This HOPE VI project involved the remaking of an urban neighborhood in Dudley Square, one of the most disinvested areas of Boston. DHK’s master plan called for new construction of approximately 220 units within the existing public housing site and new construction of 120 units on vacant land in surrounding sites. The main objective of the master plan was to re-create the scale and character of residential neighborhood, something that was destroyed when the original development of standardized buildings on a superblock replaced the traditional housing stock in the 1940’s. This was accomplished by creating new residential streets, smaller city blocks and a variety of building blocks and typologies.
The architecture of the new buildings is characterized by pitched roofs and gable ends with cornices, columns, siding and trim, reflecting the prevailing architectural vocabulary of the area. All units have their own front and rear yards. The details of this comprehensive urban renewal project were designed to create a sense of a coherent community with elements such as front doors, front yards and porches facing residential streets.