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
| Apr 16, 2012
Drake joins EYP as science and technology project executive
Drake’s more than 30 years of diversified design and project delivery experience spans a broad range of complex building types.
| Apr 11, 2012
Corgan & SOM awarded contract to design SSA National Support Center
The new SSA campus is expected to meet all Federal energy and water conservation goals while achieving LEED Gold Certification from the United States Green Building Council.
| Mar 7, 2012
LEO A DALY selected to design Minnesota Fallen Firefighters Memorial
The bronze, figurative sculpture of a firefighter rescuing a child, which is currently on display at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, is lit by natural light through a circular void in the monolith.
| Mar 6, 2012
Country’s first Green House home for veterans completed
Residences at VA Danville to provide community-centered housing for military veterans.
| Mar 6, 2012
EwingCole completes first design-build project for the USMA
The second phase of the project, which includes the academic buildings and the lacrosse and football fields, was completed in January 2012.
| Mar 5, 2012
Tishman constructing new courthouse in Philadelphia
Construction is underway for the Pennsylvania Department of General Services’ 510,000-sf facility.
| Mar 5, 2012
Moody+Nolan designs sustainable fire station in Cincinnati
Cincinnati fire station achieves LEED Gold certification.
| Mar 5, 2012
Franklin Institute in Philadelphia selects Skanska to construct new pavilion
The building has been designed by SaylorGregg Architects and will apply for LEED Silver certification.
| Mar 1, 2012
Reconstruction Awards: Reinvesting in a neighborhood’s future
The reconstruction of a near-century-old derelict public works facility in Minneapolis earns LEED Platinum—and the hearts and minds of the neighboring community.