Project: The Possible Zone
Architecture: Utile, Inc.
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Area: 36000 ft2
Year: 2022
Photo Credits: Chuck Choi
Utile worked with The Possible Zone (TPZ) to transform a 36,000 SF building into an innovative hub designed for entrepreneurship and work-based learning. This transformation supports TPZ’s mission to equip Boston high school students with social-emotional learning, technical skills, professional identities, and essential networks for future success. TPZ envisions the building as a dynamic space where students, entrepreneurs, and local businesses can come together to ideate and prototype on site.
Transforming a Dual-Structure Legacy
The existing building comprised two connected yet spatially separate parts: an 1890s masonry, timber, and iron brewery and a 1990s steel and concrete addition. Post-renovation, these historic and modern elements now house seven teaching studios with integral makerlabs, a large makerspace featuring state-of-the-art equipment, staff and community workspaces, and flexible assembly areas for programming, community meetings, and larger events. The design uncovered the original building’s structural and material logic while breaking down the barriers between the two sections, creating a visible and inviting space that fosters collaboration.
Seamless Integration and Enhanced Connectivity
To achieve a cohesive flow, the design team integrated two internal staircases—one new and one retrofitted—and used large flexible partitions and openings. Material continuities create visual connections across different zones, ensuring that diverse users feel connected and engaged throughout the Innovation Center.
Smart Building Systems and Sustainability
The project also prioritized building systems that align with its design aspirations. Indoor air quality took center stage, leading to the installation of a new, efficient water source heat pump system equipped with MERV-13 filters, as well as an energy recovery ventilation system with updated rooftop equipment. In addition, TPZ’s operational needs drove improvements including a new loading dock, an entry curtain wall retrofit, accessibility upgrades, and a below-grade stormwater management system.
In summary, Utile and TPZ have reimagined a 36,000 SF building into an Innovation Center that bridges past and present, creating a vibrant, sustainable space for learning, collaboration, and community engagement.
