Committee on the Environment and Women in Design are teaming up for a summer kickoff event by touring two exceptional projects, the Roxbury Branch Library by Utile and the Bolling Building by Sasaki/Mecanoo. The event will conclude with a catered happy hour on the Bolling Building roof deck where we will continue the conversation with a view of the Boston skyline!

This award winning renovation of the Roxbury Branch Boston Public Library revitalizes 27,000 sf of community space in the heart of Nubian Square. The building façade and entrance were redesigned to connect the library with the street and new learning technology and program spaces were added to meet the needs of the Roxbury community. This project is a COTE Top Ten 2022 building, a BSA Design award winner and won a 2021 AIA/ALA Library Building Award.

Sasaki, in collaboration with the Netherlands-based design firm Mecanoo, worked with the City of Boston to design the Bolling Building, a municipal office building in Nubian Square (formerly Dudley Square). Located in the heart of Roxbury, Nubian Square is a mass transit hub rich with culture and history. Using the past to create the future, the facility preserves and incorporates the iconic Ferdinand Furniture Building, an emblem of the square’s historic commercial vitality. The 215,000-square-foot structure has become the headquarters of Boston Public Schools (BPS), and includes a green roof, state-of-the-art office space, retail, civic spaces, and community meeting space.

The event will begin at the Roxbury Library with a design tour by Utile and the library staff at 5pm. At 5:45, after a quick walk to the Bolling Building, the Sasaki team will show us how they reimagined the entrance and public spaces on our way up to the 6th floor community roof deck. The catered happy hour will begin on the roof deck of the Bolling Building, which overlooks Nubian Square and offers a spectacular view of the Boston skyline.

Please note that while late arrivals are welcome at any point during the Roxbury Library Tour, all attendees must be at the entrance of the Bolling Building by 6pm in order to join us for the tour and networking hour.

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible.