BOSTON—When it comes to shattering the glass ceiling in a male-dominated commercial construction industry, there is no match for Elaine Construction.
Newton, MA-based Elaine Construction is a third-generation, family owned and operated, woman certified business. The firm has been awarded one of The Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work in 2012, 2013 and 2015, one of The Commonwealth Institute/The Boston Globe’s Top Woman Led Businesses in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and one of The Boston Globe’s Most Admired CEO’s.
Elaine Construction recently served as the general contractor and construction manager for The Wing, a network of work and community spaces designed for women that recently opened its eighth location in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston at 699 Boylston Street.
In an exclusive video interview with Boston Real Estate Times, Elaine Construction’s Jackie Falls and Caroline Petrovick talk about working on The Wing project, how women are slowly changing the landscape of the commercial construction industry and how Elaine Construction is leading the way for women in the industry.
To watch the full interview, please click here or on the image below.
As construction managers and general contractors, Elaine Construction specializes in serving academic/institutional, corporate interiors, healthcare, pharmaceutical and fitness sectors.
When The Wing decided to open it 8th location in Boston after New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles, it tapped Elaine Construction and Elaine did deliver what it had promised and on time—in fact a few days before its official opening.
Here are some facts about the design of each Wing location, which is unique and draws upon inspiration from the local communities. For The Wing Boston, the interior design team looked to pay homage to the original women’s colleges, many of which call New England home, including Radcliffe, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, and Smith College.
The following information about the project was provided by The Wing:
“Rich tones of hunter greens, deep yellows, and navys are complemented by custom plaid prints and Wing designed wallpapers. The quiet room includes a modern take on the classic long tables commonly found in university libraries, and the center of the space houses a beautiful winding staircase inspired by those found in many of the Seven Sisters residential buildings, connecting the two story penthouse space on Boylston Street.
The majority of the furniture found in The Wing Boston is custom made by our in-house team with accommodations that keep women in mind including seat height to match the mean height of women, width to accommodate longer working hours, and better ergonomic support.
The 10,500 square foot space has signature amenities that include two large conference rooms named after local trailblazers Josephine St. Pierre and Ruby Foo, phone booths named after fictional women such as Jo March, Addy Walker, and Lois Lane, a printing area, and an expansive personal space consisting of showers, a beauty room, a mother’s room and lockers. The space includes 360 degree views of the city including The Charles River and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Wing’s beauty room is fully stocked with products from CHANEL, Pantene, Glossier, and other Wing-approved and women-owned brands, as well as a dedicated fully-stocked mothers’ room with includes milk bags, a pump, wipes, creams, and a fridge.
THE LENDING LIBRARY
The Wing has partnered with Brookline Booksmith, Strand Bookstore, and Rizzoli to curate a women-focused lending library with over 2,000 titles, which range from feminist theory to contemporary women’s literature. Brookline Booksmith, an independent Boston bookstore has put together a “Wing Women Reading List” of 50 must-read women-focused titles that all draw back to the city of Boston through the author, protagonist, setting or subject matter. The library is fully digitized and catalogued, so members can borrow from The Wing’s ladies library as needed.
ALL-WOMEN ART GALLERY
Curated by the Wing’s in-house art curator Lolita Cros, The Salon at The Wing Boston is a permanent exhibition with rotating artworks by local Boston & New England-based female-identifying and non-binary artists. Bringing established, and up and coming artists together, Cros assembled the works to interact with each other, outside of the traditional hierarchy of the art world. The show captures a dialogue between artists of varying ages, identities, and nationalities – reflecting the heterogeneity of The Wing’s mission and members. For this exhibition, Cros worked with Boston-based NAGA Gallery as well as Howard Yezerski Gallery and students from RISD. Artists included are: Marisa Adesman, Beth Dacey, Alice Denison, Emily Eveleth, Lalla Essaydi, Maddie Gibson, Dinora Justice, Masako Kamiya, Mary Kocol, Keira Kotler, Kendall Lane, Neeta Madahar, Sarah Malakoff, Sandra Stark, Chloe Wilwerding & Qualeasha Wood. In keeping with The Wing’s mission of economic advancement, all of the pieces are available for purchase.
