One of my clients, Austin Architects, was featured in the American School & University magazine's November 2016 issue for an Outstanding Design Award in the Middle School category for the Buckingham Brown and Nichols (BB&N) Middle School renovation project.
The majority of my architectural exterior and interior photography work is to usually photograph a project after it's completion. It's not very often that I get an opportunity such as the BB&N Middle School project on 80 Sparks Street, Cambridge, MA, to photograph and document the progress of a construction or renovation project from inception to completion. I was able to see how this well thought out and complex design emerged from the plans and renderings to become a beautifully constructed school building.
I first photographed it in August 2015, right after the construction had started. I photographed it periodically until the completion in June 2016 and then again most recently in October 2016. There are two defining architectural and design elements of this project that I primarily tried to showcase in the photographs I made - the new terrace that can be reached via a carefully inserted boardwalk beneath the canopy of two giant beech trees, and the two new student foyers that interconnect the buildings from different time periods to create a more open and modern common space.
Pages #44 and #45 of the AS&U Nov 2016 issue showcasing the BB&N Middle School project
Panorama of construction site in Aug 2015 shows original building raised from its foundations.
View of the construction site in Dec 2015 showing the rebuilt foundation and the steel structure for the interconnecting foyers.
Snow on the ground in Jan 2016 and major work on the boardwalk and the foyer are complete.
Students enjoying the new terrace on a warm autumn afternoon
The new walkway from the parking lot and the boardwalk lead up to the terrace and foyer
Panoramic view of the second floor foyer and common areas
A straight on view of the foyer and terrace under the shade of the giant beech.
A view of the boardwalk and new foyer of the school building at dusk
The boardwalk lit by the lights underneath the railings lead up to the entrance and foyer