The "West of Chestnut" apartment buildings that flank the project are located next to the historic office building of the Granite Trust Company. Trying to be respectful of the Granite Trust building and the downtown city environment, the West of Chestnut project turned its focus inward and began development of a new pedestrian corridor named "Chestnut Way."
The lead architectural firm for the project, Landworks Studio of Boston, made many explorations into blurring the bounds between public and private interests and looked into a mechanism for establishing more integrated and dynamic urban spaces. To do this, buildings establish the block's perimeter, while Chestnut Way allows an urban connection that enlivens the center of the block.
Entryways to the two apartment complex buildings were placed in the newly formed Chestnut Way, a wonderfully appointed alleyway sandwiched between the Granite Trust building and the project's Chestnut Building. These entries are on either side of the roadway and provide opportunities for sitting with neighbors or waiting for visitors.

Chestnut Way helps the interior court, located in the heart of Quincy, feel miles away from the active city happenings. This is primarily done by the lighting, as it helps delineate Chestnut Way as a separate, more intimate zone of the city. The catenary lights (Marketlite Series by California Accent Lighting) form a ceiling over a section of the street and denote it as a multi-functional space rather than a normal street.

Street trees and large, multi-stemmed shrubs were planted in the corten steel planters (Planterworx Inc.) to provide shade. The angular planters form interesting routes through the plaza and help make the residence's main entry more private. The warm color of the corten steel planters also helps to complement the building's exterior.

A new parkette, situated right off Chestnut Way, was also incorporated into the project. The small 1,600-square-foot public park is filled with trees, bike racks (Streetlife) and benches (Streetlife in Solitude model) and creates a welcome respite for the downtown shopper. Furthermore, this pocket park provides a wonderful opportunity for local office workers to sit and eat during warmer weather, or for nearby residents to simply enjoy the outdoors. The tree canopy and wood screen wall help to enclose the parkette from the rest of Chestnut Way, and visitor parking is nestled nearby.

Another new section of Chestnut Way is a 2,600-square-foot courtyard that is located immediately adjacent to the apartment building's lobby and the Club Room. Here, doorways open to allow indoor / outdoor yoga classes, mixers and general lounging. A double-sided fireplace shares the west wall of the courtyard, while a fire pit provides a second opportunity for three season gatherings. An outdoor kitchen, with accessible food preparation counters and barbeques, fronts the south wall of the courtyard. The entire courtyard is sided by panels of wood (Parker composite panels of reclaimed wood by Wonderwall Studios) that add interesting texture to
the enclosure.
The green carpet, warm corner fireplace (Raw Urth's Telluride model), comfortable furniture and grilling kitchen make the courtyard a great place to entertain and relax. Another great gathering spot is the lounge area at the double-sided fireplace. Overall, the courtyard provides opportunity for all sorts of interactions.

In the rear corner of the site, the 1,300-square-foot dog park affords tenants
and local dog owners the opportunity for mingling and exercising their dogs. Furnishings include Murdock's Pet Fountain and Dogipot's Pet Station for convenient waste removal.

With the city of Quincy undergoing a massive redevelopment plan that is estimated to cost millions and finish in several years, the already completed Chestnut way offers the heart of the city a multi-functional and contemplative pedestrian corridor that accommodates apartment residents, local workers and tourists alike.