In 2020, BWA Architecture completed a Physical Conditions Assessment for the Brockton Housing Authority at the Campello Towers, a senior housing development consisting of 398 apartments in two 10-story high-rises on a large parcel in the Campello neighborhood of the city.

 

The site is bordered to the south and east by two rivers and their associated protected wetlands. This provides a valuable natural amenity for residents, but also significantly limits the area available for development. The challenge was to arrive at a development concept that would achieve full replacement of all 398 units, plus two additional units on the site, while staying clear of the conservation restrictions and allowing service and access to the existing towers during construction.

 

BWA proposed a two-building solution that would achieve these objectives and reduce the number of required elevators and stair cores in order to reduce costs. In addition, the site plan was designed to strengthen the connection to the landscape and provide opportunities for social interaction and interaction with nature. However, due to financing limitations, BWA was directed to pursue a phased construction, three-building solution. Again, the focus was on enhancing social and outdoor spaces, providing pedestrian connectivity and the opportunity for physical movement, while respecting the physical constraints imposed by the site.