2025 East Best Projects
Best Renovation/Restoration: The Newbury of Brookline

The Newbury of Brookline
Brookline, Mass.
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by RAMSA (Robert A.M. Stern Architects)
Owner: Welltower, HYM Investment Group
Lead Design Firm: RAMSA (Robert A.M. Stern Architects)
Architect of Record and Architect for Milton House: Finegold Alexander Architects
Interior Design: Pembrook & Ives
General Contractor: Dellbrook/JKS
Civil Engineer: Horsley Witten Group
Structural Engineer: L.A. Fuess Partners
MEP Engineer: BLW Engineers
Located on a former college campus, the 208,000-sq-ft development includes nearly 160 residences across three levels of care—independent living, assisted living and memory care—creating a continuum of support within a cohesive and connected community. Each care level has distinct spatial, accessibility and operational requirements, ranging from enhanced security and intuitive wayfinding to tailored dining and activity and support spaces. Strategic spatial planning ensures that each resident type has dedicated spaces suited to their needs, while circulation paths and shared amenity zones encourage interaction and inclusion. Clear wayfinding and purposeful connections between zones also support ease of movement for residents, staff and visitors.

Photo by Francis Dzikowski/OTTO, courtesy RAMSA
Sitting within the historic Fisher Hill neighborhood, where architectural character and residential scale are fiercely protected, it was imperative to prioritize both functionality and visual harmony with the surrounding topography and the 19th- and 20th-century homes. Newly constructed pavilions and greenspaces across the nearly 4-acre site complement the surrounding residential fabric, with the building’s gambrel roofs, columned porches, clapboard siding and bay windows echoing local traditions. A distributed height strategy—with the building stepping down from six stories to four and then three—also helps integrate the space into the neighborhood.

Photo by Francis Dzikowski/OTTO, courtesy RAMSA
Mitton House, a 19th-century mansion once part of the college now serves as both a residential and amenity space. Restored and carefully replicated millwork complement other custom finishes in amenity spaces, including the Harbor Bar, where intricate designs evoke the experience of being in the bow of a luxury yacht.

Photo by Francis Dzikowski/OTTO, courtesy RAMSA
Unlike conventional senior living developments often isolated on suburban outskirts, development is deeply embedded within the walkable neighborhood. This unique setting allows residents to remain engaged in civic life while enjoying a sense of continuity with the broader community. Courtyards and outdoor gathering areas add additional opportunities for social connection and engagement with nature. The landscaping design preserved abundant mature trees and added new bioswales and native plantings.


