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Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Awards 2018 Finalist: Vivo Apartment Homes
July 25, 2018
Vivo Apartment Homes is the first residential building in the new science park of Cambridge’s Kendall Square, in the heart of Technology Square, and is the ideal home for many of the workforce that surrounds it. Kendall Square is a rapidly growing neighborhood within Cambridge due to many key pharmaceutical and software companies moving into the area, such as Biogen, Pfizer, IBM, Facebook, Google. The site of the building is within walking distance to the MIT campus and less than one-mile from the Red Line, a major artery of public transportation for the city.
Vivo is an eight-story structure, with the ground floor dedicated to retail, and other amenities and spaces to serve the building’s residents. Of the 91 units, 12 are affordable at or below 60% of AMI; 15 are for middle-income/workforce housing; and 64 are rented at market rate.
Two major components have made this project innovative. From a design perspective, it utilized a new and innovative structural system, GIRDER-SLAB®. The system, in combination with a structural steel frame, offers a complete steel and concrete superstructure. Unlike cast-in-place concrete structures, this system uses off-site prefabricated components that are quickly erected on site, even in cold weather.
This project also provides a true mix of inclusionary housing at multiple income levels without the use of public funds. The project successfully allocated affordable apartments, middle income/workforce housing, and market-rate units, equally distributed through the building – a first of its kind.
Location: Cambridge, MA
Developer: Alexandria Real Estate Equities
Owner: AIMCO
Partners: DiMella Shaffer, Gilbane Construction