Goody Clancy

Undercroft at Trinity Church
Trinity Church in the City of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

Goody Clancy was the architect for the restoration and expansion of Trinity Church, a National Landmark building designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and dedicated in 1877. Working with the church to meet the needs of the expanding parish, we transformed the former basement crawlspace into the Undercroft, a new series of spaces below the main church.

Relevant Project Information:

• Program involved transforming the previously dark service cellar below H.H. Richardson's 1877 masterpiece into a light and inviting space for lectures and other gatherings, as well as a visitor area and bookstore.
• With no space for lateral expansion above grade and no “rear” or service area, careful excavation of an additional four feet of depth (without disturbing hundreds of wooden piles) was required in order to create sufficient vertical clearance for the program uses.
• Exposed granite pier foundations support the monumental structure of the church above, and finely crafted cherry benches and woodwork contrast with the rough stone, bringing warmth and comfort to the new space.
• The juncture of old and new materials is clearly articulated, with new interventions carefully woven together with existing details.
• A square pergola-like structure creates a symbolic center in the linear Undercroft, a space that can be subdivided by pivoting large sections of two art glass partitions; designed by artists Alexander Beleshenko and Raffaela Sirtoli Schnell, the large size and bold colors of the images provide counterpoint to the scale and character of the stone piers.

Sustainable Design:

• 100% on-site stormwater management
• New geothermal wells for heating and cooling
• Operable windows for ventilation control
• Energy-saving light fixtures with sensors
• Use of recycled content materials and local/regional materials
• Low VOC compliant paint, carpet, adhesives and composite wood

Awards:

• National Trust for Historic Preservation -- National Preservation Honor Award
• Massachusetts Historical Commission -- Preservation Award
• Boston Preservation Alliance -- Preservation Achievement Award
• Boston Society of Architects -- Honor Award Citation
• Building Stone Institute -- Tucker Design Award
• AGC -- AON Build America Award
• AGC -- Build New England Chairman’s Award
• Building Design + Construction Reconstruction & Renovation Platinum Award
• Construction Owner’s Association of America (COAA) -- Project Leadership Award
• Victorian Society of America -- New England Preservation Award

Additional Recognition:

• Trinity Church Undercroft was named one of the “Best of the New – 2005” by the Boston Globe.