FreshGrass Annex, The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA

As part of an on-going expansion of The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA, WHLA worked closely with the owners and architect to develop a new hotel on campus with artists studios and a communal indoor porch called the FreshGrass Annex. Nestled in the regions pastoral landscape, the FreshGrass Annex integrates into the urban fabric of the city while drawing on the local vernacular architecture to create a sense of place. The new hotel was carefully sited on a hillside, which creates a central courtyard activating the outdoor spaces and encouraging a strong sense of community. Multiple outdoor terraces and porches serve as gathering spaces and offer different vantage points to take in views of the surrounding landscape. The building seamlessly connects to adjacent buildings at the inn promoting interaction and social gathering. A minimalistic native planting design integrates with a complex stormwater system and compliments the architecture.