The project site is located in the heart of the once thriving Boston neighborhood known as the old West End, which was razed during urban renewal in the 1950s. West End Place was conceived with the purpose of providing housing for the many displaced residents who, even after 30 years, still wanted to return.

Located at the apex of a major intersection, the building is visible for a quarter of a mile in three directions. The focus of these vistas is the building's signature arch, a gateway connecting the commercial intersection with a residential district behind West End Place.

The 311,000 square foot horseshoe-shaped form provides a street wall along Lomasney Way and creates a residential courtyard within. This courtyard is located over two levels of parking, 17 feet above the street level, and matches the level of the residential district behind it. The courtyard is connected to the intersection by a grand staircase descending through the monumental arch to the sidewalk.

The interior courtyard is organized around a landscaped common ringed by the entrance gardens of duplex townhouse units. The combination of private and shared open space, as well as the visual amenity the courtyard provides to upper level units, promotes a sense of ownership and neighborhood for the project as a whole.

Photos by Bruce T. Martin