CAMBRIDGE, MA – A ribbon cutting ceremony was held recently to celebrate the opening of Temple Place, a six-story apartment complex that will provide 40 units of much needed affordable housing to Cambridge residents. Nauset Construction completed the project for project owner Cambridge Housing Authority, utilizing the design of Cambridge-based HMFH Architects to achieve Enterprise Green Community certification.
The ceremony was attended by U.S. Congressman Michael E. Capuano, Undersecretary for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Chrystal Kornegay, City of Cambridge officials (including Mayor E. Denise Simmons and Gregory Russ, executive director of the Cambridge Housing Authority), representatives from Nauset Construction and HMFH Architects, as well as other political, financial and development partners.
Located in Central Square with convenient access to the MBTA bus lines and the Red Line, the $11 million project transformed the site of the former YWCA swimming pool into 15 one-bedroom and 25 two-bedroom high-quality apartments for low income families and individuals. Several of the units were designed specifically to provide universal access for residents with mobility, visual or hearing impairments. The building was also designed and constructed in compliance with the Enterprise Green Communities Program to maximize energy-efficiency. Sustainability measures included abundant daylighting, bamboo flooring, energy efficient window systems, energy and water conservation equipment, and building materials manufactured from recycled and sustainable content.
The residential portion of the building sits atop a street level parking garage that provides 18 automobile parking spaces, 24 spaces for bike parking, a common laundry room, a property management office, utility rooms, maintenance storage space, and an attractive and welcoming lobby area. The exterior of the building is visually striking with its contrasting pattern of colors made up of easily maintained fiber-cement siding. The landscaping provides an almost seamless connection to the adjacent YWCA Cambridge building with attractive pathways that lead residents and their visitors to an entrance that features a welcoming pineapple etching on the glass doorways.
Constructed in a densely settled urban neighborhood, the project presented a variety of challenges for Nauset, including assuring the safety of the neighbors while minimizing disruptions to the building’s abutters, the bustling YWCA facility. “We had to tightly manage site logistics and other construction activities throughout the process so as to not interfere with the ability of the YWCA and its neighbors to function properly,” said Nauset president Anthony Papantonis. “Our vast experience working in dense urban settings as well as building sustainable projects served us well on this transit-oriented development.”
