Proposal to Transform Boston High School into Affordable Senior Housing Wins 2025 Housing Competition

The competition drew seven entries from groups of graduate students interested in architecture, real estate, planning, finance, and policy who teamed up with local affordable housing organizations. The winning proposal, The Mosaic, was submitted by a student team from Harvard University, MIT, and Wentworth Institute of Technology, in collaboration with South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation, Davis Square Architects, and finance mentor David Aiken.  

The initiative aims to create 70 one-bedroom units, and 13 two-bedroom units, six of which are designated for seniors with live-in caregivers and seven for seniors caring for children. The Mosaic incorporates residential community spaces including a rooftop garden, library, games and arts room, fitness center, and large multipurpose space. Residents would have access to a range of services including programming like yoga, computer classes, and guest lecturers.  

“At the core of The Mosaic’s mission is a belief that aging should not imply isolation or boredom,” according to the team’s proposal. 

The winning team was awarded the $10,000 first-place prize.

"Over the past 25 years, more than 1,200 students from over 20 colleges and universities have participated in the competition. In partnership with development partners, they have submitted 150 affordable housing development proposals. It’s been an incredible experience to offer students an opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world affordable housing development,” said Kenneth Willis, senior vice president, director of housing and community investment at Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBank Boston). “This competition would not be as successful as it has been without the sponsors and mentors who devote their time and resources each year.”

The competition was sponsored by FHLBank Boston, Boston Society for Architecture, CohnReznick, Kuehn Charitable Foundation, ICON Architecture Inc., and Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association. 

The competition was judged by:

• Lauren Baumann, Massachusetts Housing Partnership
• Milton Baxter, Esquire Advisors
• Rawn Duncan, Citizens Bank
• David Eisen, Abacus Architects + Planners
• Peter Freeman, Moriarty Bielan & Malloy LLC
• Judy O’Connor, Chelmsford Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
• Wandy Pascoal, Boston Society for Architecture
• Jeanette Tozer, City of Worcester Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Awards were also presented for:

• Second place: Workforce Modu-Lodge provides a flexible mix of modular-construction single-room occupancy units, studios, and two-bedroom units in Jay, Vermont for seasonal and year-round workers in the hospitality industry. The team included students from Harvard University, MIT, and University of Massachusetts at Amherst who collaborated with RuralEdge. 
• Third place: Eva Mondon Commons which transforms a half-acre lot in rural Putney, Vermont into six affordable homeownership units. The development proposal was driven by students from Clark University, Harvard University, and University of Massachusetts at Amherst, in collaboration with Windham & Windsor Housing Trust.