Maya Schumpert and Rachaya Wattanasirichaigoon

The project explores the opportunities and challenges of converting office spaces into affordable housing. The final proposal converts the One Constitutional Wharf (OCW) office (CBT’s office building) into housing units as a process of research.

The research studies design precedents and examine the actual design operations they used. The cases suggested very interesting features of office buildings built in different periods.

OCW is not an exception to modern office conversion challenges, including big floor plates and irregularly angled perimeter, along with efforts to enhance the building's character and modify circulation. Opportunities are also present, as the depth is enough to make new open spaces, generous spaces exist around the building, the structure is not too complicated for change, roof space is available for subtracted GFA, and a fantastic view of Charles River.

The project concludes by decoding conversion operations through the OCW exercise for future actual commissions that are predicted to increase. The research reconfirms that adaptive reuse is as discretionary as a newly designed building, against scoring evaluation methods. Second, a big floor plate depth can make good spaces but 'conventional efficiency' may be a trade-off. Lastly, on the topic of conversion, it is mostly discussed the internal features of the building but actually, the external context is as much, if not more, significant.