The MacAllen Building is the first LEED Gold-Certified Residential project in New England. The goal was to build an environmentally friendly, high-end residence; a new type of construction for South Boston. The building consists of 144 contemporary residences constructed within a visually striking form on a parcel that was formerly utilized for industrial and transportation activities on the south side of downtown Boston.

Acoustically, the site presented significant challenges, as there are many types of transportation that create noise near these new residences. The MacAllen sits across the street from a primary bus dispatch and maintenance facility. Buses run almost around the clock and generate significant noise. Other noise sources include a major postal truck route, above ground subway tracks, Amtrak rail lines, a major elevated highway and a flight departure path from Boston Logan Airport. All of these noises impact the residences.

Acentech worked with the design team to select upgraded windows which reduce the levels of intrusive noise. The windows consist of thicker glass, laminated panes and thicker airspaces to achieve better sound privacy from the exterior. We also assisted with selecting the building facades around the windows to reduce the significance of the exterior noise impacts.

The MacAllen opened in April, 2007. It was also featured in the film, The Greening of Southie.