Concord and Watertown, MA

Over the course of six years, Flavin Architects designed several projects for this non-profit agency that provides services for girls with emotional difficulties. The common thread was that each project was a renovation of an existing building and each required a great deal of creativity to achieve the project goals within a modest budget. The two projects illustrated here are emblematic of the work.

Concord Assabet Watertown: A deteriorated nineteenth century mansion and carriage house was given a second life as a residential school for teenage girls. The carriage house was converted to classrooms without losing the beauty of its interior day lighted by the original cupola. The study was stripped of layers of cheap sheet flooring and old paint to reveal carved woodwork and inlaid cherry flooring. The new library shelving we designed stands free of the existing woodwork, maintaining its beauty, while making the space practical again.

Ann McGloin Memorial Library: Set within a Victorian home's parlor, the school library holds their collection of books and periodicals and provides space for group and individual study. Simple components of painted steel, maple and laminate are creatively designed and fabricated to fashion a modern statement within this traditional context

Awards: Citation from the Boston Society of Architects; Merit Award from American Institute of Architects, New England Chapter

Photographs: Tom Stankowicz