Located in the heart of Arlington, MA, The Legacy at Arlington Center provides 134 market-rate apartments with upscale amenities in an urban town center. The four wood-framed buildings comprising the 233,000 square foot complex were designed to respond to a complicated 2.7 acre site with five unique edge conditions: a busy commercial street, an industrial area, a single-family neighborhood, and a town park, separated by a commuter bike path.

With both town residents and officials insisting the complex not overwhelm the nearby homes to the south and the two- and three-story commercial buildings on the main arterial road, the architect designed a village-style complex with four-story buildings to complement both.

A single, large building was located along the commercial and industrial edges, its mass 'fragmented' to the south toward the bike path, town park and industrial area. A 1,200 square foot bank branch, which was part of the project, fronts the main residential building on the commercial road, and continues the urban streetscape of shops and restaurants, turning the corner into a new internal residential streetscape.

Three townhouse-style buildings with gabled roofs were built adjacent to the residential neighborhood to complement the single-family homes. These smaller-scale buildings also buffer the single-family residences from the largest apartment building. The architect created a focal point from the main street view with an arched bridge, which serves to connect the large building with one of the townhouse structures. More formal facades and massing are presented toward the main road and the public realm.

An elevated 11-mile bike path separates the complex from a town park at the site's western border; thousands of pedestrians travel this path daily. To that end, the architect designed a spacious landscaped courtyard with ornamental shrubs, park benches and pedestrian paths, extending the park toward the complex. The majority of the residents in the main building have a view of this landscaped and scenic space, and it provides all residents with a natural wooded shelter from the town center and industrial area.

The site organization clarifies urban village patterns of vehicular and pedestrian circulation and distinguishes it from the recreational circulation of the bike path and park. The driveway leads from the town center into a village-style lane that passes by the townhouses and under the arched bridge, and to the underground parking garage, the landscaped lawn, and bike path. The majority of the at-grade parking spaces are tucked between the smaller buildings and are not visible from street view.

Community amenities include 107 parking spaces located under the main building, 55 surface parking spaces, and an 1,100 square foot private fitness center.

Photos by Bruce T. Martin