THE CAFE
The Wing Boston features a made-to-order food menu with some of the most prolific and talented local women chefs. Chefs include: Barbara Lynch, Nancy Cushman, Jody Adams, Tracy Chang, Elle Simone, Karen Ackunowicz, and Tiffani Faison. The Wing prides itself on working with over 160 women-led small businesses across the US, and will work with farmers, artisans, makers, and distributors local to Boston for the majority of our ingredients. Bug Hill Farm (Ashfield, MA) High Lawn Farm (Lee, MA), Hosta Hill (Housatonic, MA), A&J King Bakery (Salem, MA), Curio Spice Shop (Cambridge, MA), and Formaggio Cheese (Cambridge, MA) are just a few of the women-owned or co-owned makers featured on The Wing Boston’s menu. The Wing strongly believes in supporting a larger community beyond our four walls. 10% of the sales of one of our dishes will be given back to Women’s Lunch Place, a safe, welcoming day shelter community, providing nutritious food and individualized services for women who are experiencing homelessness or poverty. American Express Platinum Perk: The Wing and American Express Platinum offer a perk to all Wing members — a $10 credit to the Wing’s cafe The Perch for all members and $50 for Platinum Card Members.
PROGRAMMING
Each week, dozens of events and workshops are hosted at Wing locations ranging from support groups to salary negotiation workshops to panel discussions. The Wing Boston will host an array of events within the first month of opening including business development and financial planning workshops, sex & sexual health workshops, and panels with luminary speakers like Ellen Pao. The Wing is proud to have Saks Fifth Avenue as an official opening partner of The Wing Boston. As The Wing’s exclusive retail partner this summer, Saks will provide a gift for the first 500 members who join The Wing Boston and will be hosting exciting programming throughout the summer in addition to aiding The Wing’s work with Dress for Success.
To date, Wing locations across the country have hosted speakers including Jennifer Lawrence, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Meryl Streep, Tina Fey, Valerie Jarrett, Hillary Clinton, Taraji P. Henson, Stacey Abrams, Jennifer Lopez, Uzo Aduba, Nicole Kidman, Tarana Burke, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Reese Witherspoon, Janet Mock, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Samin Nostrat, Lana Condor, Connie Britton, Laura Dern, Christiane Amanpour, Stormy Daniels, and Jessica Alba. IMPACT Together with the support of local partners and non-profit organizations, The Wing is dedicated to creating programming, volunteer opportunities, and initiatives dedicated to the advancement of women in the wider Boston community.
The Wing’s Impact programming will feature the work of local non-profit and civic organizations for both issues awareness as well as volunteer opportunities for our members. Opening local partner organizations include Dress for Success Boston and The Barbara Lee Foundation.
The Wing strives to provide a platform for elected officials at the local, state, and national levels to connect with members and discuss key political issues. During this election cycle, our spaces will host community town halls and happy hours in support of women candidates on the campaign trail in addition to ensuring that every eligible member is registered to vote. The Wing is proud to be signing on to the 100% Talent Compact, an employer pledge to close the gender pay gap in Boston. The Compact is organized by The Boston Women’s Workforce Council, a public-private partnership between Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Greater Boston business community.
The Wing will also work closely with the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement by hosting their free salary negotiation workshops and women’s entrepreneurship programming. The Wing Scholarship Program launched in 2018 and provides free memberships to The Wing. In Boston, selection will focus on individuals who support the advancement of marginalized women and girls. We will prioritize individuals in the fields of teaching, non-profits, advocacy, and social services. By prioritizing these organizations, we ensure that The Wing Boston community is reflective and supportive of the local community.
Scholarship recipients enjoy full access to the space, community, programming, and opportunities The Wing offers. Scholarship recipients will be encouraged and empowered to grow their network at The Wing to better amplify their work and impact the women and girls they serve. Applications for the Boston scholarship program will be accepted starting late fall.
The Wing comprises a collective of members with a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds. We’re intentional about creating an inclusive space where everyone belongs —
regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual preference, ability, gender identity, or socioeconomic background. From the variety of products in our beauty rooms to programming that amplifies marginalized voices and speaks truth to power, we strive to challenge, uplift, and empower our members.
MEMBERSHIP COST (PER MONTH)
- $185/month single location (Boston)
- $250/month all-access (includes full access to NY, DC, SF, LA & Chicago locations)
The Wing is proud to offer a price point that is extremely competitive or considerably cheaper than other similar co-working spaces in Boston. In addition to our base offerings, our membership fee helps us provide a living wage, stock options & access to healthcare to all of our employees, support women-owned local businesses through our cafe and retail programs, and support local nonprofits working to make a better Boston.
LOCATION 699 Boylston St, Floor 15 & 16 Boston, MA, 02116
HOURS Mon-Fri: 8AM-9PM EST Sat & Sun: 10AM-6PM EST.
