Turkel Design team members were proud to welcome a group from Climate Beacon, New England?s largest conference on climate change, to our studio in Somerville, Massachusetts. Conference attendees visited us as part of a tour of CALA (Community, Architecture, Landscape, Art), a mixed-use development?adapted from a former public elementary school?completed in 2021. A unique and significant project for the City of Somerville, CALA aligns with our values as a practice: prioritizing people, nature, and design.
During their visit, the Climate Beacon group learned how our team created a flexible, forward-looking workspace by embracing the same design principles that distinguish our residential projects. The studio is notable for its high ceilings, natural light, air flow, and thoughtful use of space. Retractable glass doors open out onto Lou Ann David Park, creating an indoor/outdoor office experience, and welcoming in views of the public art and landscape elements that dot the CALA campus.
In a world in which working from home is increasingly common, the result is an office and studio that promotes comfort and wellbeing, where both the design and location connect the practice to a vibrant urban community that sparks daily inspiration.
“CALA has been a great fit for our team,” says Turkel Design Partner Meelena Oleksiuk Turkel. “We are pleased to share it with the community and hope that it serves as a positive example for other adaptive reuse projects.”
?The combination of companies like Turkel Design, public art, landscaping and biodiversity, and residents of all ages have made CALA a model for what’s possible?with similar?existing?buildings around Massachusetts,? says Alexander Richman, executive director of the Climate Beacon Project, which organizes the conference. ?Highlighting scalable projects and models like CALA here at home and around the world is exactly why Climate Beacon was created.”
In addition to Turkel Design, CALA is the home of Commonwealth Clayworks, Somerville Music Spaces, BasisTech, The Curious Design LLC, and forty-eight residences, making it a hub of creativity in the heart of Somerville.
To learn more about CALA, visit cala.live.
To learn more about the Climate Beacon Project, visit climatebeacon.org.
