Auburn Court
Homeowners Rehab, Inc., Cambridge, MA
“Some of the best mixed-income housing built since the 1980s”
This nine-building mixed-income housing development was designed to fit into the residential scale and texture of the surrounding Cambridgeport neighborhood and the adjacent six-story University Park mixed-use project. The three-block complex includes a mix of three-story stacked flats shaping landscaped courtyards and apartments that step up in height to a maximum of six stories.
The Auburn Court complex consists of three garden courtyard residential blocks and a small public park interconnected by a continuous pedestrian network.
- All of the buildings include multiple entries, bay windows, stoops, and generous balconies facing outdoor play areas to animate the streetscape and to encourage community interaction.
- Units facing the park were designed as four- to six-story stepped buildings that frame the entrance to University Park, a large-scale commercial development next door.
- All units have private outdoor space, either a courtyard patio, a porch, or a balcony.
- The steel-framed buildings were sheathed primarily in wood siding and trim to extend the character of the neighborhood.
- Color was used to relate the development to the older neighborhood, and to create modulation and variation under stringent budget constraints.
- Nearly 50% of the site is dedicated to landscaped courtyards, parks, and play areas.
