Parc Westborough Development Community – BartonPartners Architects & Planners Inc.

Slated for completion in September 2016, Parc Westborough Development Community in Westborough, Massachusetts, consists of four four-story buildings, three of which are identical. The fourth facility consists of live-work units providing tenants with flexibility to work from home. In all, Parc Westborough contains 249 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom options. Tenants are able to experience a luxurious lifestyle with clubhouse amenities that include a pool, grilling stations, a fitness center, pool table and bar.

Parc Westborough’s convenient location allows tenants to easily visit shopping centers, playgrounds, local restaurants and specialty boutiques. The luxury complex has direct access to the nearby Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority station and is a 45-minute drive from Boston.

Parc Westborough is a development project of Toll Brothers Apartment Living, a division of Toll Brothers, a premier builder of luxury homes. For industry-leading design services for the development of Parc Westborough, Toll Brothers Apartment Living turned to BartonPartners Architects & Planners Inc. Based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, BartonPartners is an integrated design firm with a portfolio that combines both urban and suburban architecture with interior design.

Standout design

Founded in 1990 by Thomas C. Barton III, BartonPartners offers professional design services throughout the eastern half of the U.S. With a longstanding reputation for quality work, BartonPartners relies on repeat business for approximately 80 percent of its revenue. In April 2015, the firm announced its expansion into Center City, Philadelphia, with a second office intended to supplement its headquarters in Norristown.

Laura Gamble, project manager for BartonPartners, says that a unique aspect of Parc Westborough is the inclusion of live-work units, which allow tenants to have an office separate from their living quarters. While the office space is connected to the living unit, there remains a level of seclusion so as not to interfere with work-life balance. “The office sections are complete with a powder room so clients don’t enter the living quarters,” shares Gamble. “There is direct access from the outside to the work space as well.”

BartonPartners also performed the interior design services for Parc Westborough. “All of the finishes are really lovely,” says Gamble. “They include tile bathtubs, pendants over the island, dark cabinets and modern trim. We took the color scheme and direction from the exterior and incorporated it into the interior common areas as well.” All units also feature an open kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and high-end cabinets.

From a design perspective, Gamble points out differences in New England construction practices that are inconsistent with procedures popular in BartonPartners’ home state of Pennsylvania. One major variation is the preference to minimize the use of block in Massachusetts as it is more cost prohibitive than pouring the foundation walls. As a result of this knowledge the firm applied shaft wall liner panels at the stair towers, with the only use of block walls being present in the elevator shaft. Similarly, the truss span direction differs from what BartonPartners is used to seeing in the mid-Atlantic region.

Building for the future

Gamble and the BartonPartners team has an established relationship with Toll Brothers Apartment Living, having worked on several projects in the past for the building company. When looking back on completed projects, BartonPartners measures the success of each job by the level of execution of details in every design coupled with Toll Brothers Apartment Living’s developments over time from one project to the next.

“Having done similar projects together in the past is what helps us be more successful and intentional with the detailing, we know that Toll prefers Huber’s Zip system and are very comfortable with developing the details,” says Gamble We also base our success on the amount of lease-ups within the development. “I’m sure they will be successful with Parc Westborough as it’s a great development and is very conveniently located.”

Gamble joined BartonPartners in 2005 after graduating from Philadelphia University. During her tenure at the firm, she has held positions such as architectural designer, project coordinator and project manager. Her background includes planning, designing, documentation, coordination and quality control for a variety of architectural projects.

“I’ve worked extensively on single-family developments, multifamily projects and special needs communities, among other project disciplines,” she shares. In her current role, Gamble is responsible for leading projects through all phases of design and documentation and fostering client relationships.

When Parc Westborough Development Community opens its doors in September, Toll Brothers Apartment Living and BartonPartners Architects & Planners will add to a growing portfolio of successful collaborations.