carriage grove
LOCATION: Belchertown, MA
PROGRAM: Mixed-Use Commercial and Residential
TOTAL AREA: 115,000 SF (Phase 1A) / 15,000 SF (Phase 1B)
CLIENT: Brisa Builders Development
PARTNERS: edm, GZA
Carriage Grove is a mixed-use, multi-phase redevelopment project of the former Belchertown State School (BSS) site in Belchertown, Massachusetts. Working closely with the Belchertown Economic and Development Industrial Corporation (BEDIC), Brisa and Paul Castrucci Architects envision Phase One as an (A) affordable housing, multifamily development and (B) a revitalization of existing historic structures and the landscape.
Phase 1A will consist of a new, dense neighborhood of 107 mixed-income apartments for working families in a variety of building typologies, including affordable multifamily low-rise, market-rate low-rise apartments, and rental townhouse units complete with site amenities. Phase 1B will be a restoration and revitalization project of the BSS Administration Building, a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places, converting the building into a local history museum and archive and its extension into a regionally-focused food and beverage hub.
The project’s planning is guided by several sustainability principles: reducing the built footprint to make room for more nature and biodiversity; providing open space and activities for residents to create a connection to nature; orienting housing to provide sun-filled apartments that maximize passive heat gain and rooftop solar PV opportunities; increasing opportunities for biking and public transit; and reducing reliance on the car. All of the new structures on the site will be built according to Passive House and sustainable design principles that emphasize healthy, controlled interior environments, bright interiors, high-efficacy mechanical systems, and the use of sustainably-sourced and local materials. The project will be funded through the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and certified through the Enterprise Green Communities program.