Utile has been hired by The Beal Companies to develop a sustainable cafe concept for the main office building at The Arsenal on the Charles complex. The study reveals how the surplus space in the lobby area can facilitate  increased employee interaction and provide new meeting, assembly, and dining spaces.

At last! Our urban design for Broad Street is taking shape. They are currently installing our state-of-the-art storm water collection system, developed by our landscape partners Richard Burck Associates. What you see (above left) are the PVC water collection sumps, each of which is located beneath a custom drain inlet. Each drain inlet is the size of a brick (above right), and is integrated into the overall brick pattern of the sidewalk. It is essentially a porous sidewalk, which captures rainwater and delivers it to the roots of the adjacent Ginko trees, whose roots will be allowed to spread. Gone are the days of the sad, undernourished street tree!

Tim Love recently appeared on a panel at Build Boston about how architects and developers can work together to engage the community and ensure the success of their projects. Helene Solomon moderated the panel, which also featured Aaron Gornstein, executive director of the Citizens’ Planning and Housing Association; Rebecca A. Lee, real estate partner at Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP; and Paul McMorrow, associate editor at CommonWealth Magazine and Boston Globe contributor.

Utile, Inc. has been designated by the Boston Redevelopment Authority as the master planners for City Hall Plaza. Utile–working closely with Reed Hilderbrand Associates and Alex Krieger of Chan Krieger NBBJ–will develop an implementation master plan for the plaza, building on the momentum from the EPA’s Greening America’s Capitals project.

The new curtain wall for Mattahunt Elementary School is going up! Utile has been working with Gale Associates on the project for the Boston Public Facilities Department.

Utile is part of a collaborative team, led by McMahon Transportation and Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, that is studying McGrath Highway for its potential to reconnect fragmented Somerville while still serving local and regional traffic needs. The team has finished the analysis of existing conditions and is starting the next phase of work, developing alternatives for this corridor in Somerville.

We’re very pleased to announce that the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion won the Grand Honor Award at the Build New England Awards gala last night. The Build New England Awards program, organized by the Associated General Contractors (AGC), recognizes project teams for their collaborative approach to planning, designing, and building structures that meet the vision and goals of the client and enhance the community. Tom Powers, the president of the Boston Harbor island Alliance, said of the pavilion: “The team developed an innovative construction method for the thin concrete roof, and dealt creatively with the challenges of building the first permanent structure on top of the Central Artery and Tunnel.”

Turner Special Projects was the contractor on the project, and key subcontractors included S&F Concrete, Shawn Keller, and Valley Crest. The design team consisted of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Allied, IDEO, Reed Hilderbrand, VHB, Solar Design, and Joel Lamere. Congratulations to the entire design and construction team!

Utile and GFC Development are pleased to have been selected for Mayor Menino’s Energy Positive “E+” Green Building Demonstration Program. Utile and GFC will be developing a project for 64 Catherine Street in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood.

Congratulations to the other teams selected to develop sites: Interface Studio Architects with Urbanica Design + Development and TurnKey Development, and Nickerson Design Services with Transformations Zero Energy Homes/Sage Builders.

See the winning entries on the Boston Redevelopment Authority website.

The Provincetown Harbor Hotel was named the best Cape Cod boutique hotel by Boston Magazine’s annual “Best of Boston” issue, and was lauded for its “mod new look” and “superb amenities”.  The hotel opened on June 24th.