PERSPECTIVES

As reported in Building Design + Construction, the City of Boston recently adopted Massachusetts's new Stretch Code of sustainability standards, which includes a requirement for every new multifamily building built in Boston to meet passive building requirements starting January 1, 2024.

This represents a big step in the right direction for sustainability! Creating Passive House buildings has unique challenges, but we know we have the skills to achieve higher performing buildings without sacrificing great design.

We're currently working on multiple Passive House developments totaling 673 units of housing - check out more on a few of those projects here:

1234-1240 Soldier's Field Road includes 534 units of housing; two of the four buildings in the development are being designed to Passive House standards.

52 New Street includes 110 affordable housing units and ground-floor retail and is targeting Passive House certification.

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BLDUP sat down with Ruthie Kuhlman, Associate at RODE Architects and the project manager for 102 Temple Street in Worcester, MA. Ruthie has worked across multiple scales and project types for over a decade, as both an architect and an engineer. She has a passion for problem solving through thoughtful contextual design.

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BLDUP: What is happening at 102 Temple Street and who are you working with on the project?

Ruthie Kuhlman: “The project is located in the Canal District in Worcester; an urban, walkable, historic neighborhood with a lot of amenities and new development, including Polar Park. 102 Temple is a gateway site at the edge of the district, which we partnered with Zak Kiritsy  at AKROS Development to reimagine. The project went through site plan review over the last year, with approval in the fall of 2022, and is currently progressing through design drawings.”

BLDUP: What made you want to join this project in Worcester? What is attractive about Worcester?

Ruthie Kuhlman: “We’re excited to be designing in Worcester because of the urban context; it has a great atmosphere with walkable, urban amenities and a lot of history. Through discussions with current residents, we learned that the combination of the urban environment, regional connectivity with the train station, and welcoming laid-back vibe make it a great place to live."

BLDUP: How does the design of 102 Temple Street respect the history of the Canal District?

Ruthie Kuhlman: “102 Temple St is a transitional site, on an edge condition adjacent to Grafton Street and I-290, which are very vehicular oriented, and connecting to Harding St, a main pedestrian thoroughfare. The site has potential to be a gateway building, using the scale and massing to define the edge of Canal District - referencing the adjacent Bradley Osgood Building; while creating a contemporary reflection of Worcester which builds on the design of its industrial past. The project uses  gridded bays with framing and large windows to tie into the industrial language of the area, while using a clean contemporary facade and angling the exterior walls of the building at 5 degrees to create a pocket park on Temple Street for a pedestrian-centric public realm.”

BLDUP: What is the Green Worcester Plan and how did you incorporate your all-electric design element?

Ruthie Kuhlman: “The Green Worcester Plan is a working plan to make Worcester one of the most sustainable and climate-resilient mid-sized cities in America by 2050. The goals of the Green Worcester Plan align well with AKROS’ development goals for 102 Temple St. The building is designed to be all electric and can utilize alternative energy through the integration of a PV array at the roof level. A stacker parking system - the first in the city - which provides the needed parking in the district within a minimal square footage, and will have up to 22 EV charging stations. There is also a bike room in the project and an, EV carshare for residents to use, creating different ways for alternate transportation supplementing the transit oriented location within one block of the train station.

The project is also pursuing mass timber construction, which would utilize cross laminated timber columns, beams and planks to create a sustainable building structure. This would incorporate carbon sequestering into the design of the project, as well as allow for the warmth of the wood structure to be exposed within the project design.  Mass timber is an up-and-coming construction type here in the Northeast, and it’s exciting to incorporate it here in Worcester."

BLDUP: Can we expect more RODE projects in Central Massachusetts, Worcester specifically?

Ruthie Kuhlman: “We’re excited to be working in Worcester and look forward to being involved in more opportunities to help enhance the design of this growing city. RODE brings expertise through our approach to challenging urban sites; figuring out the right solutions to design impactful and contextual projects through collaboration with the client and the city. Worcester has a rich history and a vibrant urban atmosphere which creates great locations to design within."

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Ben Wan and Jessica Haley promoted to principals as firm expands its size and breadth of work

BOSTON, April 4, 2023 - RODE Architects, a Boston-based collaborative design and architecture firm, is proud to announce the promotion of Ben Wan and Jessica Haley to principal, recognizing their design leadership and continued contributions to the firm. The promotions come at an important time of growth for the company, which has grown to 35 employees since its founding in 2006, and has expanded its work throughout the region. Their work continues to focus on the transformative power of a collaborative design process, now being applied on new project types that reflect how the world has changed over the past few years.

“RODE will always strive to make ourselves better, and the promotions of our staff, especially at the higher levels denotes our mission to always focus and reinvest in the firm to insure its viability into the future. Ben and Jess represent the best of RODE and we are excited to see them grow into these deserving promotions,” said Eric Robinson, Principal and Co-Founder of RODE.

“We are extremely proud of the resilience of our team at RODE and how our team’s culture has adapted to the unprecedented conditions of the last few years. During this time we've continued to grow our capabilities and build on our reputation for delivering transformative design,” said Kevin Deabler, Principal and Co-Founder of RODE.

The firm, which just finalized its office renovation that doubled their physical footprint, looks forward to continued growth and expansion with Wan and Haley, both longtime team members, taking on expanded leadership positions.

The promotions signify that both Wan and Haley are leaders within the firm and in the industry. They’ve each spent over ten years helping cultivate and develop the deep expertise RODE is known for- tackling complex problems and delivering strong, concept-driven solutions. Deabler and Robinson will continue to lead alongside the new Principals. This allows Deabler and Robinson to expand the firm’s work into new regions with an expanding client-base.

