West End Place | The Metropolitan | The Residences at Amory Park
Landmark Square | Longwood Towers | The Holmes Building
The Legacy at Arlington Center | Hammonds at Chestnut Hill | Baker Chocolate Lofts
.







Up 		.

.

Project
The adaptive reuse of the historic former Walter Baker Chocolate Factory administration building into 13 artist live/work lofts


Client
Keen Development Corporation
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Budget
$2,000,000

Design Challenge
To convert the building form its previous commercial use into a multifamily dwelling while preserving its historic character

 .

Awards Received:

  • Boston Preservation Alliance
    Preservation Achievement Award
  • Massachusetts Historical Commission
    Preservation Award

Built in 1919, the Walter Baker Chocolate Factory's administration building was deserted in the 1960s when the company relocated outside of Massachusetts. With the exception of its brief use as a social services office in the 1980s, the building remained virtually unoccupied for 40 years.

The building suffered from water damage, which damaged the intricately detailed original plaster moldings, however, the structure was essentially in good condition.

To renovate the historic building into modern loft-style units while maintaining the historic nature of the building, dwelling units were inserted within the building's original office space configuration. In this way, the existing corridor and atrium walls, the most significant parts of the building, were preserved while also allowing for spacious lofts.

An ambitious program of plaster restoration was undertaken within the atrium and the former president's office. The original plaster molding was carefully restored where damage was minimal, and meticulously recreated in sections where it was deemed beyond repair. The wood veneer and the fireplace in the former president's office, which is now one of the lofts, were also carefully preserved.

The lofts are arranged around a three-story central atrium, which will be used to showcase art. The circular atrium is accented by the first floor grand marble staircase, the building's original laylight, which was carefully restored, and a prominent oil painting of "La Belle Chocolatiere," the Baker Chocolate trademark.

The building provides 13 moderate-income residential/workspace units for local artists and a basement laundry room. Two first floor rooms serve as both community meeting rooms and gallery space.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Baker Chocolate Lofts are located across the street from the Baker Chocolate Factory, which The Architectural Team previously rehabilitated into apartments.

Photos by Bruce T. Martin