Yarn Works | TAT - The Architectural Team

Lead Architects:  The Architectural Team, Inc.

Project location: Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA

Completion Year: 2017

Gross Built Area (square meters or square foot): 182,500 square feet

Photo credits:  Andy Ryan / Gregg Shupe         

Developer: WinnDevelopment

General Contractor: Colantonio, Inc.

The 100+ year-old Nockege River Mill Building, formerly home to the Fitchburg Yarn Company, is situated on 7.4 acres on the banks of the Nashua River in the city of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Its 182,500 square feet span three massive floors. The Architectural Team’s thoughtful restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic structure into Yarn Works creates 96 oversized, modern lofts, of which 57 are market-rate and 39 affordable at different levels of area median income (AMI). The building features more than 280, 8-foot by 10-foot windows to provide each unit with expansive views and an abundance of natural light. The unit mix comprises 29 one-bedroom, 58 two-bedroom, and nine three-bedroom apartments; amenities include a large community room with 25-foot ceiling and 17-foot-tall windows, a fitness center with yoga room, on-site bike storage and workshop, and a new grand central atrium gallery. Renovation work on the National Register of Historic Places-listed building included removing the first floor and rebuilding it with concrete slab raised above the 100-year floodplain, as well as the repointing and repairing of the exterior brick envelope and chimney stack, and structural reinforcement to the roof. In addition, all windows and frames were replaced with historically matched, energy-efficient reproductions. The site stands a mile from the city center, with easy access to transit and commuter rail lines.