Wan, who was the firm’s first employee, is often involved in all aspects of RODE’s design process and internal operations. His work is focused on finding elegant design solutions within the complexities of building programs, urban communities, and diverse user-groups. He can see through the challenges of climate resilience, sustainability and policy reform to deliver positive results for his clients. Highlights from his portfolio include the redesign of Harvard Art Museum’s off-campus conservation lab and research center, the Neponset Wharf redevelopment, and the Appalachian Mountain Club’s new headquarters.

Haley, who also serves as the Director of Interior Design, keeps a strong pulse on the industry as an integral part of RODE’s growth in the hospitality sector as well as their success in creating community through transformative design. Haley’s unique, concept-driven approach to interior design and architecture focus on human experience and has resulted in spaces that create community. Her portfolio includes Cambria Hotel Boston Downtown-South Boston and Chef Will Gilson’s multifaceted space, The Lexington, with three distinct dining experiences under one roof. RODE is anticipating strong growth in its interior design work over the next five to 10 years.

With the addition of Wan and Haley to the leadership team, RODE is well positioned for an expanded presence across the northeastern US, including active projects in six states. As they continue to expand, RODE will continue to demonstrate why their concept-driven approach works across all typologies to elevate the human experience and build community.  

About RODE Architects

RODE is a Boston-based team of architects, designers, and urban planners who know that great design has the power to transform our environment. We have cultivated a network of driven people – employees, clients, builders, community members – who share this mission, and know that working collaboratively is the best way to achieve our goals. The breadth and depth of our collective capabilities enable us to apply our practice across an array of project types that includes mixed-use, hospitality, multi-family, commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Clients select RODE to drive the design process and ensure their vision is realized. For more information and to be inspired visit www.rodearchitects.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Natalie Milewski, Elevate Communications, nmilewski@elevatecom.com

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Originally posted on the Boston Real Estate Times, February 20, 2023

WALTHAM, MA—Boston Real Estate Times, the region’s largest print, online and video real estate magazine, today announced its list of Outstanding Women of Commercial Real Estate 2023. All the winners will be honored on March 10, 2023 during a breakfast award ceremony at the Westin Hotel in Waltham, MA.

“They are being recognized for their outstanding contribution to the commercial real estate industry in New England,” said Upendra Mishra, publisher of the Boston Real Estate Times and its sister publication Life Sciences Times. “We’re also very thankful to our readers who took their time and nominated these pioneering women. We’re looking forward to honoring them on behalf of our readers and the commercial real estate community on March 10, 2023.)

Boston Real Estate Times will also publish a special glossy print edition that will highlight the contribution and achievements of this group.

The breakfast award ceremony will be held on March 10, 2023 from 7:00 am to 10:30 am at Westin Hotel in Waltham, MA.

To purchase a ticket, please click here. For sponsorship opportunities, please email events@MishraGroup.com .

Jessica Haley, Principal & Director of Interior Design, RODE Architects

Jessica is RODE Architects Principal and Director of Interior Design. Jessica heads the firm’s interiors team, which is responsible for many of Greater Boston’s most loved spaces, including Bar Volpe, Cambria Hotel South Boston, The Lexington and James Beard nominated SRV. In addition to hospitality, Jessica has worked within a variety of other sectors including multi-family, corporate and institutional, with her work featured in NBC’s Restaurants Reinvented, Restaurant Development + Design Magazine and other national publications.

Jessica has cultivated a rigorous design approach within the firm that defines a foundational concept for every project, then crafts a cohesive and inspired space around it. This has led to the creation of memorable, unique designs that combine tried and true design with an innovative approach. Since joining RODE, which is proud to be 53% female in an often male-dominated industry, Jessica has worked on more than three dozen projects in the region – which showcases her impact on design in the city. Boston provides a richly layered historic context for designers, and Jessica has exhibited an adept skill and deep experience in making contemporary spaces that complement that existing fabric, while imbuing projects with humanistic vitality.

Jessica has been pivotal in growing the interiors team at RODE, which now accounts for 15% of the total employees. Jessica has been instrumental as a mentor to many at the firm as they progress their careers in the industry. Jessica also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the Boston Architectural College (BAC), where she was recently awarded the 2022 Distinguished Alumni in Interior Architecture Award for her exemplary accomplishments, service and commitment to the field of interior design.

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Developing the future means figuring out our relationship with industrial real estate. Creating a modern city takes imagination - like imagining how to coexist with a little more density or considering more equitable ways to move through our streets and sidewalks. But to balance these priorities with economic growth, we need to imagine combining building use types we probably never thought would be together.

The Urban Industrial Market

Over the past three years, supply chain interruptions have become major obstacles to our economy’s health, impacting all major distribution channels in some manner. More than ever, our cities depend on industrial buildings – modernized warehouses, logistics hubs, and local manufacturing facilities – to maintain the flow of goods and services that fuel our economy.

Principal & co-founder Kevin Deabler will be discussing the future of urban industrial next week at BISNOW’s “Innovating and Developing Boston’s Industrial Market” panel (February 8). Here’s a sneak peek of the issues we’ll be tackling!

• What is the current market demand for development and how are supply vs. demand dynamics impacting the market?
• From a design standpoint, how are you building in flexibility to your spaces to keep up with the changing demand?
• How are development and design needs changing based on the type of tenant: mom and pop store vs. bigger box companies?

We hope to see you there; if you’re not already registered, do so at this link (psst, coupon code I20PfFwTKs will get you 20% off).

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