BSLA Fieldbook BSLA 2013 Fall Fieldbook | Page 62

Honor Award Desig n /Wat er fro n t De s i g n Richard Burck Associates project name. location. Fan Pier Public Green and Streetscape Boston, Massachusetts When the design team began work on Fan Pier, a 21-acre, mixed-use development, there were two overarching responsibilities: the codification of a streetscape plan to unify the new district and the conception of a brand-new open space to be called Fan Pier Public Green. The landscape architect’s intent for the Public Green was to create a lush, open tract of parkland that would capitalize on its unique waterfront viewshed to create a meaningful community amenity. Serving as the central esplanade, an elevated wooden deck channels pedestrians between the neighborhood, the HarborWalk, and along the streets and past the landscape’s centerpiece, the Public Green. The Green is gently terraced to provide distant views to the harbor, and designed to function on a variety of scales and host an array of events. Plantings provide maximum comfort and visual interest throughout the year. In light of the park’s singular importance as a public greenspace, the landscape architect implemented a program that is engaging, inviting, and flexible to changing needs. 60 BSLA 100