The Foundry Building Receives Awards for Adaptive Reuse and Historic Renovation

The City of Cambridge announced today that The Foundry building has received two new prestigious awards. Over the last week, The Foundry was recognized with a 2023 Built Design Excellence Award for Adaptive Reuse from the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA) and a 2023 Brick in Architecture Best in Class Award for Historic Renovation from the Brick Industry Association (BIA). 

For the Built Design Excellence Awards, projects were evaluated by a jury of architects, designers, artists, public servants, planners and more from Boston and across the country. According to the jury who selected the award recipients, “This project demonstrates a sensitive understanding of the existing building. The interconnected and interdependent new structural system is a clear and effective approach to enable the transformation. The team was able to work with city leaders and respond to community concerns directly, which strengthened the users’ connection to the project. Additionally, the dedication of earning a LEED gold certification and adhering to Zero Energy Ready requirements further show design excellence.”

The 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards, the premier international design competition featured fired-clay brick, was judged by a jury of peers. The winning projects spanned the United States, Canada, China, Mexico and Russian Federation. Nine of the 44 winners were recognized as “Best in Class,” including The Foundry building.  

Located at the intersection of Kendall Square and the East Cambridge neighborhood, The Foundry is an adaptive reuse project and a self-sustaining center for creativity and collaboration for the Cambridge community. At 50,000 square feet with a 4,000 square foot exterior, The Foundry provides space and programs for the arts (visual and performing), crafts, technology, entrepreneurship, workforce education, and community activities. It also helps facilitate access for residents, especially underrepresented communities to the dynamic working and learning environment of Kendall Square. The building also provides office space at market rate and below market rates for businesses and non-profit organizations.

The City of Cambridge managed The Foundry construction project after acquiring it as the result of a real estate development proposal from Alexandria Real Estate. Originally built in the early 1890s, renovation of The Foundry’s interior started in the late fall 2019 and construction was substantially completed in the summer of 2022. The building was opened to the public in October 2022.

The Foundry has received a number of accolades since reopening in 2022, including the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, a globally recognized symbol of excellence in green buildings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, and an American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum.

The architect for The Foundry building was CambridgeSeven and the mason was Fernandes Masonry, Inc.