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Albemarle Park, Newton – The Friends group requested a master plan to help direct the arbitrary development of this 25 acre park. Landscape Institute design student Judy Kokesh used this as her year-long thesis project. She documented the park’s organization, circulation, and connections with nearby amenities, and explored the connection between the park and an abutting middle school.
Ayer Park, Ayer – The Historical Commission was advocating to use new and existing spaces throughout the town for permanent neighborhood parks. A design studio of the Landscape Institute, under instructor Jean Cavanaugh’s direction, created a selection of prototypical designs for use by the Commission.
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Ayer project site
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Blessing of the Bay Boathouse and Landscape,
Somerville – The Boys & Girls Club of Middlesex County
requested help in planning improvements to a one-acre site
on the shores of the Mystic River. The site includes a
small boathouse in which they hold activities for children.
COGdesign organized a community charrette, with collaborator
Groundwork Somerville. The Dept. of Conservation &
Recreation (DCR) Urban Forestry program granted funds to
COGdesign for charrette documentation. Graphic designer
Margery Stegman designed charrette booklet; a design team of
Monica Fairbairn, Judy Kokesh, and Margery Stegman completes
a master plan of the site. >> More
Brookline Small Spaces – Landscape designer Alya
Shklovskya created planting designs for overlooked municipal
spaces like traffic circles, triangles, and median strips.
She emphasized the use of shade trees, appropriate for an
urban scale and realistic to maintain. This was the
designer’s Landscape Institute thesis project.
>> Project Sheet
Charlesgate Charrette, Under the Overpass, Boston
- A group of interested citizens, municipal representatives, open space advocates, and design students gathered together for a day-long community design workshop to create a vision for the aging and derelict park that lies in the shadow of the Bowker Overpass near Kenmore Square, Boston. A follow-up to the community charrette was an exhibit of designs and photographs documenting the visionary work of the community design workshop at the Boston Public Library.
>> Project Sheet
>> Charrette Book
Emerald Necklace Greenway Project – A bicycling
advocacy group developed plans for a continuous
pedestrian/bike greenway connecting the entire Emerald
Necklace. The landscape designer created graphic
information boards and maps for presentation to community
meetings.
Garden in the Woods, New England Wildflower Society,
Sudbury– The design team created planting plans which
suggested ways in which native plants could be used by the
homeowner. These designs help to make specialized displays
more relevant.
>> Project Sheet
Mozart Playground, Hyde Park – Landscape designer
Dale T. Wilson worked with the community and the Boston
Parks Department to revitalize a small and much used
neighborhood park. The local third grade classes helped to
dig, plant, and water as part of school and designer
workshops.
>> Project Sheet
Mothers’ Rest, Franklin Park, Boston -- The Franklin Park Coalition asked for a plan to improve this small sitting area in an accessible and well used corner of Franklin Park. Mother's Rest is strategically located near the golf course, clubhouse, jogging loop, and neighborhood entrances to the park.
>> Project Sheet
New Friends of the Playground, Sharon – The
community group requested a master plan for this large play
area which included organizing play spaces for different age
groups and suggestions for placement of new structures.
Leslie Davidson, landscape designer.
Newton Center Playground - This 18 acre park was
originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted but the mature
pines and rolling topography are now littered with playing
fields. A Landscape Institute design class, under the
direction of instructor Jean Cavanaugh, developed master
plans to enhance the park's natural beauty while continuing
to provide space for active recreation. The students
presented their plans to the Landscape Advisory Council of
the City of Newton.
>> Project Sheet
Nira Rock, Jamaica Plain – The Boston Parks Dept.
Urban Wilds Initiative requires an ecology-based design and
restoration plan for a 1.5 acre natural area adjacent to a
public elementary school, hospital, and a residential
neighborhood. Landscape designer Nina Shippen includes
improved access, enhanced trails, signage, circulation,
improved native plantings, and community involvement in her
planning.
UPDATE: Three years after planning began, an army
of community and corporate volunteers helped to plant new
native trees and shrubs to restore this unique neighborhood
park. As a result of their tireless advocacy and
hands-on determination, the Friends of Nira Rock and Paul
Sutton, Urban Wilds Coordinator for the Boston Parks Dept., have
transformed a dangerous and foreboding place into a
beautiful and stimulating green space
>> Photos
>> Project Sheet
Puddingstone Garden, Roxbury, is an urban wild.
Landscape designer Janis Porter and assistant Elaine Denune,
in partnership with neighbors and the Boston Parks
Department (BPD), created a master plan for revitalizing
this once beautiful small park and garden. COGdesign
sponsored a series of nature journal workshops for local
third grade students. The USDA Forest Service awarded a
Civil Rights grant to COGdesign for plant materials and the
BPD improved circulation and hardscaping. COGdesign’s
planting brigade, community volunteers, Earthworks, and the
BPD helped install new native plants.
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| Puddingstone
Garden: planting bulbs |
Installing
plants |
Nature
journal workshop |
"My students and I would like to thank you…In addition to
becoming nature lovers, we have also been able to adopt and
incorporate this experience into our Social Studies unit on
Boston. The students’ mapping and graphing skills were
enriched by this experience." -- Mrs. Byrd, Holland School 3rd grade
teacher, Dorchester, MA
>> Project Sheet
Robbins Farm Park, Arlington – The Friends group
is supporting the town’s efforts to improve and maintain
this neighborhood treasure by initiating several
improvements including an ornamental garden, historical
markers, and invasive removal. Designer Margaret Ann Rice
and design assistant Pamela Duncan worked with the
Friends group to provide plans to guide their volunteer
efforts.
Ronan Park, Dorchester –
An active Friends group was in need of a master plan with long range vision for this 11-acre Olmsted-designed city park. The project was placed in an advanced design class of the Landscape Institute, under the direction of instructor Jean Cavanaugh.
As part of a city-wide event, Plant Yourself in the Park Day, landscape designer Susan Balleza created a highly ornamental, low maintenance garden design for the park. The Friends of Ronan Park installed the plants and are responsible for its care.
>> Project Sheet
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| Ronan Park
community meeting |
Garden
installation. |
View from
park. |
RoDogRun – a design concept, as created by Charlotte Fleetwood, for a sanctioned off-leash dog recreation space in Ronan Park was approved by the City of Boston.
>> Project Sheet
Wright Memorial Park, Pepperell is a pocket park
commemorating Prudence Wright, a local Revolutionary War
hero; an existing memorial to her will be moved to the
site. The designer, Margaret Ann Rice, looked at the park’s
significance in the town center, creating a unifying
element. Native plants will be used extensively, and the
existing covered bridge will be incorporated into the
design. This was the designer’s thesis project for the
Landscape Institute. |
