Location: Chelsea, MA, US
Year: 2023
Program: Housing
Floor Area: 460,000 SF
Critic: Sean Canty
School: Harvard GSD
Team: Nehemiah Ashford-Carroll, Michael Chang, Rikki Tan
Status: Unbuilt
Super (W)hole
This adaptive reuse housing project in Chelsea, MA, transforms a neglected industrial-turned-commercial office park less than 4 miles from Boston. Focused on addressing the "missing middle" housing types, we bridge the gap between detached homes and high-rise apartments, offering diverse housing options tailored to Chelsea's unique challenges. We merge social and physical infrastructures within the existing building footprint through elision and the imposition of a super figure: The Ellipse. Embracing the "super block" typology, Super (W)hole signifies resilience, diversity, and density, fostering inclusive adjacencies and positive urban spaces. This project transcends conventional housing, advocating for a transformative paradigm shift in Chelsea's urban landscape with a commitment to desire, generosity, and adaptability.