21 Summer Street

Located in downtown Natick, Massachusetts, 21 Summer Street is a four-story mixed-used building that includes 13 luxury residential units with retail space on the first floor and underground parking. 

The exterior design of this multi-family build blends traditional and modern styles for a more welcoming aesthetic. Paying homage to Natick's historic architecture, Dryvit's NewBrick insulated brick veneer complements the area's classic charm, while ACM metal panels add a contemporary touch to the façade. 

The structure itself was originally designed as light-gauge metal framing, but the contractor convinced the owners to go with Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms for their energy efficiency, sound attenuation and durability. At this point, however, the steel structure had already been erected, so ICF walls had to be stacked around the existing steel columns. This situation also meant there was only 2” of space to pour the concrete, which necessitated the use of external suction vibrators, compared to conventional internal vibration. 

Due to great craftsmanship and the ability to build with ICFs through the winter, the team even reduced the construction schedule by 12 weeks! The ICF method also enabled them to downsize the heating/cooling units in each apartment by over 30% and save the owner 10% on building envelope costs. 

Sound dampening was a critical feature for this project given its proximity to the local commuter rail. Some developers would shy away from building so close to a train due to the noise level, but ICF construction proved that it could offer the necessary sound attenuation to enable residential and commercial development in locations that might otherwise be deemed unsuitable.