MORE THAN WORDS
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  • Interior photograph of a bookstore with wood floors and exposed ceilings
  • Interior photograph of a long communal table with red wall inside a bookstore
  • Interior photograph of bookstore with exposed ceilings
  • Interior photograph of theater auditorium space inside a bookstore
  • Interior photograph of bookstore

MORE THAN WORDS

BOSTON, MA (South End)

More Than Words, Inc. (MTW) is a non-profit social enterprise that empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business, selling books online and in a store. MTW expanded from the second floor of 242 E. Berkeley to also occupy a previously-leased first floor.

 

The first floor includes book processing and storage, a retail bookstore, youth development space, and an event space in approximately 10,000 SF. An important component of the expansion was bringing MTW’s branding and activity to street level to better integrate the organization into the community. Badly deteriorating wood panel was replaced with a glass storefront reminiscent of the building’s original architecture and character.

 

Beyond a typical tenant fit-out, the construction project included retro-fitting the old space with new slabs, new HVAC, new curtainwall at the front of the store, and the construction of 10’ custom millwork bookcases, a new elevator to the second floor, new loading dock and a flexible event space.

 

(Pictures courtesy of Matthew Snyder, Peter Rose + Partners)

 

Client

More Than Words

Architect

Peter Rose + Partners

Size

10,000 SF

Project Cost

$2.7 Million