Boston’s GrubStreet, founded in 1997, is the nation’s largest creative writing center. As a cultural destination, GrubStreet’s new Center for Creative Writing brings a diverse, dedicated group of people together over a shared love of writing and reading. Situated within a modern residential development in Boston’s Seaport district, the colorful new 13,000 SF space is filled with light and inspiring views of the nearby waterfront.
Acentech was selected to join Merge Architect’s design team, providing acoustics and audiovisual systems planning, design and construction administration services. Our acoustics scope of work focused on the bookstore/café, flexible event space, podcast studio, and classrooms of various sizes. Dramatic bookshelves swing open to reveal GrubStreet’s event space featuring a circular stage for readings and panel discussions. Acentech collaborated with Merge Architects to design the circular ceiling reflector above the stage. We also recommended sound isolation measures to mitigate noise intrusion between active and residential spaces.
Our audiovisual team met with the users to perform a needs analysis and provide GrubStreet with a budget estimate that could be used for the project. The needs analysis focused on the audiovisual system requirements for Grubstreet’s event space, community lounge area, podcast studio and classrooms.
GrubStreet’s dynamic, inclusive and accessible new Center offers over 500 classes, workshops and events per year for writers of all levels, genres and aspirations, and will continue to welcome the writing community to its new space for decades to come. Acentech was honored to help design an acoustic and technology-friendly environment that amplifies Boston’s creative writing scene.
