BSLA Fieldbook BSLA 2015 Spring Fieldbook | Page 35
My work at Massport has provided me with
the opportunity to develop and contribute
to major public projects. I have found
Massport to be a place that accepts new
ideas and strives to manage and run their
facilities in an environmentally responsible
manner, understanding that they are
major transportation networks. I have been
part of developing this strategy as well as
contributing to Massport’s sustainability and
resiliency programs and making sure that
alternative energy, energy efficiency, and
multi-modal transportation are integral to all
Massport projects.
Here are a few examples of how I’ve been
able to use my background as a landscape
architect to help influence large-scale
projects:
• First LEED-certified aviation
terminal in the world: Back in
1999, when “environmentalism” and
“LEED” were just entering the lexicon,
I advocated for LEED certification for
Massport’s Terminal A at Logan Airport.
I was advised to settle for “certifiable”
but insisted on full certification. The
permitting originally specified the
inclusion of solar panels, but the timing
was too early for adoption of this
technology. This long-term strategy paid
off in 2013, when the roof was retrofitted
with solar panels.
• Prevented closure of Hanscom
Air Force Base: In 2005, Hanscom
AFB was on the short list for federal base
realignment and closure (BRAC). The
prevailing opinion was that there was
no room for expansion. As Massport’s
representative on the State’s BRAC
Team I developed a master plan that
took a creative look at how to exploit the
available square footage, demonstrating
that the base actually had two million
square feet of development opportunity.
As a result, today Hanscom remains
open and viable.
• Logan Greenway Connector: In
2012, I proposed and designed the Logan
Greenway Connector, a half-mile bicyclepedestrian segment that is part of a larger
network connecting Boston Harbor to
Constitution Beach. Opened in July 2014,
this “missing link” now connects over
three miles of East Boston’s parks and
open space.
• Logan Rental Car Center: As part
of the planning and permitting at Logan,
we made sure that the new Rental Car
Center included alternative energy (solar
roof panels). The Rental Car Center will
achieve LEED Silver and is very close to
reaching Gold. It includes a pedestrian/
bike trail on its edge as well as a pocket
park and greenway. This project is part of
Massport’s commitment to improving and
better defining the airport’s edge with the
community and providing open space as a
public amenity.
• Logan Green Bus Depot: This is a
maintenance facility that was built at
Logan to house, maintain and repair
Massport’s diesel/electric and CNG bus
fleet. The design includes bike racks and
a sidewalk network that connects to
the MBTA Blue line, so employees can
take transit and have a short walk to
work. The finished floor was raised 18”
to accommodate climate change, and all
mechanical equipment was located on the
roof, as were solar panels. The Depot just
received LEED Silver Certification.
Landscape architects have the opportunity,
ability, and obligation to improve their cities
and environs. As a 30-year resident of Boston,
I believe Boston is one of the most livable,
walkable, and bikable cities in the world, and
I hope that I have done a small part to help
make it that way.
Started Out Lake Worth, FL
Education BLA, University of Florida
Now Massport
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook
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