Category Archives: Projects

The work below represents the diversity of project types and clients that KITE works with, from green buildings for institutional clients, to mixed-use developments, to small scale projects for growing companies and private clients.

MojoTech Expansion

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KITE helped MojoTech, a growing mobile application developer, expand vertically as they added new employees. With existing offices in an open floor plan and minimal partitions on the second floor, MojoTech wanted to keep a sense of light and connection as they doubled their space on the ground floor.

A key part to making the connection is a new custom stair that KITE detailed in collaboration with the design talent at MojoTech. The treads make innovative use of 2″ solid ballistic rubber to reduce sound, provide a durable surface, and create a dramatic contrast look with cantilevered black treads against the white metal structure.

Desks are arranged in the open floor plan with standing desk. To allow a variety of seating areas and collaboration zone, KITE identified opportunities for work/lounge furniture as well as glass-enclosed conference rooms and “privacy pods” where people can have private phone conversations.

The offices make ample use of south facing daylight and views onto the adjacent park. Marsella Development was instrumental in providing a progressive vision for contemporary office space that met the needs of this growing Rhode Island based tech company.

Wellness & Fitness Center, University of Rhode Island

The new Anna Fascitelli Fitness and Wellness Center is at the heart of the University of Rhode Island’s campus. With a bold, wood lined cantilevered entrance and glass volumes that reflect the wooded surroundings, the facility is intended to be an exciting, contemporary amenity. However it is in reality a case study of how mid-century modern buildings can be re-imagined and refreshed by using a preservation sensibility viewed through a creative lens.

As a former dining hall, the original Roger Williams Commons building was designed by Pietro Belluschi, and winner of a 1965 Progressive Architecture award and already boasted large, light, open spaces. The new design is inspired by the original building’s cantilevered structural volumes that grow from the center, and adds new volumes with a lightweight glass structure to form a new entry, lobby, and stair. The interior was opened up dramatically exposing views through the building. The interior is light-filled, open, and vibrant, and projects energy outward to the campus. Special attention was given to the original orientation to the quarry pond to the south which appeared in original renderings, but had long since become overgrown. New additions and interior spaces such as a mind-body studio were opened to face the tranquil natural scenery. KITE enlisted the help of a masonry preservationist to restore the original terra cotta walls, and added a contemporary rain-screen terra cotta tile to new walls and infill areas.

The fitness center is oriented towards undergraduate students who live on campus and is centrally located to many of the dormitories. It includes new cardio and weight training areas, studios for group classes, and expanded wellness and health offerings. KITE worked with specialists S3 Design to ensure the fitness facilities were state-of-the-art.

The project has been designed to achieve LEED-CI Silver levels and is awaiting final certification. Green aspects include features geared toward the fitness center environment, such as bottle fillers to encourage re-usable containers and avoid pre-packaged bottled water, and athletic flooring made from recycled rubber. All new heating and power systems optimize energy use, and new full glazing and exterior wall retrofits conserve energy.

Merchant’s Bank Building, 20 Westminster Street

Situated in the heart historic of Providence, when this shockingly narrow six-story masonry building was built in 1840, it was the tallest building in Providence and played a key role in the city’s maritime past. Still containing multiple bank vaults, it played an important role in the city’s history as a financial hub of New England, and is a contributing structure in the National Register Historic District. Situated on the banks of the Providence River, it took advantage of its waterside location and catered to merchants arriving with precious cargo. From structural evidence and historic photos, the top story was built after the original was constructed, and the ornamental stonework of the lower facade replicated.

After use as an office building, and home for many years to RISD Works, it was vacant for many years until a new life as upscale residences with a ground floor restaurant was undertaken. KITE helped the developers with appropriate interior layouts, details, and finishes to the interiors. The construction challenges of a tight urban site were dealt with as the decaying stonework were stabilized and new openings with wood windows crafted to match the original were created. Now completed, the mixed-use building contains the ground floor restaurant Cilantro, and high-ceilinged sophisticated apartments with unparalleled riverfront and city views.

As a recipient of State and Federal Historic Tax Credits, the project was subject to Department of the Interior standards, and also benefited from the special provisions of the RI State Rehabilitation Code. The central historic staircase was allowed to be maintained, and historic elements such as the ornate main entry were preserved.

The Dean Hotel

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Now open for guests and earning worldwide media attention, The Dean Hotel offers a stylish and affordable home base for visitors to Providence. In collaboration with developer and interior designer ASH NYC, KITE transformed this historic property with an infamous past into a unique destination that offers a glimpse into the character of the city.

Located in Providence’s historic downtown core, the hotel includes 52 guestrooms in a range of sizes, a breathtaking restored lobby that features finishes that are newly rediscovered after generations in hiding, the biergarten-style restaurant Faust, the mysterious Madelanae Lounge, and the hit karaoke lounge Boombox. The hotel features numerous locally crafted elements and artwork as well as hand-picked vintage items.

