East Boston Police Station
Boston, MA

Located on a waterfront site along the Chelsea River, the new Area 7 police station will create enhanced community access, improved dispatch response times, and a sustainable, resilient facility for the East Boston neighborhood.  Developed in conjunction with the City of Boston Public Facilities Department, the community institution will act as a mediator between the industrial, commercial, and residential uses in that part of the city.  Tracking LEED silver certification, the project will begin construction in Fall 2019.

The building responds in scale to the adjacent residential buildings, and in materials to East Boston’s brick civic buildings, by featuring a granite and terra cotta-clad structure with a glass entry corner facing onto a public plaza. The glass tower of the double height public lobby and Community Room clearly identify the public entry and impart a sense of welcome and arrival to the station. The new station strives to be welcoming to the public but must also be a highly secure facility, housing detective offices and a detention area. It is organized across its length by increasing levels of security.

The occupied spaces inside the building were designed around a central core to maximize daylight and views.  The front supervisory desks can see all public areas and have connections to police operations and detention areas.  All of the office spaces allow for maximum flexibility.  All occupied spaces in the building receive natural light.