North 116 Flats - Umass Amherst Student Housing

Sunderland, Massachusetts

North 116 Flats features six buildings: five apartment buildings and a common building sited on a (62) sixty-two-acre parcel with extensive wetlands in Sunderland, MA.  Berkshire Design was enlisted to redesign a previous proposal provided by another firm, with the goal to minimize impact on the land.    BDG was able to design a reduced development footprint which preserves 77% of the site, leaving (48) forty-eight acres untouched.  This approach concentrates development into (14) fourteen acres, with (2) two clusters of buildings, each forming a U shape and enhancing a protected central green open space for recreation and gathering outdoors.

The project as a whole, supports (150) one hundred and fifty units.  These units are spread across (6) six buildings in the two clusters. Each apartment building houses (30) thirty units with a mix of (1) one-bedroom, (2) two-bedroom, and (3) three-bedroom apartments. The common building includes a leasing office, meeting room, kitchenette, yoga studio, fitness room, and mail storage.

Site amenities include small patios and fire pits are included within the green spaces, providing a welcoming spot to gather and socialize. Parts of the site that were originally planned for buildings and parking have been retained as natural open space.  A former open meadow is repurposed as a small dog park for residents, and open recreational access, as well as supporting a sanitary disposal system for the development.

The project’s site access off of Sunderland Road is enhanced with a widened left turn lane and bus stop.  The interior access drive brings users and visitors into the two clusters and loops around the buildings while providing needed parking in close proximity to the buildings. Extensive landscaping enhances the natural beauty of the site.

When the project was finally finished, most of the 150 units were already rented, showing the need for housing in the town of Sunderland.