Multifamily housing developer Beacon Communities and Harborlight Homes, a non-profit focused on creating access to affordable housing, came up with the idea to transform the former Briscoe School into an income-restricted senior living community with a unique feature ─ six of the 91 apartments would be reserved for live/work spaces for local artists.
The Briscoe School was constructed in 1923 and aserved as the town’s high school and middle school before being decommissioned in 2018. The goal for the adaptive re-use of the vacant school was to preserve the integrity of the historic building and its architectural details in order to qualify for state and federal tax credits. This included creating an exact replica of the window profiles (including how the glass is divided) originally installed in the building to ensure approval by the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) ─ an extensive process that involves multiple rounds of review. The project was also seeking to achieve LEED Silver Certification, so the windows needed to meet strict energy efficiency standards.
The school building also featured exceptionally large double-hung windows, with some window sashes weighing over 100 lbs. Because the building was being converted into senior housing, the windows would need to open with minimal effort.
Universal Window used its energy-efficient 550 Series and engineered triple grids, placing custom grids on both the interior and exterior of the windows, as well as Grids Between Glass (GBG), to satisfy the MHC’s requirements. Universal Window also sent technicians directly to the site post-installation to adjust the windows and fine-tune their movement, ensuring the windows operated as easily and smoothly as possible for the senior residents.
The Briscoe School was successfully transformed into the Beverly Village for Living & the Arts (BVLA), which includes an auditorium converted into a community theater and performance space. The project ensures that the building remained a community asset, not just by creating much-needed affordable housing, but also by bringing together community members of all ages through the arts. In 2026, BVLA received the prestigious Mayor Thomas M. Menino Legacy Award from Preservation Massachusetts.
“We’ve created a unique, intergenerational community that combines senior housing, artist live/work units, and even an active community theater,” said Jaissa Feliz, development director at Beacon Communities, in an interview with Affordable Housing Finance.”
“Beverly Village is a unique combination of sustainability, historical preservation, and resident engagement.”
