Consolidating the institutional, commercial, and 4,000 residential units associated with an Olympic Village along a single street creates a vibrant connection between disparate Boston neighborhoods. Hyper-concentrated development not only captures the festive atmosphere of the Olympics in an enduring, linking neighborhood, but also opens up the rest of the site to serve as large-scale ecological and social infrastructure. A series of constructed wetlands and berms mediate between the surrounding neighborhoods and Boston Harbor for stormwater treatment, tides, and projected sea level rise. This wetland landscape connects back to the main street visually through a series of viewshed-creating building punctures, and physically where wetlands or smaller channels push into the main street. Elsewhere along the street, smaller zones are defined by athletic, water, and cultural facilities, creating local opportunities for identity as well as rich public program.
Critic Keller Easterling | Spring 2014
Collaboration with Ross McLellan