FP3 Design

Thinking Globally, Designing Locally: A Conversation With David Hacin

David Hacin is the principal of Hacin + Associates, an award-winning, Boston-based firm specializing in residential and retail architecture and design. Much of the firm’s growing national and international reputation has resulted from projects that Hacin and his team have completed in the Boston area. We spoke with Hacin about the firm’s latest addition to the local architectural scene.

What was your goal in the design on FP3?

Our goal with FP3 was to create a building that respects the existing landscape while still making a bold, forward-looking statement. Fort Point’s long and distinguished history as a mercantile and industrial area is both reflected and reborn in FP3. Unlike many development projects, where brand-new structures are sometimes forced to look “historic” with unappealing results, FP3 embraces the varied materials and distinct forms of the older and newer structures, allowing them to contrast and complement one another in remarkable ways. For example, you can see this in the way FP3’s upper-level windows, which vary in width and opacity, contrast with the more traditional rhythm of the windows below. This fusion of old and new culminates in FP3’s dramatic lobby, which welcomes the Fort Point community in to a dynamic gathering and gallery space.

How did your firm provide the right fit for this project?

We have a reputation for bringing a fresh take on things from an architectural and design perspective, and our projects are often catalytic in neighborhoods in the process of transformation. That’s especially true at FP3, where you have a wonderful location, a thriving arts community, and the opportunity to create an environment that not only provides a striking addition to the architecture within the district, but also will serve as a critical element in shaping and energizing the area. Berkeley Investments has taken a bold approach with FP3 from every angle – from the quality of the design and the materials used, to quality of life for its residents. We’ve been given ample room to consider every last detail, from the bathroom faucet handles to the seamless integration in the design of FP3’s kitchens. Berkeley has also had the foresight to attract to the building a leading Boston restaurateur, Barbara Lynch, whose creative restaurant and retail concepts will add their own flavor to the continuous evolution of Fort Point.

How do you think people will feel when looking at FP3, from the outside as well as from the inside?

Surprised. As you move around or within the building, so many different and interesting perspectives are revealed. At street level, you experience intriguing views of the building’s upper floors and of the newly revitalized streetscape of shops and restaurants. From the lower-floor apartments, you have wonderful views into the streets and of the rich variety in the details of the surrounding architecture. From the upper-floor apartments, you encounter sweeping vistas of the city as well as the harbor. What’s more, FP3 has an incredible variety of floor plans and finishes that reflect where you are in the building – from the warm color palette and soft contemporary style of the masonry buildings’ residences, to the cooler palette and sharper lines of the upper-floor residences. Some have terraces; some have water views. But each living space is unique.

In approaching the FP3 project, what were your sources of inspiration?

I spent a great deal of my childhood in Geneva, where my father is an architect. People always talk about Boston’s European flavor, and I think it’s true in many respects. However, Bostonians need to do a better job of emulating the ability of Europeans to create a healthy dialogue between historic and contemporary architecture. I’m a great believer in preservation, but at the same time, you can’t be intimidated by history. Like every great city, Boston is in the process of constantly reinventing itself – the challenge is to honor and preserve that history, while looking at where the city wants to be in the 21st century. The romantic ideal of the Beacon Hill Brahmin is gradually being replaced, as people wake up to the fact that Boston is truly a world-class, global destination. And Fort Point is the true crossroads of that transformation – you see it in other buildings going up in the area, such as the ICA and the convention center. We’re thrilled to be contributing to a project that will enrich Boston’s reputation as a cultural and intellectual center, while maintaining a healthy relationship with its rich history.