It’s not easy to appreciate from the street, but there’s an exponential amount of construction going on inside the 21 Boston project. Since a major portion of the project is housing, it makes sense that the progress is showing up there. Unlike a single family house, however, a lot of what shows up belongs to more than just the particular apartment shown.
In this view, for instance, the black piping will carry waste from multiple units down through the housing and Safeway area to sewer connections in the garage below. Conversely the pairs of HVAC refrigerant lines will route heat pump fluid up to and back down from units on the roof.
Below, it becomes apparent that these various systems are clearly serving multiple units.
In this case multiple black low volt electrical lines are running in parallel with the plumbing.
When the sheetrock shows up, it suddenly seems as if all of this infrastructure has vanished. From the entrance of a unit you would hardly know there’s anything in the walls at all.
In fact, what appear to be complex support systems are actually just the scaffolding outside the windows, all of which will disappear when the facade materials have been installed. Now, however, things are starting to happen on the interior that articulate the spaces. Here are three examples of kitchens in their early stages.
A variety of finish tones have been selected by a skilled interior design team to which the various appliances will be added.
Through the design process, two unit schemes have been selected, Schemes1 and 2.
It’s clear, though, from what has been installed to date, that there is a white/gray/black scheme creating a sophisticated modern palette to which tenants can bring their own unique colors, which allows for substantial variation with just a modest number of variables – a good approach on a large, complex project.
On the lower levels, however, the installations in Safeway are larger and more complex – this is serious, highly integrated construction.
The Safeway frontage area along Queen Anne Avenue is also busy; but the space is larger and the amount of equipment less, so it’s easier to understand.
Here, ductwork is being hung and drain pipe has been installed. Most of this will be concealed above a hung ceiling. In areas where the floor is clear, you can start to get a sense of how the space will open out towards the street.
This view looks west to QA Avenue and south towards the eventual outdoor courtyard. Safeway plans to open its store in about a year.
Travel Design Impressions 