• Boston Public Library before and after

    Community-oriented redesign for brutalist landmark

    The redo of the Boston Public Library 1970s wing shows how a building can be reform and adapted to today's needs.
    This 156,000 square foot renovation transforms the inward-facing 1972 wing of Boston Public Library’s central location into an inviting urban building that engages the street and forms an outdoor room with community gathering spaces. The renovation honors a landmark building while adapting the...Read more

  • Orchestrating a cultural revival

    The transformation of a New Orleans retail box into a music hall with magnetic street presence is a remarkable urban achievement.
    Even a plain, vacant, late-20th Century discount department store building can be renovated into a compelling urban art space that celebrates the history of a neighborhood. That’s the lesson and achievement of the New Orleans Jazz Market. The 14,000 square foot former Gators store stood empty for...Read more

  • A former industrial site pumps life into the city

    One of Buffalo's brightest spots of resurgence, Larkin Square combines adaptive reuse, restoration, and new buildings and public spaces that complement the old.
    Over the past decade and a half, the Larkin District in Buffalo, New York, has evolved from an abandoned industrial site to a thriving, mixed-use urban district that is spurring revitalization for blocks in every direction. Anchored by the headquarters of the First Niagara Bank, more than 2,000...Read more

  • Sidewalk cafes: Silver bullets for walkable places

    When someone walks along a street, they’re gone in a moment. But when they sit down to a meal, they might be there for an hour or more. Because of this, the sidewalk cafe is the most powerful tool to enhance people’s desire to walk in a place.
    The most important thing about building a place with high Walk Appeal isn’t anything we build, nor is it about walking. Of all the factors that entice us to walk in a place, the strongest one is likely the presence of other people. When someone walks along a street, they’re there for a moment, and...Read more