Iron Works Phase 1: Cole Hersee Buildings

Project Details

Project Description

Spanning two city blocks in South Boston, the re-envisioned Cole Hersee Company buildings mark the opening phase of a larger 2M square foot development named Iron Works. The Iron Works project is expected to add mixed residential, office, and retail spaces to an industrial area of the neighborhood. This initial phase includes two buildings formerly occupied by electrical product manufacturer, the Cole Hersee Company, and has ignited the repositioning of the area by establishing a retail and restaurant destination.

The project scope included preserving the buildings’ industrial character and reimagining each façade. The interdisciplinary design team of architects and graphic designers created a conceptual visioning process to reposition the project for a new community experience that bridges the neighborhood’s existing housing east of the site and the future development along Dorchester Avenue. This included architectural interventions, new windows and storefronts, deployment of graphic murals, and activation of the sidewalk presence for the benefit of the neighborhood and the wider public. The design team’s façade improvement plan included a unified system of new storefronts and windows, graphic murals, strategic lighting, and tenant signage guidelines. The design expanded openings for similar size and proportion, creating entrances for new tenant spaces and adding uniformity between buildings. A ‘color-blocking’ system for painting the existing brick façades pairs with bold graphic patterning punctuating and reproportioning the facades and defining the new tenant zones. The exterior murals envisioned by the design team were executed by local muralist Mark Grundig.

The repositioning process is ongoing, including additional new storefronts, bold exterior graphic accents, and historic character cut outs inspired by the buildings’ history. Current tenants include a bakery, a taproom and beer garden, a rock-climbing facility, a cycling pop-up, and an agricultural technology headquarters and showroom, with more retail spaces expected to open soon.