TYPE: Office to Residential Conversion Project
LOCATION: Boston, MA
STATUS: Complete
LOCATION: Boston, MA
STATUS: Complete
At 127 Tremont, Balance Architects transformed a dilapidated office building into six luxury, full-floor residences above an expansive retail suite—steps from the Park Street T with sweeping views of the Massachusetts State House and Boston Common.
Our creativity drove the core moves: a full gut to the brick shell, selective floor removals, and a basement podium strategy to meet height/occupancy code while unlocking elegant, efficient plans. A modernized fire escape with ballasted stair runs and a new roof extension preserves egress on a tight floor plate, and each home enjoys private elevator entry for a discrete, gallery-like arrival.
Excellence shows up in the details—sleek lobby, new vertical circulation, and high-performance assemblies tuned for comfort, quiet, and long life. Sustainability informed every decision: instead of basement infiltration, we designed an ultra-light intensive green roof that manages stormwater, supports full-depth planting with a custom lightweight soil mix, and frames panoramic views of the Common. Ultra-efficient HVAC and a high-R insulated envelope further reduce operational energy.
None of it happens alone. Our collaboration with city officials, code consultants, structural and MEP engineers, and neighbors aligned the building’s mixed-use ambitions with rigorous life-safety requirements—delivering a refined, resilient project that prefigured Boston’s office-to-residential wave.
Photography by Stephanie Fletcher & Carlos Paronis
Our creativity drove the core moves: a full gut to the brick shell, selective floor removals, and a basement podium strategy to meet height/occupancy code while unlocking elegant, efficient plans. A modernized fire escape with ballasted stair runs and a new roof extension preserves egress on a tight floor plate, and each home enjoys private elevator entry for a discrete, gallery-like arrival.
Excellence shows up in the details—sleek lobby, new vertical circulation, and high-performance assemblies tuned for comfort, quiet, and long life. Sustainability informed every decision: instead of basement infiltration, we designed an ultra-light intensive green roof that manages stormwater, supports full-depth planting with a custom lightweight soil mix, and frames panoramic views of the Common. Ultra-efficient HVAC and a high-R insulated envelope further reduce operational energy.
None of it happens alone. Our collaboration with city officials, code consultants, structural and MEP engineers, and neighbors aligned the building’s mixed-use ambitions with rigorous life-safety requirements—delivering a refined, resilient project that prefigured Boston’s office-to-residential wave.
Photography by Stephanie Fletcher & Carlos Paronis
