to 5 back from allowable build to line in order to created welcoming plazas as a buffer between the building and street. FRONT STEPBACKS Provided at Buildings B and C along Arsenal Street above the ground floor retail and again at the top residential floor, these stepbacks help break down the height of the building. Sidewalks are designed to provide adequate space for outdoor seating and gathering spaces. Landscaping is designed to provide shade for pedestrians, soften grade changes and help create universally accessible sidewalk throughout the site. BUILDING SETBACKS DESIGN GUIDELINES Page 0
PROJECTIONS/RECESSES While variations in plane exist along all facades, additional recesses, sun shades, balconies and overlooks are provided at Buildings A, C, D, and F to help activate the public area below. Fig. FT-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: 4 Residential windows vary in size based on the program within the units. In certain locations, their placement is also staggered vertically to create variation across the facade. Awnings and canopies are provided throughout the center to help shield pedestrians and define the ground floor level. Ground level retail with large amounts of glazing is provided throughout the site to activate and promote the sidewalk experience. Porous buildings with multiple entrances along the facade promotes ground level activity. FACADE TREATMENT DESIGN GUIDELINES Page
GLAZING WALLS Curtain walls and glass additions are utilized in special moments at the existing buildings as a juxtaposition to the historic quality of the existing facades. 4 Fig. MS-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: PAVING While a variety of paving patterns is provided throughout the site, speciality paving is used at the larger public gathering spaces to help define the outdoor room. The base of each building will utilize quality, durable materials, including masonry and glazing. Materials vary along the facades of the upper level to help break up the height and mass of the buildings. Transition details will be utilized to move between materials to help celebrate while also unifying the variation. 4 The project seeks to use locally sourced materials wherever possible. MATERIAL SELECTION DESIGN GUIDELINES Page
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNAGE Building addresses and residential signage will be integrated in a way to help distinguish these entrances from the retailers. Fig. SI-: One example of strategies being implemented site-wide. Site-Wide Strategies: Blade and projecting signs, canopies, and awnings will be used throughout the site to complement the building design and materiality and promote visibility for the tenants. Applied graphics and signage may be utilized around the site to promote artistic expression along with placemaking and brand identity. FREE STANDING SIGNAGE Wayfinding and placemaking signage will be used throughout the site to promote clarity of circulation and access throughout the site. SIGNAGE DESIGN GUIDELINES Page
THE NATURAL THE INDUSTRIAL THE PARK THE URBAN THE HISTORIC THE MODERN SITE CONCEPT INSPIRATION Page 4
ARCHITECTURE, MACHINERY, MANUFACTURING SITE CONCEPT INSPIRATION Page 5
ARCHITECTURE, MACHINERY, MANUFACTURING SITE CONCEPT INSPIRATION Page 6
LANDSCAPE SITE PLAN Page 7
CONNECT TO GREEN CONNECT TO URBAN CONNECT TO BIKE PATH LANDSCAPE SITE PLAN Page 8
MAIN ENTRY ROAD Page 9
MAIN ENTRY ROAD Page 0
URBAN COURTYARD/CONNECTOR STREET Page
URBAN COURTYARD/CONNECTOR STREET Page
RIVER GREEN/ARSENAL PARK CONNECTOR Page
RIVER GREEN/ARSENAL PARK CONNECTOR Page 4
CINEMA COURT/RESIDENTIAL GREEN Page 5
CINEMA COURT/RESIDENTIAL GREEN Page 6
SITE PLAN Page 7