The complete renovation left no element untouched, from its high efficiency individually controlled heating and cooling system, to completely new and luxurious bathrooms, to restoration of its historic brick exterior and windows. All new plaster, doors, flooring, lighting, bath tile, and fixtures have resulted in a building that retains its historic character yet is fresh and updated.

Curbed.com recently published a slideshow of our “before” construction photos with completed “after” images. For additional blogs and media coverage, see our news story for a growing list.

Photography by Christian Harder

Green Corporate Headquarters

KITE is proud to have helped a growing local company with interior design to retrofit the “eco-office” at 28 Wolcott Avenue as their new headquarters.

Developed originally by John T. Jacobson as a high-performance green building, KITE’s challenge was to preserve the airiness and beauty of the original interiors while accommodating the particular needs of the business.

KITE chose a palette that reflected the original building’s black, white, and wood, and placed modular glass walls to define a new conference room used for regular collaborative sessions and private offices within the high-volume space. Ample natural daylight and sense of space prevail. The break room is oriented toward a landscaped patio, also used for hosting corporate events.

photography by Albert Garcia, AIA

Business School Competition

KITE Architects was invited to participate in a funded design competition to design a new home for a business school on a New England campus. KITE’s entry took inspiration from key buildings on campus for the form and imagery of the new additions, and developed a design that integrated useful components of an existing building.

The most striking feature is the large central atrium which contains a lounge that is usable as a event space. Collaboration rooms and informal meeting rooms ring the open atrium on three floors, creating an active hub. The interiors are light and airy, and draw inspiration from structure used in industrial maritime buildings.

The axial entrance to the atrium creates a formal “front door” to the rest of campus, while the side is open to a large outdoor collonaded courtyard that creates a more informal “side door” and active zone for engaging student traffic. An architectural garden-folly in the center serves as a highly visible hub for student clubs.

images 1 & 2 by StudioAMD

NBC Field’s Point Administration Building

KITE has completed a new Adminstration Building for the Narragansett Bay Commission, Field’s Point Wastewater Treatment Facility. The 19,000 sf Operations Building houses a complex program that balances treatment plant process monitoring, plant security, plant staff support areas, administrative offices and an education center that is open to the general public. The project was part of a larger effort that won the 2014 CMMA New England Infrastructure Project of the Year award in the largest category (<$100M).

When completed, the education center will be used as a public teaching facility to heighten community awareness of water-use and conservation issues that face the Narragansett Bay. The education center is surrounded by rain gardens that demonstrate stormwater management strategies, and the use of drought resistant native plant communities. The lower floors of the building house various plant staff support areas including a new locker room facilities, a lunchroom, and kitchen areas. A third floor fitness center overlooks green roof terraces and the plant beyond.

The building is targeting LEED Gold Level Certification. Green roof terraces, low-e glazing, solar shading devices, and materials with high-recycled content are some of the key green design features. Building interiors highlight exposed structural elements and building systems, and reflect the raw beauty and robust industrial vocabulary of the Field’s Point Site. A palette of materials has been selected that is durable, low maintenance, and naturally beautiful.

photography by Albert Garcia, AIA

Prospect Street Residence

This major renovation is the perfect illustration of how KITE’s creative yet careful approach can transform even the most challenging structure into a gem. The resulting aesthetic is clean, modern, and elegant, yet approachable and contextually appropriate for its historic College Hill neighborhood.

The original residence can be best classified as “1970’s-contemporary”. At the start of the project, views to and from the residence were mostly obscured by overgrown plantings along Prospect Street and Angell Street. A key challenge was to brighten the darkened spaces and finishes.

Renovations transformed the existing structure into a new residence that is in keeping with the quality and character of the surrounding neighborhood, while maintaining the overall modern spirit of the original residence.

Exterior renovations include new cladding and windows, and a palette of materials drawn from the surrounding college hill neighborhood. Horizontal sapele wood siding replaces the existing vertical wood siding on the major volumes of the house. The minor volume defined by the garage that faces Olive Street is stucco clad to reflect the stone textures of the existing perimeter foundation wall. The site design and interior renovations improve the visibility and access to the “front door” located at the NW corner of the house.

Inside, KITE took a similar approach by enhancing the qualities of the existing floor plan and introducing subtle changes. The new open floor plan was designed to accommodate the family’s art, book, and media collection. A dramatic new stair organizes the space of the completely open plan.

Girl Scouts of Rhode Island

KITE has designed a new headquarters for the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island that reflects the spirit of the thriving organization. The renovation includes a complete reworking of a former retail space in an existing building.

KITE helped stretched a limited budget to maximum effect by limiting new openings in the formerly windowless building.Through strategic use of skylights, materials, color, and maximizing views within the space, a fresh and lively atmosphere is created.

KITE also used the opportunity to conduct design workshops with Girl Scouts from across the state. Project lead Carrie Patricio started the day-long session by explaining what an architect does, then the girls broke into small groups to suggest design ideas for the space using ‘inspiration boards’. The scouts then had a chance to present their ideas to the group, much like the architects at KITE do every day, only the scouts earned a Public Speaking badge! The day generated a lot of great ideas and excitement for the new space.