BOSTON — A nearly four-century-old Boston civic site has entered a new chapter as an all-electric, fossil fuel-free workplace following a five-year renovation led by architecture and design firm CambridgeSeven.
The completed transformation of 26 Court Street, the oldest plot of land continuously owned by the City of Boston, preserves the historic character of the downtown landmark while converting its 175,000-square-foot building into a modern workplace for Boston city departments. The project also advances the city’s climate and sustainability goals.
“26 Court Street demonstrates the power of collaboration between civic leadership and design to honor a historic landmark,” said Stefanie Greenfield, AIA, principal of CambridgeSeven. “This project stands as a testament to the balance of preservation and modernization within one of Boston’s iconic buildings. Today, it offers an environmentally resilient, elegant, and welcoming workplace for a new generation of Boston’s civic workforce.”
From prison site to civic workplace
The history of 26 Court Street dates to 1635, when records first document the property. Over the centuries, the site served several civic purposes, including as the location of Boston’s Old Prison and later the Boston Courthouse, designed by Solomon Willard in the Greek Revival style.
After the courthouse was demolished in 1909, the present building was constructed in 1912 as the City Hall Annex. Designed by architect Edward T.P. Graham, the limestone, brick and cast-stone structure served as the City Hall Annex until 1969, when it became the headquarters of the Boston School Department.
Today, the renovated building houses offices for a range of city departments and programs, including the Public Facilities Department, Mayor’s Office of Housing, Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, Environment, Energy and Open Space, Mayor’s Office of Art and Culture, Office of Food Justice, Office of Historic Preservation, Veterans’ Affairs and Human Resources.
The 11-story building includes office and meeting space, three levels of below-grade basement space and a reimagined ground-floor lobby. Outside, the project created a universally accessible plaza on Court Street, widened surrounding sidewalks and added electric-vehicle charging stations, bicycle racks and flagpoles.
Historic character meets contemporary design
Preservation was central to the renovation. CambridgeSeven followed National Park Service guidelines and retained approximately 89% of the building’s existing shell and core.
The building’s Neo-Classical Revival façades, cornices and stone ornamentation were restored, while new high-performance windows and upgraded building systems brought modern performance to the historic structure. The original north façade entrance was also restored, including contemporary reproductions of its historic doors.
The Court Street plaza underwent a significant redesign to restore the building’s original north-facing entrance as its primary public approach. The plaza had been substantially altered over the years, including changes associated with infrastructure serving the MBTA Blue Line.
Historic granite slabs from the site were salvaged and incorporated into the new plaza. Accessible ramps, wider sidewalks and improved pedestrian circulation create a more welcoming public space while accommodating modern infrastructure.
Inside, the ground floor features public-facing spaces, including a gallery-style corridor connecting the main lobby to the Boston Home Center, Public Bid Room and Public Meeting Room. The spaces are equipped with updated technology and amenities.
The upper floors have been converted into collaborative workplace environments for city employees. Original riveted steel columns were exposed as part of the interior design, while wood accents and terrazzo flooring provide durable contemporary finishes that reference the building’s industrial character.
Designed for a fossil fuel-free future
The renovation also represents a major shift in the building’s energy systems.
26 Court Street is now an all-electric, fossil fuel-free building, with upgraded windows, improved insulation and high-efficiency mechanical systems designed to reduce energy consumption. The project is targeting LEED Platinum certification.
One of the more significant technical challenges was the installation of a new transformer vault within the existing building envelope. The infrastructure replaces systems once associated with coal-fired boilers and enables the building’s full electrification while limiting changes to its historic exterior.
By renovating an existing structure rather than demolishing it and constructing a replacement, the project is estimated to have avoided approximately 50% to 75% of the carbon emissions associated with new construction.
The result is intended to demonstrate how historic civic buildings can be adapted to meet contemporary workplace requirements and ambitious climate objectives without sacrificing architectural character.
Project team
CambridgeSeven served as the project’s architect, interior designer, graphics and wayfinding consultant, with Building Conservation Associates serving as historic preservation consultant.
The construction team included Shawmut Design and Construction as construction manager and Skanska as owner’s project manager.
The broader project team included:
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Acentech
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Building Conservation Associates (BCA)
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Fuss & O’Neill
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Haley Aldrich
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Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design (HLB)
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Nitsch Engineering
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RFS Engineering
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Ross & Baruzzini
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VAV International
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VDA
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Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE)
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WSP
With its combination of historic preservation, public access improvements and full electrification, 26 Court Street now serves as both a working civic facility and an example of how Boston’s existing buildings can be adapted for a lower-carbon future.
