As many of you likely agree with me, most contemporary architecture and buildings in Boston (and in many U.S. cities) is bland and mundane, but there are some projects that really stand out for creative and contextual designs. Tilia in Jamaica Plain is one of the latter! When the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) began accepting bids for the development of an undeveloped linear parcel along Washington Street just south of the Forest Hills T-stop, developers jumped at the opportunity. Urbanica Inc., a local design/development group had the winning proposal which consists of approximately 110‐120 residential units in buildings of varied density ranging from a larger apartment building to more human-scaled townhouses. Led by architect Stephen Chung with Kamran Zahedi as developer, the design for the townhouses specifically is a contemporary nod to the triple-decker form we see so much in the surrounding area. The varied color and recessed sections provide a lot of depth and character to the development along the streetwall.
Buildings of New England 
Why is that? Why are so many contemporary buildings so “bland and mundane” and remaining buildings from the 19th & 18th centuries have so much character and are so pleasing to the eye? Urbanist James Howard Kunstler, on his website ‘Clusterf##k Nation’ runs a monthly ‘Eyesore of the Month’ section, featuring modern, trendy architecture that is truly monstrous.
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I think its honestly how buildings make us feel and how we perceive them. Today, zoning restrictions and many developers hamstring architects to design buildings that meet specific and sometimes strict standards. Often detail and ornament is removed for the bottom line and fenestration and design are dictated more by interior programming than by curb appeal.
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what a great idea – and such an appropriate difference from the usual
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No question this is a tour de force.
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