PROJECT TEAM
Octavia Pinckey
Internal Communications
Coordinator
Lead Architectural Design
Schematic Design
Becker Schmidt
Project Manager
Lead Graphic Design
Schematic Design
Lillian Cryan
Lead Landscape Design
Schematic Design
Paula Hidalgo
Research Coordinator
Lead Architectural Drafter
Schematic Design
Joud Basta
External Communications
Coordinator
Architectural Drafter
Schematic Design
Hakim Amoako
Operations Design
Schematic Design
Gabriel Cira
Project Supervisor
Jena Tegeler
Project Supervisor
Jose Malagon Samper
Operations Design
Schematic Design
Vail Court, previously a residential complex, was demolished in 2017, and is currently vacant. It is up for debate what the use will be. Local community members have expressed a need for livable housing and a growing concern for what Central Square will turn into without it.
AERIAL VIEW
THE NEED FOR LIVABLE HOUSING
Soaring rent prices coupled with stagnant wage increases has led to the majority of Cambridge residents being priced out of their community. The very people who contribute to Central Square and its vibrancy - educators, firefighters, artists, healthcare workers - cannot live in the community in which they serve. The people of Cambridge need livable housing as well as a way to develop it affordabilty. This proposal offers an affordable intervention on the site that considers cost reduction of long term maintenance and encourages cultural and community member retention.
CENTRAL SQUARE SQUARE
CENTRAL SQUARE
The people of Cambridge need livable housing as well as a way to develop it affordability. This proposal offers an affordable intervention on Vail Court and the adjacent parking lot that considers cost reduction of long term maintenance while encouraging cultural and community member retention. The design rethinks how we sustainability meet this need through CLT construction, gradual site recomposition, community performance opportunities, and collective maintenance programming.
LANDSCAPE INTERVENTION
In efforts to minimize construction costs and prioritize permeability on site, the proposed solution encourages a landscape conscious intervention that integrates storm water management and sustainable building methodologies into its core strategies.
By lifting the buildings off the site and connecting them by way of lifted CLT pathways, bioswales and rain gardens located with the natural grade of the site enable water to permeate the uncompressed soil.
Retaining all but one of the existing trees and adding a handful of additional ones amongst the buildings creates an atmosphere of refuge - an urban oasis.
The landscape design forms flexible public open space for residents and the surrounding Central Square Community to live, work, and come together within.
EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS
As it currently exists, Vail Court and the adjacent parking lot mostly consist of asphalt, dirt, and gravel with a spattering of existing trees and four storm water drains.
PROPOSED SITE
Emergency & Resident Vehicle Lane
Rain Gardens
Remaining
Asphalt Under Building & Pathways
Performance Platforms
Bioswales
The proposed site introduces a network of bioswales and rain gardens in between an abstract grid of increasing vegetation and gradually broken up asphalt. All but one tree on site will remain with additional trees being added in between buildings.
Additionally, a fire lane with scattered resident parking traces the back edge of the site providing necessary emergency access while maintaining minimal vehicular engagement.
SITE LAYERS
There are multiple layers to the site, all working together to optimize storm water management and an enjoyable atmosphere.
The ground plain will have rain gardens in areas with existing drainage holes. Bioswales are strategically placed to bring water from the buildings to the rain gardens. Ground cover will gradually break up existing asphalt on the site that is not providing extra stability to footings for the built interventions above.
The second layer includes the CLT pathway and buildings that “rest” on top of it. This is the main circulation level.
The third layer consists of the tree canopy that provides shade and comfort amongst the buildings.
Tree Canopy
CLT Pathway
Ground Intervention
GREENING OVER TIME
By cutting away squares of the asphalt parking lot, ground cover will slowly be added overtime. The community collectively decides upon different ground covers to create a pixelated piece of artwork that reflects the community that lives on site. Ground cover could include grass, clover, wild strawberry and other low-growing, resilient plants.
Blue Star
Creeper
Creeping Thyme
Typical Lawn Clover
Wild Strawberries
GRASS:PAVED
RAIN GARDEN
SEASONAL PLANT PALLET
Rain gardens collect water from roof tops and impervious surfaces on the ground, encouraging water to permeate the site while providing a habitat for pollinators and a year-round source of visual and physical connection to nature.
BUILDING INTERVENTION
By taking advantage of the design flexibility of CLT methods, we can combine modular spaces to meet community needs and environmental standards of Central Square, Square.
Cross Laminated Timber, a process by which timber is layered and adhered to itself, acts as a carbon sink, boasts impressive fire ratings, and can be locally sourced. Its prefabrication process yields lower manufacturing, construction, and maintenance costs.
