Pearl Street

The condominiums at 201 Pearl Street in Cambridge MA represented a challenge that is all too common in many old cities these days: What does one do with a very beautiful old apartment building (a classic New England “triple-decker”), done up in Victorian style that has simply not kept pace with the times? The building was poorly insulated, had outdated systems and a layout of hallways and tiny rooms that lead onto one another; but it was full of charm and lovely detail. The developers (Newmarket Properties of Newmarket NH), working with us hit on an ideal solution. We would renovate the building, top to bottom, in a stylish, contemporary, eco-friendly way that would allow the building to live at least another hundred years. In addition, the developers, aware of the benefits that building green could provide to both sales and to the eventual owners, asked a simple question: can you give us a design that achieves a LEED Silver Certification AND does not cost us a penny more that we’re already planning on spending? We answered yes. The construction started with the careful deconstruction of several built-ins, moldings and old oak flooring – more than 90% of which went to an architectural antiques dealer for later re-use. All demolition debris was sorted and separated for recycling and all new components were chosen for their eco-effectiveness as well as their beauty and cost. The net result is that some months later, there are three sold condominiums with happy new owners awaiting their LEED Silver Certificates (they really DO want to hang them on the wall!).