Boston, Massachusetts, USA
The Pryde is a transformative housing project in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood, designed to provide a safe and inclusive home for LGBTQ+ older adults, a community that has long faced discrimination, leaving many with limited options as they age.
By combining adaptive reuse strategies with deep community engagement, The Pryde exemplifies the intersection of social equity, environmental sustainability, and community connection.
The Pryde by DiMella Shaffer, won an American Architecture Award 2025 from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Housed in the former William Barton Rogers School, The Pryde honors the building’s history while reimagining it as a vibrant and welcoming space for both residents and the surrounding neighborhood.
The project preserves the school’s historic character, maintaining its iconic façade and key public amenities, while transforming its classrooms into 74 affordable housing units and a community center.
Through adaptive reuse, The Pryde maintains a connection to its past while addressing pressing contemporary needs.
The design process was deeply collaborative, driven by support from nearly 400 local residents, businesses, and organizations, including the chamber of commerce, the YMCA, and the Menino Art Center.
Community workshops were integral to ensuring the project would meet the needs of residents while serving as a resource for the broader neighborhood.
This early engagement resulted in spaces that foster connection and inclusivity, including a gallery to display work from local and LGBTQ+ artists, a flexible event space, an LGBTQ+ focused library and learning center, an art room for expressive therapies and an office and display area for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (one of the first Black US Army units to serve in the Civil War).
The Pryde’s landscape transforms a traditional institutional grounds into a resilient ecosystem supporting both human and ecological health.
A welcoming sunroom opens onto the fully landscaped courtyard, providing “third places” for informal gatherings of all sizes.
The design replaces 21,000 SF of lawn and aging trees with a diverse palette of over 50 native and adapted species, including 38 new trees, creating layered habitat for urban wildlife while maintaining the site’s cherished character.
The Pryde’s transformation goes beyond physical architecture to address social equity and environmental sustainability.
Designed to LEED Gold standards and certified by Fitwell, the building is fully electric, incorporates energy-efficient systems, and minimizes waste through resource conservation.
These sustainable design strategies reduce environmental impact while creating healthier living conditions for residents.
By diverting the building from demolition, The Pryde preserves cultural and economic capital for Hyde Park, making it a vital resource for future generations.
Key to The Pryde’s success is its dual focus on home and community. Independent living spaces allow residents to age in place with dignity, while shared areas reduce social isolation and create community.
The addition of a community center further democratizes the building by opening its doors to the neighborhood for events, programming, and art exhibitions.
This integration of public and private spaces ensures The Pryde serves as both a home and a hub for the broader community.
The project’s impact resonates far beyond its footprint. As one of the first affordable housing developments welcoming LGBTQ+ elders locally, The Pryde addresses a critical housing gap, creating a space that offers safety, dignity, and belonging.
It stands as a testament to what architecture can achieve when informed by the voices and needs of the community.
By blending social, economic, and environmental benefits, The Pryde is more than a building—it is a symbol of resilience, inclusion, and the power of design to create change.
Project: The Pryde
Architects: DiMella Shaffer
Design Team: Philippe Saad, Alex Adkins, Jovi Cruces, Knut Cutter and Cassandra Michaud
Landscape Design: Mikyoung Kim Design
General Contractor: NEI General Contracting
Client: Pennrose Companies and LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc.
Photographer: Robert Benson
