Skip to Content
suggested searches
close

Trinity Church in the City of Boston
Trinity Church

Trinity Church, a National Historic Landmark and one of Boston’s most treasured buildings, was restored and expanded to conserve the building and improve its functionality.

  • Location

    • Boston, MA

    Size

    • 18,000 GSF

    Program

    • Undercroft, large gathering space, lecture and forum space, meeting rooms, classroom facilities

    Practice area

    Certifications

    • LEED Gold Certified

    Awards

    • National Preservation Honor Award, National Trust for Historic Preservation
    • Honor Award Citation, Boston Society of Architects
    • Preservation Award, Massachusetts Historical Commission
    • Preservation Achievement Award, Boston Preservation Alliance
    • Preservation Award, The Victorian Society in America, New England Chapter
    • Reconstruction & Renovation Platinum Award, Building Design + Construction Magazine
    • Tucker Design Award, Building Stone Institute
    • AON Build America Award, Associated General Contractors of America
    • Project Leadership Award, Construction Owner’s Association of America
    • Build New England’s Chairman’s Award, Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts
    • Best New Space in Boston, Boston Globe Magazine

Tripartite stewardship: community, building, and environment

Originally designed by H.H. Richardson in 1877, Trinity Church is regarded as one of the most significant buildings in American architecture. In a true partnership forged over two decades of collaboration with the church, Goody Clancy orchestrated a multi-phase renewal that preserved the structure’s architectural integrity, dramatically improved the quality and quantity of its gathering spaces, and enhanced the building’s accessibility and energy performance.

Phase 2: Exterior tower restoration

Phase 1: Installation of six geothermal wells–the first in Boston’s historic Back Bay neighborhood.

Phase 5: Restoration of the tower interior

Phase 4: Renovation of the Parish House

Through a two-year comprehensive building assessment and planning phase, which involved 90 different interest groups, we identified a five-phased approach to Trinity Church’s renewal.
This decades-long renewal has truly been a community collaboration. The ideas of nearly 100 different interest groups–including historians and international conservation experts–helped inform our work and build widespread consensus. Headshot of Jean Carroon with blue background
Jean Carroon Principal

Digging Deep for Community Spaces

Over 12,000 SF of space was excavated to create the Undercroft, a flexible new community gathering and meeting space.
The project demonstrates the highest levels of preservation standards, including extensive archival and materials research, development of a Historic Structures Report, and laser-measured base plans.
Retrofits, including a 1:20 ramp and bridge inserted into the cloister (above) and new elevators, provide universal access and protect historic fabric.
Carved sandstone elements on the interior and exterior of the building were preserved.
Construction staging space was tightly constrained on all sides by bustling streets and Copley Square.
Stained glass and murals by major 19th-century artists, including John La Farge, were meticulously conserved and restored.
The Undercroft’s design juxtaposes warm cherry woodwork with the existing granite foundation.
A small retail area was added to the church’s program with the insertion of a bookstore in the Undercroft.
Project impact
  • 100%

    Of stormwater is managed on site and distributed to maintain ground water levels essential to the structural integrity of the wood pilings

  • 1,500 ft

    Deep wells were dug into the bedrock to fuel a new geothermal energy system that heats and cools nearly 30,000 SF of space

For more information about this project:

Share this project:

Project Team

Dongik Lee

Gianfranco Pocobene

Julie L. Sloan

Lawrence Architectural Plan

LeMessurier

Maurice A. Reidy Engineers

McPhail Associates

The Thompson & Lichtner

Photography

Andy Caulfield

Anton Grassl

related content

Back to top