FSC Certified Garapa Wood Siding Featured on Boston Project

Written by Chris Nolan | Tue, Dec 21, 2021 @ 10:12 AM

Boston is undergoing a vibrant renaissance. Many of the former industrial areas are being redesigned and revitalized. The Garapa decking and siding at 6 Stack Street in Charlestown, MA is a shining example and one small, yet beautiful, part of a larger scale redevelopment of the area.

The Garapa rainscreen siding and facades were designed to resemble a wooden ship hull

The Hood Park redevelopment will eventually encompass over 1.7 million square feet of mixed use and public space. The renewal includes the facilities at 6 Stack Street. This building features 3,900 sf of space including retail space, bicycle storage, public restrooms and more. 6 Stack Street is the first step in the rebirth of this neighborhood. This project includes Stack Street Park, with 2 lovely FSC Garapa hardwood decks and an outdoor performance area. The rooftop deck is open to the public and will feature many plants and much greenery.

FSC certified Garapa wood rainscreen siding, soffits and facade

Garapa Wood Siding Incorporated into the Design

In keeping with Boston’s maritime heritage, the exterior of the bicycle pavilion building features a façade and soffit that resembles a wooden ship’s hull. The cladding is also FSC certified Garapa hardwood. Garapa is a lighter toned, extremely durable, siding option. Garapa is a sustainably harvested hardwood building material that is both long lasting and affordable.

RELATED: Garapa wood siding information

Wood Rainscreen System adds Health Benefits Beautifully

To create a healthy structure, a building must be able to ‘breathe’ and shed moisture. To achieve this goal, the design team at Elkus-Manfredi Architects specified the Climate-Shield rainscreen system. This high performance rainscreen system spaces the siding slightly away from the building’s exterior to allow for moisture to pass through and keep the building dry, mold-free, and healthy.

Garapa soffits and siding are installed indoors, too, featuring some nicely curved millwork

A well-designed wood rainscreen system, like this one, also adds years of life to a building. Once the rainscreen system is installed, you can’t see it, you only see the beautiful natural Garapa wood siding on the exterior. But it there, quietly doing its job, day in, day out. The construction team at Component Assembly did a spectacular job of installing all the wood decking and siding materials, including their workmanship inside the building.

The exterior of 6 Stack Street project features FSC Garapa rainscreen siding, soffits and facades

Garapa wood soffits and paneling beautify the inside of the building, too.

The design team elected to run the beautiful Garapa wood inside the building to create a seamless transition from the outside to the inside. The tropical graining of the Garapa wood adds character, and the color variations add lots of visual interest.

Garapa rainscreen siding can be used as indoor paneling.

6 Stack Street is one of the first steps in this massive rebuilding effort and it won't be the last. New buildings will be added and many of the existing structures will be refurbished and incorporated into the overall design. When the entire project is completed, this could become one of Boston’s chicest neighborhoods.