Boston Living with Water Competition

Boston, MA

"Honorable Mention"

Ground and NBBJ received honorable mention for “Boston Living with Water International Competition”, responding the challenges of adapting to climate change and rising sea levels at the 100 Acres area of the Fort Point District, a large urban mixed-use redevelopment opportunities across Boston. It includes development sites, green and blue open spaces, multi-level infrastructure, and existing historic buildings. The site was specifically chosen for his vulnerability and where winning solutions can influence future redevelopment activities.

The project RESILIENT LINKAGES proposes a strategy that embraces the fluctuations of the tide and mounting sea level by building a higher level “ground plane” through both public and private investment in a responsive infrastructure and creating an aqueous Central Park that doubles as a water management system. A water management and treatment system performs as an aqueous landscape of social space and recreation. Water is celebrated within the Central Park and enjoyed through water play areas, swimming pools, irrigated beds for urban agriculture, lush green open spaces, a beach, boardwalks, fishing docks and a terraced tidal play zone.

The park is extended over the rail beds and surface road to the BCEC to serve as a conduit for water and renewable energy collection from its roof, and as a means of egress to the Ark in times of emergency. At the base of the central inlet are two swimming pools floating in Fort Point Channel. Lights within these pools act as indicators of water cleanliness - red means danger and blue/ green means clear to swim.

LOCATION
Boston, Massachusetts

CLIENT
City of Boston

ARCHITECT
NBBJ Architects

FACILITY
Park and Waterfront

STATUS
Honorable Mention