Özge Diler Himes 
Design manager, Finegold Alexander Architects
Age: 34
Industry experience: 10 years 

Adapting historic structures to 21st century real estate needs is a big part of Özge Diler Himes’ role at Boston-based Finegold Alexander Architects. Diler Himes obtained her master’s in urban design from Carnegie Mellon University and joined Finegold Alexander in 2016. Her current assignments include 727 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, where the firm is designing a conversion of the historic former Cambridge Gas Light building into a 37-room boutique hotel and commercial space, and options for interior renovations to The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston. Diler Himes has authored essays in architectural publications on architecture and urban design in her native Turkey and researched urban planning for publications on the topics of Main Street and waterfront connectivity strategies. 

Q: What are some of the major design highlights of the redevelopment of the former Cambridge Gas Light building into a boutique hotel?
A: The existing building at 727 Massachusetts Ave., known as the Cambridge Gas Light building, is a historically distinctive and significant structure in the heart of Central  Square. The building had a convenience store, office and Bank of America branch. We were invited by the client to participate in a design competition to transform the project and bring new life to the area. In our winning design entry, we proposed a boutique hotel addition and re-imagined interiors for office, retail and Bank of America spaces within the existing structure. During our design investigation, we carefully studied the existing building and our shared vision with the client for the new three-story hotel addition complements the historic structure while being contemporary and vibrant. 

The new addition steps back from the Massachusetts Avenue side to allow the existing building to remain dominant at the street level. Minimizing the structural impact on the existing spaces was one challenging aspect of the project. We worked closely with our structural team and studied a cantilevering structure that minimizes the number of columns coming down within the historic fabric. This strategy enabled us to keep important spaces intact, like the double-height vaulted space located on the ground level. Since the beginning of the project, we have been working closely with the Cambridge Historical Commission and city officials. The project is currently undergoing review by the city’s planning board and we are excited by the next steps. 

Q: As an architect, do you prefer designing new construction or adaptive reuse?
A: I would say almost 80 percent of the work I’ve done at Finegold Alexander is with existing buildings. It’s an adaptive reuse or an addition to an existing building. I really enjoy that type of work, and it doesn’t matter what age or style the building is. Existing buildings have their own character, and it always gives the designers something to draw inspiration from and respond to – designing to be complementary to the character of a historical building, while also making sure that you design something that is different and contemporary. At Finegold Alexander, we are good at this type of work. These projects make you think outside of the box and find creative solutions. 

Q: When a design fails to live up to its potential, what’s the usual reason?
A: The important part is making sure your design is meeting the clients’ expectations and community’s needs. That is really important. As we design something, we come up with multiple options and we meet with clients at different phases of the project. Sometimes these options can be just about overall massing. It can be a facade option or a detailing option, but it’s really important to have these conversations with clients and clarify the client’s key objectives. I think a design fails if an architect tries to force through a form without understanding the needs of the clients or the community, and only considering the form. 

Q: In your travels through Boston, what stands out as failures and success of urban design?
A: We’ve been working from home since last March and I really kind of miss going downtown, because Boston is a great walkable city that has lots of urban spaces that are interesting. The success is really having different neighborhoods with different characters and different scales of spaces that people can occupy. I find the Emerald Necklace park system is very interesting, and it provides different types of scales and green space and connects the city. I also feel the Harborwalk is a great system. I live in East Boston and I really take advantage of the Harborwalk and the connected pieces. Having the public accessing the water is really important. And obviously our office is in the North End. The neighborhoods have their own character and I take walks during lunchtime in different parts of the city.  

The Government Center plaza is kind of a little bit of a failure unfortunately, just not having enough destinations or smaller spaces. And it was a little problematic with so many grade changes in the space. But the city is aware of it and it’s currently being renovated. 

Q: Having worked as an architect in Turkey and the U.S., what are the cultural differences in how the profession operates?
A: Unfortunately in Turkey, the public input is not as much a part of the approval process as here. So, the public has more say on the design, and community meetings are an important part of the approval process in the U.S. and really make people feel like they have a choice before a project is approved. I wish in Turkey there were some projects where the community is more active. For example, in Istanbul, I hope that public input and collaboration between the owners and the architects and the public was a lot better.  

The second thing is here we have more control as designers during the construction phase and close contact with the contractors. In Turkey, the contractors take over and they have greater responsibility for decisions made in the field during construction. So, I feel that the construction administration phase is really different. 

Himes’ Five Favorite Local Outdoor Spots: 

• Boston Public Garden 
• Charles River Esplanade 
• Deer Island Trail 
• East Boston Harborwalk 
• Arnold Arboretum