By rethinking livable housing at every stage of intervention, we can create 66 housing units and 28 flex spaces over 5 buildings while integrating public open space throughout the site.
ELEVATED CLT PATHWAYS
Elevated CLT pathways meander between buildings, allowing water to filter to the bioswales and rain gardens below. Raised pathways also avoid soil compression and increase the permeability of the site.
Performance platforms placed throughout the site offer impromptu activity and spontaneous community engagement.
FLEX SPACES
First floor flex spaces are intentionally small with the majority of spaces at less than 400 sqft and a few of the spaces at 700 sqft. This is to make it more affordable for local businesses and artists to access the spaces.
Nestled under all the buildings with the CLT pathways surrounding them, people are encouraged to gather around and within each flex space. Large windows mean the public can observe any creative goings-on and feel a part of the creative vibrancy of Central Square, Square.
FLEX SPACES
RESIDENTIAL UNITS
The three residential floors of each building have a combination of 2br and studio apartment units. Each unit also has a private outdoor balcony.
The longer sections of the buildings have two 2br and two studio units on each floor while the short sections of the buildings have two 2br units on each floor.
All together across five buildings, there are forty-eight 2br units and eighteen studio units.
Typical long building section floor plan
The studio and 2br apartments are roughly 400 sqft and 800 sqft respectively with an 80 sqft private balcony.
BALCONY
The apartments are mirrored from floor to floor to increase variety in design of the building and distribute noise generated by outdoor balconies, increasing privacy.
These spaces also further enable residents to engage with the public open space below, enjoying the view of the rain gardens and passer-byers meandering throughout the site.
Green wall sound buffers bring even more greenery from the site to the building and increase privacy.
SECTION 1
SECTION 2
OPERATIONS
Community members form committees addressing the operations and maintenance of the site over the course of the year. Engaging collaboratively to produce work for and along with the community. As well as funding and maintaining the grounds of the landscape and building, essentially placing the ownership of Central Square in the hands of the community.
Interested artists and professionals apply to an established program where they are afforded amenities, and space to learn and operate in conjunction with the broader Central Square community.
CREATE IMPLEMENTABLE COMMUNITY ASPECTS: Create workshops to train volunteers expertise for maintaining building equipment and landscape. Introduce new spaces if needed for artist residence, marketing to community and community engagement campaigns for flex space.
PREPARE COMMUNITY FOR ACTIVE SEASON: Prepare work orders, and delegate tasks of volunteers for maintenance with proper skill sets, training, and equipment. Prepare schedule for artist residency and retail activities, partnerships, and goals. Delegate respective community volunteers to each role, incentives,a nd return contribution to community with contract per application. Organize fundraising financial prospective targets. Prepare landscape maintenance schedule.
ATTEND TO THE COMMUNITY NEEDS: Clean boardwalks, benches and platforms and evaluate any damage. Inspect bioswale for drainage and irrigation post winter frost Insure building pipes, window and door seals are enclosed, clean balconies post snow fall. Check maintenance systems mechanical and plumbing are up to working status post winter
SERVICE CENTRAL SQUARE SITE: Repair any damage to boardwalks, benches and platforms. Remove any existing asphalt where there is new vegetation growth in landscape. Redevelopment any new irrigation systems between building and landscape.
BUILDING MAINTENANCE: Deploy trained volunteer maintenance to service the community building needs throughout the spring, summer and fall months. Repaint, reseal, and repair building surfaces during dry summer season.
LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE: Deploy trained volunteer maintenance to service the landscape, evaluate drought tolerance of plants.
ARTIST RESIDENCY SHOWCASE: Deploy trained volunteer maintenance to open created residency spaces for scheduled promotional community performances. Host community events.
PROMOTE CENTRAL SQUARE, SQUARE: Deploy marketing campaigns for retail spaces. Advocate community usership of space. Open pop up stores and community commerce withing boardwalks based on schedule and spring sign up applications
MANAGE COMMUNITY PROFIT & ASSETS Allocate profits to the participating partners, retails spaces, occupant rents, residency artists, and property income.
COMMUNITY REASSESSMENT: held every winter to evaluate group performance and accomplishments from the previous year. Inspections of pathways, bioswales, vegetation roofs, equipment and building for necessary repairs. Deploy trained community members for immediate repairs and tasks.
COMMUNITY CONFERENCE: covers role delegation for the upcoming year, training goals and skill building needs, discussion of community engagement campaigns, and community member skill evaluation. Also aims to build financial assets through contributions to community reserves,community funding, fundraisers, etc.
CENTRAL SQUARE, SQUARE
