A major adaptive reuse project in downtown Boston is showing how building decarbonization and historic masonry preservation can move forward together.
CambridgeSeven has completed a five-year renovation of 26 Court St., described as Boston’s oldest continuously city-owned property. The city has owned the site since 1635. The current building dates to 1912 and was designed by Edward T. P. Graham as the City Hall Annex, later serving as home to the Boston School Department. The renovation converts the 175,000-square-foot, 11-story building into an all-electric, fossil fuel-free municipal workplace.
For masonry professionals, one of the biggest takeaways is how much of the original exterior was kept. CambridgeSeven said 89% of the original limestone, brick, and cast stone structure was preserved while the team modernized the building’s systems. The project followed National Park Service guidelines and restored the Neoclassical Revival facade, including cornices, plus stone ornamentation. Building Conservation Associates served as the preservation consultant.
The building envelope and core infrastructure were also upgraded. The project replaced original windows with high-performance glazing, added new insulation, and installed new mechanical systems. A new transformer vault replaced infrastructure tied to the building’s former coal-fired boilers. Inside, the renovation redesigned the lobby and office floors, exposing riveted steel columns and adding durable wood accents and terrazzo flooring.
Outside, the team widened the sidewalk to create a universally accessible plaza that includes EV charging stations, bike racks, flagpoles, historic granite slabs, and accessible ramps. The project is on track for LEED Platinum certification, and CambridgeSeven said the adaptive reuse reduced embodied carbon emissions by 70% compared with new construction.
Read the full, original article from The Construction Specifier here.