Elkus Manfredi Architects Restores and Enhances the Little Building with UHPC and glazing Bays

As one of the oldest cities within the United States, Boston is, unsurprisingly, home to a vast collection of historic neighborhoods and buildings.

The Boston Commons, whose founding dates back to the early 17th century, serves as something of a nexus point for the city’s historic core. The Little Building, located on the southern corner of The Commons is one such heritage building, and after decades of wear and tear has undergone a comprehensive overhaul by Elkus Manfredi Architects, including a sweeping facade restoration and the insertion of three glazed elevations between street-facing light wells.

The Little Building was constructed in 1917 by developer John Mason Little and architect Clarence Blackall and bears a Neo-Gothic design split between four 11-story towers rising from a street-level podium. Emerson College purchased the tower in 1994 as part of a larger scheme to shift its campus into Boston’s Theater District and led a renovation at that time to convert the structure into a residence hall with a number of other college facilities.

But, like any century-old building, the Little Building faced a number of defections that required a deft hand and patient analysis to remedy.