Occupying a pivotal site on Boston Harbor, The Pinnacle at Central Wharf reconnects Downtown Boston with the waterfront and advances the Climate Ready Boston initiative through significant sustainable and resilient design elements.
The tower replaces an existing parking garage, giving half of the previously inaccessible area over to public space. Hugging the southern edge of the site, The Pinnacle at Central Wharf enables a new pedestrian corridor – the Blueway – to connect the waterfront to new active public space, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and Downtown Boston. The tower’s ground-level retail lines a new plaza, where year-round programming activates this new waterfront destination.
The Pinnacle incorporates innovative design strategies pertaining to energy, emissions, water, and materials to minimize its environmental impact and improve the health and wellbeing of the community it serves. Considered efficiency measures include a high-performance envelope, high-efficiency mechanical and ventilation systems, and low-flow and low-consumption plumbing fixtures. The project may also include cross laminated timber decking, solar photovoltaics, combined heat and power energy generation, and rain and grey water reuse systems. To assist with the design process, whole building energy modeling was used to analyze energy conservation scenarios, as well as shadow, glare, pedestrian wind comfort, and internal daylighting.
The building’s curvilinear massing enhances pedestrian comfort on the ground plane by mitigating potential turbulent wind from the water. As the tower rises, setbacks provide outdoor terraces for residents with views to Boston Harbor and downtown. The façade’s textured, scaled materiality is expressed in strong vertical elements, which are folded to provide solar shading and natural ventilation in the residential portion of the tower. The glass curtain wall is also treated with a non-reflective coating to minimize the glare to the neighborhood. Altogether, the new project serves its occupants and the greater community alike, while helping Boston meet its resiliency goals.
Status: Built
Location: Boston, MA, US
Firm Role: Architect
Additional Credits: Client: The Chiofaro Company
