Projects
USES
This building, a landmark on the corner of Massachusetts and Columbus Avenues in Boston’s South End, is called the Harriet Tubman House. It’s home to the United South End Settlements (USES), a community-based organization with a proud history of educational and public health leadership and innovation.
The award-winning building, completed in 1976, was the first major commission for Don Stull—then one of only a dozen African-American architects in the nation. Nearly 25 years after the building’s completion, ENA partnered with Stull and another area firm to make the Harriet Tubman House fully handicapped accessible.
One significant challenge: Fitting an elevator into the split-level building without significantly reducing usable floor space. Happily, the building had been designed with a double façade—the exterior one featuring openings that added interest at street level. Filling in some of these asymmetrical openings with glass panels created just enough room for the elevator while maintaining the original sculptural design of the façade. A bonus: passersby can look through the glass and watch the elevator work.
