Project
The Dahod Family Alumni Center at the Castle
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
Finegold Alexander Architects, along with a team of engineers and specialty consultants, transformed this distinguished mansion into a vibrant new Alumni Center serving Boston University’s 300,000-plus graduates. The project includes a complete exterior restoration, total MEP systems replacement, selective interior renovation, and an addition to the lower level including a new commercial kitchen to expand the BU Pub. Full accessibility was provided to the building’s public spaces. Originally built in 1915 by William Lindsey Jr. as a family home, the Castle has become an iconic, high profile location for not only the Alumni of Boston University, but also for faculty dining, graduate student gatherings and numerous other university events.
(Photo credit: exterior photos - Raj Das Photography; interior photos - Jane Messinger Photography; BU Pub photo - Anton Grassl Photography)
Share via
Size
12,280 SF
Scope
Preservation, Renovation, Addition
Program
Alumni Center Offices, Faculty Dining, Event Space, BU Fuller’s Pub
Sustainability
LEED Gold
Awards
2019 Preservation Achievement Award from the Boston Preservation Alliance
2019 BD+C Reconstruction Award: Honorable Mention
2020 Preservation Massachusetts, Paul & Niki Tsongas Award
2021 SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture: Honorable Mention
In the news
No items found.
Project EUI
No items found.
“In a campus with many purpose-built, modern facilities, it’s of great value to provide a distinctive and memorable sense of place that connects to the grandeur of a residential neighborhood that’s hard to otherwise grasp. Buildings like this one allow a continuum of memory to this place and across multiple generations of students."
Greg Galer, Executive Director of the Boston Preservation Alliance (BPA)
No items found.
The existing building envelope suffered significantly from air infiltration, a complete lack of insulation and central HVAC system. The commitment was made early in the project to pursue LEED Gold certification. The team snaked new refrigerant lines through the building for a new VRF system, provided a highly insulated and vented roofing system beneath the new slate tiles, and tightened the building through a complete repointing and the restoration and weatherstripping of the historic wood windows. Stormwater was managed on-site and where new materials were installed, they were carefully selected for human health. The building achieved LEED Gold certification.
No items found.
“The building was at a point where a lot of deferred maintenance was coming to a head... It was time to do a major renewal/restoration, yet at the same time, there were some amazing historical interiors that were quite intact—they just needed a little buff and polish and some infrastructure to make them sing.”
Rebecca Berry, Principal, Finegold Alexander
You may also like this
view other project categories