Bruner/Cott Architects has recently completed the renovation of The Speedway in Brighton, Mass. The project is a mixed-use transformation of a 19th-century trotting horse stable and metropolitan park police station and jail on the Charles River. Bruner/Cott worked with Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF) to preserve and revitalize the complex to stimulate community growth and economic development.
The original 1899 development turned a stretch of tidal mudflats into an interconnected series of public parks. The stables and park offices supported a race track beside the river for bicycle and trotting races. An irregular roofline connects six shingle-style buildings, creating a single-story courtyard, highlighted by arched gable entrances, porches, double hung windows, and wood trim.
The renovated complex now acts as a new gateway to the Allston-Brighton neighborhood, supporting a tenant mix including small retail shops and food vendors, a publicly-accessible community courtyard, a flexible event space, and anchor tenant Notch Brewing’s biergarten and brewery.
Bruner/Cott’s design approach to preservation included the removal of piecemeal garage extensions at historic stable frontages and the reconstruction of lost features including wooden carriage access, sliding barn doors, and an extensive series of carefully restored and replicated windows. Interior plaster was so damaged by a fire and rain that it was removed entirely to add insulation. Stables and a 1940 concrete garage were fitted with recessive glazed fronts and overhead doors to make connections to outdoor gathering spaces.
The buildings were designed to look like they did in 1899, 1904, and 1920 while supporting modern tenants.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023
California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing
The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.
Office Buildings | Jun 28, 2023
When office-to-residential conversion works
The cost and design challenges involved with office-to-residential conversions can be daunting; designers need to devise creative uses to fully utilize the space.
Resiliency | Jun 14, 2023
HUD offers $4.8 billion in funding for green and resilient building retrofit projects
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released guidelines for its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) that has $4.8 billion for funding green projects.
Energy-Efficient Design | Jun 5, 2023
Implementing an ‘asset drawdown strategy’ for site decarbonization
Solidifying a decarbonization plan via an “asset drawdown strategy” that carefully considers both capital and operating costs represents a game-changing opportunity for existing properties to compete with new projects.
K-12 Schools | Jun 5, 2023
How to achieve cost-effective kindergarten classrooms
Educational architect Robin Randall shares realistic advice about the challenges of adding developmentally appropriate, play-based kindergarten classrooms while respecting budget limitations.
Reconstruction & Renovation | May 26, 2023
Boulder, Colo., puts sustainable deconstruction policy into action
Three quarters of a closed hospital’s building materials and equipment are being reused for new construction, or resold.
Sponsored | Building Enclosure Systems | May 16, 2023
4 steps to a better building enclosure
Dividing the outside environment from the interior, the building enclosure is one of the most important parts of the structure. The enclosure not only defines the building’s aesthetic, but also protects occupants from the elements and facilitates a comfortable, controlled climate. With dozens of components comprising the exterior assemblies, from foundation to cladding to roof, figuring out which concerns to address first can be daunting.
Multifamily Housing | May 16, 2023
Legislators aim to make office-to-housing conversions easier
Lawmakers around the country are looking for ways to spur conversions of office space to residential use.cSuch projects come with challenges such as inadequate plumbing, not enough exterior-facing windows, and footprints that don’t easily lend themselves to residential use. These conditions raise the cost for developers.
Sustainability | May 11, 2023
Let's build toward a circular economy
Eric Corey Freed, Director of Sustainability, CannonDesign, discusses the values of well-designed, regenerative buildings.
Office Buildings | May 4, 2023
In Southern California, a former industrial zone continues to revitalize with an award-winning office property
In Culver City, Calif., Del Amo Construction, a construction company based in Southern California, has completed the adaptive reuse of 3516 Schaefer St, a new office property. 3516 Schaefer is located in Culver City’s redeveloped Hayden Tract neighborhood, a former industrial zone that has become a technology and corporate hub.
