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Somerville Competition:
Somerville, MA
Urban planning
to restore ... |
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PROGRAM
The existing uses on the core of the site are mostly
automobile garaging and services. For the city of Somerville and especially this
area of town, there is a desperate need for more open and recreation space for
recuperation, relaxation and sports. Other uses are the artist lofts, studios
and small industrial uses.
Our solution proposes a green hill with the existing uses
under the hill. The existing uses are augmented by soundstages, a use that
requires large spaces with no daylight. The Film industry is a good match for
the artistic and high tech community in Somerville. Movie business can be a
money making business, so many other cities and states have learned. Film
production will also bring in people who need a place to stay. A hotel should be
built on site for film production people other visitors.
In addition 380 units of housing and 640,000 SF of office
space will balance the mix of uses.
SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES
ENERGY
350,000 SF of Solar Panels on roofs of all buildings that
don’t have green roofs. This can generate as much as 6,125,000 KWH/year or
enough electricity for 765 households, sufficient for the demands of 330,000 SF
of Housing and 225,000 SF of Artist Lofts.
Wind mills on the east side of the N-S rail line contribute
to the renewable energy supply.
Offices are mostly under planted roofs facing atria. With
planted roofs the solar heat gain is lower, insulation is better. Heat recovery
ventilation also reduces the cooling and heating loads.
Vertical landscaping on south facades of housing will
reduce the solar heat gain in the summer.
Lake water re-circulated in a water fall will contribute to
the cooling.
DAYLIGHTING
Atria will bring light to the office spaces within the
buildings. Shafts and solar tubes will bring day light the circulation paths
leading to the areas that require no daylight.
The community center under the top of the hill has 20 feet
wide exterior decks carved into the roof slope.
OPEN SPACE
The removed elevated high way area is converted to parkland
with a lake. This lake restores part of the Mill River. By covering most of the
central area with a planted roof the park extends over a green hill. This
recreates a hill in a landscape where many hills were carted away and used as
fill. This hill has public parkland, sports fields, gardening space, including
vegetable gardens, community gardens near the Elderly Housing and at the top of
the hill a view tower and a Community Center.
WATER
Solar aquatic sewage
Grey water distribution on green roofs gardening space
Storm water reduction with green roofs
Storm water run off flows over the green roofs with the
overflow running into the new Mill Lake and from there into the Mill River.
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
By leaving many of the existing buildings under the green
roof we have reused existing facilities. The demolition material is used as base
of hill fill and covers the site of the waste transfer station.
CIRCULATION
A circulation network connects all areas of the site with
three types of paths: Exterior walkways run through the parkland of the green
roofs and lake area and are connected to tree covered side walks to surrounding
destinations such as Union Square. The ART PATH that runs from rail stop to rail
stop in arcades or in atria past artist studios and galleries.
The regional bicycle path will run north-south along the
west side of the rail line with connections to east and west. There also will be
artfully lit tunnels to allow pedestrians to cross the railroad tracks to the
Inner belt area.
The elevated highway will be removed. Its traffic will go
through a new artery through the site, a widened 4 lane Linwood Street. It will
pass at ground level over the Fitchburg Line, if this rail line gets rebuilt at
a lower level or it will cross it with a level signalized stop.
The main east west circulation will continue to move via
Washington Street. A relocated Poplar Street, called New Poplar Street will
connect the Inner Belt Road to the central area and beyond. Both are mostly
under buildings and green roofs that cover the site.
Medford Street will be greatly reduced in width and made
one way between Washington and Somerville Ave. Much of this area will become a
park leading to the new lake. |
