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Cambridge Crossing (CX) – ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Winner
April 26, 2023
Photo By Mark Flannery
Aerial Perspective of Cambridge Crossing
Photo By Mark Flannery
Aerial Perspective of Cambridge Crossing’s retail core, 5-acre Common, surrounding life science and residential buildings, and roadway infrastructure
Location: Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston, Massachusetts
Developer: DivcoWest
Designers: Urban Designers and Master Planners- CBT Architects; Master Plan Consultant- Ken Greenberg; Landscape Architect- Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.
Site Size: 43 Acres
Photo By Anton Grassel
Aerial Perspective of Cambridge Crossing’s retail core, 5-acre Common, and surrounding life science and residential buildings
The site was formerly an abandoned railyard now transformed into a neighborhood designed for human interaction and health and wellness both inside and out. The master plan vision for Cambridge Crossing includes 2.5 million square feet of life science and tech space, 2.4 million square feet of residential space, 100,000 square feet of retail space, and 11 acres of open space with views of the Boston skyline and nearby Charles River Basin parks. The neighborhood is also connected to Kendall Square and woven into the East Cambridge community. The project broke ground in 2017 and, at that time, it was the first LEED Sustainable Site in New England, one of six WELL Communities in the U.S. and the third ENVISION certified project in Massachusetts. With a sustainability-focused approach at its core, all buildings are LEED and Wired Score certified, and each is connected to one of the many open spaces throughout the neighborhood providing the ability to bring life and work inside out.
Photo By DivcoWest
The Common and Picnic Grove, a central community gathering space at Cambridge Crossing
Approximately 25% of the site is dedicated to community open spaces, organized along an east-west “green corridor” that intersects with a north-south human-scale retail corridor at the site’s core. This intersection is designed to encourage human interaction and strengthen a sense of community. The 4.3-acre central common and gathering space is the armature around which the buildings are organized. Taller buildings on the northeastern side of the site create a buffer from the I-93 highway. Shorter buildings frame the site’s southwestern edge, facing the smaller-scaled buildings, creating a neighborhood that seamlessly integrates into adjacent East Cambridge. The site’s central common is complemented by 6.7 acres of smaller open spaces, all designed for different uses. All of these spaces are open to the public and dedicated to local visionaries and pioneers in the community, further strengthening a sense of belonging and community integration.
Photo By Flavio D Photography
CX Summer Nights, a signature concert series and one of the many community engagement programs at Cambridge Crossing
The common provides significant economic, environmental, and social benefits to the community and to the residential, commercial, and retail infrastructure. It manages the development’s stormwater, provides urban habitat, mitigates urban heat island effects, and absorbs carbon dioxide. Socially, it is the heart of the community and during the warmer months it hosts outdoor concerts, fitness classes, public art installations, and other pop-up community events that are free to attend and open to all.
Photo By Tom Harris
350 Water Street, a state-of-the-art science building now home to Sanofi
Each life science and tech building at CX is designed by a different architect, delivering a unique identity and fostering a sense of individualism within this new innovation hub. The spaces are thoughtfully designed to encourage collaboration and inspire those within to do their best work. Retail spaces at CX are at the core of the neighborhood, creating a hub for activity and a centralized destination.
Photo By Anton Grassel
The Shed, a vibrant retail destination at the heart of the Cambridge Crossing
CX is designed to promote connectivity and alternative transportation options. Open spaces and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks link buildings throughout the site, while linear parks and bikeways provide additional opportunities for outdoor activity. A new pedestrian stairway to the east now connects CX to Charlestown and Bunker Hill Community College, and the Community Bike Path allows cyclists to travel from Boston’s suburbs through CX to downtown Boston. With access to two MBTA stations, including the new Green Line Lechmere Station on site, CX is a transit-oriented development that provides enhanced connectivity and accessibility. The completion of the MBTA station was the result of a successful public-private partnership between DivcoWest, the City of Cambridge, and community leaders.