Watertown Supply Co., Watertown, MA. The company consolidated
its corporate office, wholesale sales, and warehouse into a new facility on Grove Street,
Watertown. Located on a 1.1 acre triangular site adjacent to the Boston and Main Railroad,
the parcel is within 200 feet of a two-family residential district. The client, Mr. William
Tragakis, had taken over the plumbing and heating supply business from his father and
expanded it from a small storefront location with satellite storage to the present
centralized facility. The initial design challenge was to relate to Watertown's rich
industrial heritage, i.e., the nearby Watertown Arsenal with its vast shed structures,
yet also blend in with the adjacent residential neighborhood of pitched roof two-family
houses. The design utilizes a 112' long x 25' wide insulated shed-roof skylight system
over the wholesale sales area for a bright space that showcases their quality products,
and knits together the varying building elements. The skylight also provides natural
illumination into the warehouse and upper level offices. Studies have shown that reduced
electrical lighting offsets heat loss through the non-traditional roof.
CLIENT: Watertown
Supply, Inc.
SIZE: 27,000 sq.ft.
