丨美国丨MASS Design Group

J.J. Carroll House

Project Data

Full Team

Year

2024

Status

Completed

Size

180,000 sq ft

Location

Brighton, Massachusetts, United States

Partners

2Life Communities

Collaborators

Petersen Engineering, Stantec, RSE Associates, R.J. Kenney Associates, New Ecology, Howe Engineers, KMA, Kalin Associates, Solar Design Associates, Intertek, Dellbrook|JKS

Photographer

MASS

Focus areas

Healthcare, Housing

Services

Architecture, Exhibits & Interpretation, Film & Media, Furniture & Interiors, Research & Publishing

Project Team

Johanny Bonilla, Emma Colley, Francisco Colom Jover, Emily Ebersol, Jonathan Evans, Patricia Gruits, Ian Kenney, John Maher, Ashley Marsh, Ana Fernández Martínez, Sarah Payton, David Saladik, Chris Scovel, DaMario Walker-Brown, Annie Wang

Full Team

Project Team

Johanny Bonilla, Emma Colley, Francisco Colom Jover, Emily Ebersol, Jonathan Evans, Patricia Gruits, Ian Kenney, John Maher, Ashley Marsh, Ana Fernández Martínez, Sarah Payton, David Saladik, Chris Scovel, DaMario Walker-Brown, Annie Wang

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J.J. Carroll is designed to help older adults age in community, offering an innovative and replicable approach to revitalizing public housing.

In partnership with the City of Boston and the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), 2Life Communities worked with MASS to develop the J.J. Carroll House in Brighton, creating 142 affordable apartments for older adults and those with disabilities. The development provides actionable solutions to the senior affordable housing crisis by integrating healthcare and housing, promoting independent community-based senior living, while exceeding sustainability standards.

Alan Ricks

Boston’s senior population is growing rapidly, with demand for affordable housing far outpacing supply. Too often, housing for older adults prioritizes efficiency over community, perpetuating social isolation. J.J. Carroll responds with design strategies that pair affordability with dignity—embedding communal spaces, supportive services, and connections to care that allow residents to live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.

Understanding community as an antidote to isolation, MASS and 2Life Communities developed a new model of housing that empowers residents to live in community.

Informed by input and collaboration with existing residents, the design team examined how high density housing could prioritize social connections and communal activities linked to aging well. Residents shared how much they appreciated the smaller scales of the existing buildings alongside shared spaces that supported close relationships between neighbors.

In order to scale these wishes into a larger housing program, MASS and 2Life broke down the conventional double-loaded corridor apartment to create clusters of “neighborhoods” with five to eight apartments. The neighborhoods are connected by central shared space with common programming, interspersed with three courtyards that provide opportunities for outdoor living. This framework creates opportunities for meaningful communal programming at a variety of scales and increases access to green space and natural light.

"From a design perspective, we wanted to see how we could create density while still fostering community.”

Jonathan Evans, Principal, MASS

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The design features multiple strategies for healthy senior housing:

Social neighborhoods: Living spaces break down the buildings into smaller groups of apartments connected by common areas, empowering residents to create meaningful relationships.

Wellness and wayfinding: Buildings have enhanced access to natural light, providing views and access to the outdoors. Wayfinding cues empower residents to align with their circadian rhythms, improving their overall well-being.

Outdoor courtyards: Providing access to fresh air and opportunities for outdoor living encourages safe social interaction and creates opportunities for respite and restoration.

A warm welcome: The front park at Chestnut Hill Avenue invites neighbors into the 2Life campus, connecting seniors to the benefits of community. Setting the building back from the street creates opportunities for nature and open space.

Alan Ricks

Intergenerational play area: J.J. Carroll welcomes in the surrounding community through intergenerational programming and play areas, encouraging engagement between people of all ages and creating opportunities for chance encounters.

Embedded care: Comprehensive clinical and social services are integrated through the PACE Center on the ground floor, supporting a holistic approach to resident health and well-being.

Alan Ricks

In addition to providing much-needed affordable housing, the project features commercial space, 15,000 sq.ft. of publicly accessible open space, and a PACE Center (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) on the ground floor. The PACE Center, led by Element Care, considers the social determinants of health and aims to enable residents to live in community with dignity, safety, and autonomy. It includes day dining rooms, a health clinic offering comprehensive clinical and social services, and administrative and support areas. The design weaves in trauma-informed care principles such as access to views, prospect and refuge, and connections to nature.

Alan Ricks

J.J. Carroll House, 2Life’s first certified Passive House building, is also the largest in Massachusetts and ranks among the top ten in the United States and Canada. This building was designed for minimal energy consumption with electrical and mechanical systems that provide comfortable heating, cooling, and humidity control while ensuring a constant supply of fresh air. The construction also used organic and sustainable materials, including non-vinyl resilient flooring and recycled paper pulp cellulose insulation. Developed as a replacement for deteriorating housing on the same site, the project incorporated a number of sustainable strategies—such as the reuse of existing building materials—that led to its Passive House certification.

J.J. Carroll House was opened in early 2024 by 2Life, the City of Boston, the Boston Housing Authority, and Element Care. Inaugurated by US Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and Mayor Michelle Wu, and others, this project represents an innovative and replicable approach to revitalizing public housing. MASS, 2Life, and Autodesk Research are conducting an ongoing post-occupancy research project to understand how the building’s design supports social cohesion.

Move in date

“Now, at 71 years young and happily settled here at 2Life, I am ready to live. I am already meeting new people, am moving around more, and am starting to find new ways to help my community. If 70 is when you start living and being more active, then bring it.”⁠ Beverly Gilbert, J.J. Carroll Resident