PODCASTS > Arcat Detailed Podcast Episode

175: Adaptive Reuse | The Foundry 101

55m 49s |

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Justin Crane, FAIA, Principal, and Stefanie Greenfield, AIA, Principal at CambridgeSeven in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They discuss The Foundry, also in Cambridge, MA.

The Foundry exemplifies a thoughtful approach to adaptive reuse, where the legacy of a 132-year-old industrial structure is carried forward through a renewed civic purpose. Once home to the Blake and Knowles Steam Pump Company and later a succession of utilitarian uses, the building has been transformed into a dynamic hub for arts, education, and entrepreneurship. The design resists the urge to overwrite history, instead preserving nearly 70 percent of the original fabric and allowing the building’s industrial identity to remain present and legible.

Justin Crane, FAIA, Principal | CambridgeSeven

Justin Crane has designed civic, cultural and academic projects and his work includes new buildings as well as adaptive reuse and historic renovations, master planning and urban design. Throughout his career he has led advocacy efforts, from grassroots to the national level, to forge a more ethical architectural profession and a more equitable built environment, leveraging outreach, education and bridging professionals and the public. Justin was awarded AIAâs Young Architects Award in 2016 and elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2023.

Stefanie Greenfield, AIA, Principal | CambridgeSeven

Stefanie Greenfield has spent her career with CambridgeSeven advancing the firmâs tradition of careful design and collaborative client engagement. She has managed award-winning design for academic, municipal and hospitality projects. Stefanie leads the firm in historic restoration and adaptive reuse as a steward for sustainable building preservation. Her inclusive and dynamic process
engages stakeholders at all levels. She continues to inspire and nurture talent within the firm and serve as guest critic at Bostonâs academic institutions.

Project Name and Location: The Foundry, Cambridge, MA

The Foundry is an exceptional example of authentic adaptive reuse, transforming a 132-year-old industrial building into a dynamic, community-focused hub for arts, innovation, and education while honoring the site's historic character. The design preserves approximately 70% of the original structure and features an open interior supporting makerspaces, performance venues, a demonstration kitchen, and office spaces. The project has also achieved LEED Gold certification.

CambridgeSeven served as the Architect, Historic Preservation Architect and Interior Designer, transforming the landmark industrial building that had served as home to the Blake and Knowles Steam Pump Company as well as a taxi barn, an auto repair shop, and an office building. CambridgeSevenâs redesign of The Foundry incorporates materials and details that honor the industrial history while presenting a new approach to civic investment in arts and culture.

CambridgeSevenâs redesign of the 50,000-sf brick and timber building begins with a new sculptural entry leading visitors into a soaring atrium, where new structural steel creates a dynamic synergy with the original heavy timber structure and historic masonry shell. This new Community Hall is enhanced with warm wood detailing. An historic exhibit was integrated into the architecture, memorializing the nearly 2,000 East Cambridge immigrant laborers employed by the original foundry - many of whom were women. This important part of Cambridgeâs labor history lend inspiration to the makers and artists who now inhabit the building.

The Foundry hosts a wide variety of activities open to the neighborhood and Cambridge residents, from performing artists and craftspeople to entrepreneurs and students. Offerings include: