The Boston Preservation Alliance has named the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center in Boston as a recipient of the 2009 Preservation Achievement Award.

The annual awards honor achievements in historic preservation and compatible new construction in Boston.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) provides free temporary lodging and support at the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center for up to 1,500 cancer patients and caregivers who come to the city for outpatient treatment each year. The project is located at 125 South Huntington Ave. in the Jamaica Plain and Mission Hill neighborhoods of Boston – in close proximity to the numerous world-class medical institutions.

The facility reuses and adds to the site of the former Vincent Memorial Hospital, which was originally built in 1907 and designed by the architect Charles Buren Perkins and expanded in the 1950s and 1960s. The project includes a complete restoration and renovation of the existing 1907 building, demolition of the later additions, and the construction of a new wing to complement and augment the original 1907 structure, according to architect CBT Architects.  

“The original Vincent Memorial Hospital was built by the Vincent Society to provide free medical care for women and girls who otherwise could not afford proper care,” said Richard Bertman, a founding principal of CBT Architects. “The renovation and new addition were designed to retain the scale and the spirit of the original mission of the Vincent Society of helping those in need.”

CBT’s design of the 50,000-square-foot facility includes 40 private guest suites, each accommodating one patient and their caregiver; shared kitchen and dining facilities; a library; exercise and recreational spaces.

The ACS is pursuing a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for the project.