micropolis - reverse architecture | modern, …reversearchitecture.com/micropolis.pdf · mous...
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MICROPOLIS: A renovation of a building with 20 very small apartments.Beacon Hill, Boston, MA. Completed July 2016.
View of entry from street: zinc cladding, porcelain fl ooring, reclaimed wood
mosaic with printed imagery.
The lobby mosaic: The design team coordinated salvage of original mid-19th
century beams and reassembled the rough material into fl at panels of various
depths. Printed on these panels are historic images and maps of the building
and immediate neighborhood. Brick walls were exposed and restored.
Beacon Hill, with Mr. Thurston’s house, from Bowdoin StreetCourtesy of the Trustees of the Boston Public Library/Print Department
Dedication of the statue of Daniel Webster before the Massachusetts State House, September 17, 1859Courtesy of the Bostonian Society
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East, from State House, Boston, Mass., ca. 1880–1889Courtesy of the Trustees of the Boston Public Library/Print Department
Bowdoin Street, ca. 1904Courtesy of the Bostonian Society
Image Credits
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The lobby mosaic: The architects conducted extensive re-
search in photo archives to unearth the history of this anony-
mous building. A graphic representation of the wall with image
descriptions, credits, dates, and captions is mounted in the
lobby. Yellow silhouettes represent the building depicted in
historic photos.
UNIT 1
UNIT 2
UNIT 3 UNIT 4
STAIR & ELEVATOR
ENTRANCELOBBY
RESTAURANT
LOCATION & CONTEXT
MICROPOLIS
BEACON HILL
STATE HOUSE PARK
MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE
144 BOWDOIN ST
BEACON STREET
BOWDOIN STREET
BEACON HILL
WEST END
GOV’T CENTER/
FANEUIL HALL MIDTOWN
FINANCIAL
DISTRICTNORTH END
WATERFRONT
BOSTON
COMMON
Unit type 2: One of the larger units, this one features ample storage, a full
kitchen, restored brick chimney, and fantastic daylight.
EXPOSED BRICK
OVERHEAD STORAGE
UNIT 2
BUILT-IN STORAGE
FOLDING MURPHY BED
BUILT-IN MEDIA CENTER
KITCHENETTE WITH COUNTER SEATING
UNIT 3
UNIT 4
UNIT 1
PULL-OUT BENCH
FOLDING TABLE
Exploded Diagram of Typical Unit Types: Showing built-in storage solutions
and transformable elements.
Unit type 2: Showing discrete zones for eating, living, storage and full bath-
room in close proximity.
NTYPICAL FLOOR PLAN VIEW UNIT TYPE 1
VIEW UNIT TYPE 3
UNIT 1UNIT 2
UNIT 3 UNIT 4
Unit type 4: One of the smaller unit types features a compact kitchen, ample
built-in storage, and a folding table.
UNIT 1 (TYPICAL)
UNIT 4 (TYPICAL)
CLOSET
ENTRANCE TO BATHROOM
OVERHEAD STORAGE
FOLDING TABLE
FOLDING MURPHY BED
KITCHENETTE WITH COUNTER SEATING
BUILT-IN MEDIA CENTER WITH CONNECTIONS
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Unit type 4: The architects designed a custom trundle bed to optimize stor-
age and create a transformable social space in the model unit. The bed has a
dresser and a roll-out banquet with coffee table and storage beneath.
Unit type 4: Minimal bathrooms with careful consideration given to every need.
Lobby: Reclaimed (wood), restored (brick), reproduced (masonry), and newly introduced (zinc & porcelain) materials.
Basement: Most of the building services run through a small chase at the cen-
ter of the public stair. Coordinating and locating building systems within such
compact spaces was a great challenge.