Good design is a good investment - by Neal Howard

In recent years, Boston has been fortunate to experience low unemployment and a booming economy that has led residents, from millennials to empty-nesters, to increasingly to make downtown their home. This shift has allowed for the creation and absorption of more than 10,000 new units of housing and millions of s/f of new office, retail and lab buildings in just the last few years. As we enter a period of unprecedented growth in an era where new real estate is increasingly designed, engineered and traded as a commodity, how will Boston’s built environment be defined? It’s up to us - as designers, developers, and residents - to think creatively in how we shape the city’s buildings so that it reflect the city’s culture and values, setting a high standard for the years to come.

Across the globe, civic leaders are making the call for better design. In London recently, mayor Sadiq Khan appointed 50 architects and designers to execute ambitious design standards across the city’s development projects, and Boston’s mayor Marty Walsh has called for bolder, more exciting architecture as well.

It’s time to answer that call. At Transom, we don’t think that good design necessarily means spending more or simply sourcing more expensive materials. Rather, we believe that good design is about the care with which a project is created. That’s why, when it came time to assemble our team to design 212 Stuart St., we brought on Howeler + Yoon, the Boston-based architecture and design firm. 

When we look at the buildings we admire most in different cities, we noticed something they had in common- relief, texture, and intricacies that many of the new multi-family buildings delivered this cycle lack. With Howeler + Yoon, we worked to develop a dynamic building that would meet this need by providing relief in the building facade, delivering depth and texture. The result? A building that balances contextual with unconventional, all while being beautiful and functional.

As part of mayor Walsh’s Housing A Changing City initiative, the city has promised to help create 53,000 new units of housing across the city, and in just the last four years, over 5,000 class A housing units came online downtown. In an increasingly competitive market, good design is about more than looking good- it also offers a strong value proposition. Not only can a well-designed project can lead to higher rents, quicker absorption, lower cap rates and higher renewal rates, but it will also help the building perform better in the market. With more and more units coming on the market, simply being new will not be enough. Compelling design will be critical to stand above others in the market.

Good design can, and should, raise the bar for developers, creating a ripple effect the city will benefit from. As Boston’s building boom continues, its our responsibility to deliver compelling design, joining others, nationally and globally, who are embracing creativity and innovation in building design. 

Neal Howard is a principal at Transom Real Estate, Boston, Mass.