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Photo courtesy of The Architectural Team
Robert J. Verrier valued historic architecture and adaptive reuse projects that preserved New England buildings, playing a role in extending their useful life by transforming remnants of the industrial age into housing.
One of the founders of The Architectural Team of Chelsea, Verrier died on Aug. 23 while vacationing with family in Gloucester. He was 81.
The firm, founded by Verrier and three colleagues in 1971, makes its home in an 1840s commandant’s house in the Admiral’s Hill section of Chelsea, a redevelopment of the former Charlestown Navy Yard’s hospital facilities. During his career, Verrier designed more than 100 projects including Boston’s China Trade Center, Lincoln Wharf and Commercial Wharf. Adaptive reuse became one of Verrier’s top focuses, including conversions of mills and factories into housing at properties including the Baker Chocolate Factory apartments in Dorchester’s Lower Mills, which received a National Historic Preservation Award in 1988. Verrier’s historic reuse projects, which also included Loft Five50 in Lawrence, the Voke Lofts in Worcester and the Sterling Lofts in Attleboro, were recognized with more than 100 awards.
“Bob was an early pioneer in adaptive reuse and understanding both the requirements of historic preservation and the new programs that needed to be added without compromising the historic integrity of the buildings,” said Michael Liu, senior partner at The Architectural Team.
The firm worked with the Archdiocese of Boston’s Planning Office for Urban Affairs on its projects including affordable, workforce and supportive housing. Since its founding, The Architectural Team has designed more than 300 historic projects and more than 155,000 housing units.
Verrier was architect of record for several projects each year, Liu said, recently designing the conversion of the Rope Walk apartments at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
A North Attleboro native, Verrier attended Monsignor Coyle High School and Boston Architectural College, where he served as a trustee and was presented its Alumni in Practice Award in 2007.
