Wellesley Housing Authority

Wellesley, MA, 1951, Hugh Stubbins Jr.

For this week we’re looking at Hugh Stubbins’ veterans housing for the town of Wellesley. After World War II, cities and towns were rapidly building new, affordable homes for the returning GIs. Stubbins’ design for Wellesley focused on bringing low density living to the townhouse typology. Apartments were built to emphasize a connection with the surrounding landscape. Large windows allowed for expansive views over the backyards in the rear while glazing around the front door to create a singular experience from outside in. Offset stacked cinderblock walls at the edges of properties and a careful offsetting of the building facades allowed for privacy and individuality-allowing a row of six homes to feel more like a series of duplexes. Stubbins’ goal was to root the residents in the landscape and making them feel like grounded homeowners instead of transient renters. 

While not exactly torn down, the site underwent extensive renovations rendering the buildings nearly unrecognizable other than Stubbins’ offset footprints. The homes now resemble a contemporary residential development with pitched roofs and clapboard siding.

Sources:

Architectural Forum, January, 1952.