525 LINC: Co-Living Built from the Ground Up

A New Kind of Housing for Allston

Along Lincoln Street in Allston, Boylston Properties and Arx Urban partnered with HDS Architecture, Plumb House, and H+O Structural Engineering to deliver 525 LINC: an 80-unit co-living community with nearly 280 bedrooms in a five-over-one wood-podium structure. Completed in 2024, the project meets Boston’s demand for flexible, community-oriented housing, balancing privacy, shared space, and cost efficiency.

Designed for Flexibility and Efficiency

The building combines five stories of Type IIIA wood framing over a cast-in-place, post-tensioned concrete podium containing parking and two landscaped courtyards. This hybrid system places durable concrete where loads are greatest and uses wood framing above for efficient, cost-effective construction. HDS Architecture’s L-shaped plan encloses the courtyards, bringing daylight into the buildings interior. Brick, fiber-cement panels, and glass maintain a neighborhood scale with a contemporary expression.

How Co-Living Works Here

Suites are fully furnished and leased by the bedroom, pairing private rooms with shared kitchens and living areas. Utilities, internet, and professional cleanings are bundled into a single lease. A great room, fitness center, roof deck, and the landscaped courtyards extend the shared-living model throughout the building, simplifying move-in for residents and supporting efficient operations.

Structural Coordination from Day One

H+O coordinated early to align the podium, framing systems, and service layouts with the co-living program. The structure accommodates a higher concentration of kitchens and bathrooms while maintaining efficient spans and clear MEP routing. The podium slab was engineered to carry landscaped courtyards and planters efficiently, balancing strength and material use. Above, repetitive framing enabled Plumb House to panelize wood construction and accelerate the build once the podium was complete.

A Framework for Future Housing

525 LINC shows how co-living can be built efficiently within Boston’s mid-rise fabric when design and structure move in sync from the start, resulting in a durable, cost-effective framework for one of the city’s first purpose-built co-living communities.

H+O Structural Engineering applies the same cost-informed process across every project.
How much could your next multifamily development save when structure and cost are aligned from day one?