Coppersmith Village
Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH)
Coppersmith Village is a mixed-income, mixed-use housing development that bridges the gap between the residential fabric of East Boston and the rapidly developing waterfront district. The 1.3-acre site features two housing forms: a 56-unit apartment building facing the Boston harbor to the west, and 15 townhouses that match the scale and character of the residential fabric to the east.
The waterfront location of the site provides an interesting challenge for the building, which is designed to be resilient to future flooding events. This is achieved primarily by raising the ground floor several feet above grade at all interior spaces, with the exception of a large, open lobby designed to keep the building engaged with the pedestrian experience. This lobby is designed to be flood-resilient with flood vents and resilient materials. Much of the ground floor is also occupied by parking, leaving more area outside for landscaped spaces that are both useable by residents and water-permeable for flood mitigation. The building envelope is also designed to be storm resistant, including features like hurricane impact windows.
The development also includes a number of indoor and outdoor public spaces, activating the pedestrian environment along Border Street in this emerging East Boston neighborhood, such as a restaurant space with outdoor dining, and a community room with kitchenette and patio. The site also includes two landscaped courtyards, individual outdoor space for each unit, and a green roof. The project is LEED Gold Certified.