Boston Seaport

Large mixed-use developments often require a design process that can respond to multiple scales at once: the experience of the street, the performance of the envelope, and the precision of fabrication. On this Boston seaport mixed-use project, the massing strategy stepped down toward the pedestrian level, breaking the towers into smaller, modular volumes. This approach improved daylight access, opened more corner units, and created terraces throughout the building. But it also introduced a high degree of façade variation—shifts in floor plates, balcony conditions, and material transitions meant the envelope could not rely on a single window type.

Instead of developing dozens of details in isolation, a coordinated curtain wall library was built in the design study process, and used directly in the BIM model. Each window type and panel configuration was treated as a parametric family, adaptable to changes in size, articulation, framing depth, and material finish. As the design evolved, these components could be swapped, stretched, or rationalized without redrawing geometry from scratch. This allowed the façade to retain its variety while still moving toward constructibility.

Iteration happened quickly. Different combinations of window types were tested against performance targets, daylight simulations, and constructability feedback. The outcome was not simply a façade that looked visually complex—it was one that could be built efficiently as well.

Work completed at KPF 2014.
Architectural Design, Visualization, BIM Modeling