A 2022 Gallup poll found that only 45 percent of surveyed American adults was confident in the police as an institution, down five percentage points from the previous year. That level of confidence dropped to 30 percent among non-white Americans polled.
Mistrust of the cops, exacerbated by high-profile incidents of law enforcement turned abusive and deadly, is not a problem with one answer, nor can appearance be a substitute for real reform. But can a building for whose design a community weighs in be part of the solution?
When the new Area 7 police station opened in East Boston, Mass., last January 1, it represented Beantown’s first new station in more than a decade, and as importantly a symbol of that city’s efforts to improve the relationship between its police force and the public at a time when community relations—in Boston as across the country—have been fraught with enmity.
Leers Weinzapfel Associates (LWA) designed the $25 million 27,500-sf East Boston District Station in collaboration with the City of Boston Public Facilities Department. The design followed several public meetings to hear the community’s opinions about the project, public safety, traffic, and accessibility, according to the boston.gov website, which reported the total cost for this project at $29.9 million.
“An investment in our municipal buildings is an investment in our City workers and our residents. This new state-of-the-art station provides the working environment our officers deserve and creates a more accessible experience for the local community,” said Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu when the station opened.
![An aerial view of where the police station is located](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Police%20station%20-%20aerial.png)
A less threatening and efficient environment
The new station was moved from the old station's location to enhance community access, improve dispatch response times by being closer to main transport arteries, and to serve as a sustainable, resilient facility (it’s certified LEED Silver) along the Chelsea River, where the building is positioned as a kind of “mediator” between this urban neighborhood’s industrial, commercial, and residential landscapes.
According to LWA, the station’s granite and terracotta structure responds to the scale of surrounding residential and public buildings. A corner of the station features a glass entry, lobby, and community room that coalesce to form a sun-filled public zone. Within the building, occupied spaces maximize daylight and views. Front supervisory desks have views of public areas and connections to police operations and detention zones. (The main building houses police operations, detective offices, a guard room, and lockers. Secure detention areas are in the rear of the building.)
“We saw this project as an opportunity to architecturally address the hot-button issue of community policing elevating the spaces, and therefore the experiences, where the police and those they serve come together,” said Josiah Stevenson, LWA’s Principal-in-Charge, in a prepared statement.
![A cutaway shows how the police station is laid out](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Police%20station%20-%20cutaway.png)
Stevenson elaborated that the Building Team—which included the structural engineering firm LeMessurier and general contractor J&J Contractors—created a double-height interior and used “warm” materials. The station’s site makes the most of views of the nearby creek and public plaza. A series of glass sculptures, dubbed “Unus Mundus” (”One World”) by its artist Monika Bravo, further accentuates a welcoming environment.
The new facility includes stormwater management and energy efficient systems.
![Glass sculptures in the station's lobby](/sites/default/files/inline-images/14_EastBostonPoliceStation_RobertBensonPhotography.jpg)
Right after the police station opened, Mayor Wu announced the allocation of $25 million for a new community center in Boston’s North End neighborhood. Last year, Wu announced a $2 billion plan to make the city’s public schools greener through new construction and renovation.
Related Stories
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 18, 2013
Report: HVAC occupancy sensors could slash building energy demand by 18%
Researchers at the DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conclude that significant energy savings can be achieved by varying ventilation levels based on the number of people in a given space.
| Jun 17, 2013
DOE launches database on energy performance of 60,000 buildings
The Energy Department today launched a new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| May 23, 2013
Are design-build contracts killing small architecture firms?
Are federal design-build contract laws unfair to small firms? AIA thinks so, citing an interesting fact: an architecture firm spends a median of $260,000 to compete for a design-build project.
| May 21, 2013
7 tile trends for 2013: Touch-sensitive glazes, metallic tones among top styles
Tile of Spain consultant and ceramic tile expert Ryan Fasan presented his "What's Trending in Tile" roundup at the Coverings 2013 show in Atlanta earlier this month. Here's an overview of Fasan's emerging tile trends for 2013.
| May 16, 2013
Chicago unveils $1.1 billion plan for DePaul arena, Navy Pier upgrades
Hoping to send a loud message that Chicago is serious about luring tourism and entertainment spending, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has released details of two initiatives that have been developing for more than a year and that it says will mean $1.1 billion in investment in the McCormick Place and Navy Pier areas.