ZEN OF BUSINESS: The wood wall system that wraps around much of the Business District’s 14th floor offices gives the place a temple-like vibe that warms up the natural concrete interiors.
When architect Andrew Wade Keating was designing new offices for Business District on the 14th floor of the Christian Science Plaza tower, he had a dilemma. He didn’t want them to look too loose, like startup digs. Nor did he want them to appear boring, like corporate cubicles.
“We wanted to make it look more tailored,” says Keating of firm Stack and Co., “like a suit.”
VIEWS TO VIE FOR: The 14th and 17th floors have brilliant vistas of the Christian Science Plaza, Symphony Hall, Back Bay and beyond.
FELT GOOD: Felt walls provide color—and sound dampening—for the offices.
So, he dressed the place up. Office walls were covered in wool felt dyed in colors like green, gray and red. And to soften edges, a curving wall system of walnut-stained ash slats was installed. The look fits in well with the office-for-rent setup created by buddies Matt LoGuidice and Ben Gunther, whose work stations can be used by professionals for as briefly as hours and as long as years, at an average monthly rate of $3,000. The interior—a modern take on midcentury chic—also keeps workers’ eyes inside the rooms. That’s a tough task in this high-rise by architect Araldo Cossutta, a partner in I.M. Pei’s firm, with its gorgeous views overlooking Boston’s skyline.
“If you don’t have the right design,” LoGuidice says, “it’s over.”
Business District 177 Huntington Ave., Boston (617-440-9646) thebdistrict.com
Well Suited
Business District mixes work with pleasure of high design
By Adam Smith | Photo Credit: Holly Rike | Dec. 21, 2018
When architect Andrew Wade Keating was designing new offices for Business District on the 14th floor of the Christian Science Plaza tower, he had a dilemma. He didn’t want them to look too loose, like startup digs. Nor did he want them to appear boring, like corporate cubicles.
“We wanted to make it look more tailored,” says Keating of firm Stack and Co., “like a suit.”
So, he dressed the place up. Office walls were covered in wool felt dyed in colors like green, gray and red. And to soften edges, a curving wall system of walnut-stained ash slats was installed. The look fits in well with the office-for-rent setup created by buddies Matt LoGuidice and Ben Gunther, whose work stations can be used by professionals for as briefly as hours and as long as years, at an average monthly rate of $3,000. The interior—a modern take on midcentury chic—also keeps workers’ eyes inside the rooms. That’s a tough task in this high-rise by architect Araldo Cossutta, a partner in I.M. Pei’s firm, with its gorgeous views overlooking Boston’s skyline.
“If you don’t have the right design,” LoGuidice says, “it’s over.”
Business District 177 Huntington Ave., Boston (617-440-9646) thebdistrict.com
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