Challenging Addition Creates Stunning New Tower at Hood Park

In this short film, SMMA's designers discuss the challenges of designing a "building on top of a building" and explain the inspiration behind the tower's striking façade. The new tower addition at 100 Hood Park Drive in Charlestown is the latest milestone in a neighborhood transformed.

Originally the site of Hood's first dairy processing plant, Hood Park was until recently an underutilized industrial landmark. In 2015, SMMA's Hood Park Master Plan reimagined the site as a mixed-use destination for work, play, and community gatherings.

The newest master plan addition, 100 Hood Park, is a LEED Gold Certified, six-story, 154,700 square foot lab-office tower that sits atop a carefully engineered existing structure designed by SMMA with structural bracing to accommodate the future addition.

More about the Hood Park Master Plan

"A lot of the challenges that go into pre-planning for future structure is really below our feet," says Michael Pardek, SMMA's Director of Design. "It's all the foundations. It's making sure you're sizing them in the right way so that, in the future, it could accept a future building. The engineering is incredible, hidden in plain sight."

A few key design elements include:

A simple geometric structure: A design that complements the existing building below while respecting the owner's desire to reflect on the tranquil history of Hood Park, once a marshland and mill pond.
Copper-colored metal panels that capture and reflect sunlight in varied ways throughout the day.
Reflective glass that lends verticality and mirrors the sky while minimizing solar heat gain.
Expressive laser-cut fins that shade the windows while creating a dynamic flowing expression that envelops the building.