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Commission approves adaptive reuse and addition at 130 Townsend with conditions
Summary
The commission endorsed a four‑story vertical addition and adjacent five‑story building at 130 Townsend Street, finding the plan compatible with the South End Landmark District and approving conditions on materials and detailing, including terracotta‑colored aluminum sunscreen blades.
The Historic Preservation Commission voted on Aug. 18 to approve a certificate of appropriateness for a proposal to adapt and add to 130 Townsend Street in the South End Landmark District. Planning staff said the proposal preserves the building’s character‑defining features and complies with Article 10 of the Planning Code and the Secretary of the Interior standards.
Lana Kaczorowski of Page & Turnbull and the project team described a rehabilitation approach that preserves the 1906 brick warehouse features (parapet, corbelled cornices and arch openings) and adds a setback glazed addition articulated with a terracotta‑color sunscreen. Kaczorowski said the design team studied alternatives and ‘‘after performing an engineering analysis, we realized that terracotta would introduce three times as much weight’’ and that the project will therefore use aluminum blades with a terracotta finish to achieve the district‑appropriate appearance.
Commissioners probed blade spacing, glazing coloration and the visibility of new structural supports. The sponsor said the new structural system is offset from the historic shell so columns will not be visible through ground‑floor fenestration and that the glazing will be insulated clear glass with a gray inner layer for solar control. Commissioner questions focused on how the new addition will read with adjacent brick buildings and on final material samples.
Commissioner Foley moved to approve the project with staff conditions (including the aluminum fins with a terracotta finish); the motion carried 6–0 (Commissioner Wright had been recused earlier). Staff will proceed to finalize conditions and work with the sponsor on material samples and final detailing prior to building permit review.
