As part of the BAC’s Continuing Education Weekend, Rob Adams of Halvorson Design, John Dalzell, leader of the BPDA’s Green Building and Sustainable Development Initiative, and community liaison Chris Marchi led a workshop called “Framing Resiliency and Climate Change in East Boston: How Stakeholder Communication and Collaboration Makes a Difference.”
With a focus on East Boston, one of the city’s most densely populated communities at risk from climate change, the workshop highlighted opportunities for municipalities, community organizations and designers to work together to integrate resiliency into not only site-specific projects but also the larger community fabric.
Clippership Wharf (Rendering by The Architectural Team)
As a case study, Rob presented Clippership Wharf, a new residential development by Lendlease with buildings designed by The Architectural Team and landscape architecture by Halvorson Design. Located on two historic wharves in East Boston, Clippership Wharf is an example of a new series of resiliency-focused projects.
Halvorson Design transformed the open space to provide a variety of passive and active recreation opportunities to encourage residents and the public to engage with the harbor. A “living shoreline” creates a new intertidal zone that protects the development and allows the vegetation to adapt with sea level rise. The “living shoreline’ features saltwater marshes, rocky beaches and coastal banks, which create habitats for wildlife and offer residents a variety of opportunities for accessing the water.