1960s Urbanism_Digital Presentation_GinnUbben

Assembly Square:

Remembering the Past + Creating a New Identity Somerville, MA | 1960’s Urbanism

By Katherine Ginn Ubben

Historical Evidence 1700s

70

Former Wetlands of the Mystic River Percentage of Assembly Square that was orginally wetland

Long before the lowlands of Assembly Square were developed, it was orginally home to wetlands, running along the Mystic River. Today, You can still find evidence of this, where wild grasses grow in the damp areas of the site.

1890s

24

Brick Manufacture Boom Million bricks were produced in Somerville at the height of the brick-making industry.

“The largest non-agricultural employer in town, and the industry which characterized the landscape for 70 years following the Revolution, was the brick-making business.

The proximity of a major metropolitan area, coupled with the extensive glacial clay deposits of the Boston Basin, provided the impetus for early brick manufacture in the inland towns of Medford, Cambridge, and Somerville.”

1920s

400 N

Ford Motor Assembly Plant Number of cars made at the Ford Assembly Plant within every 8 hours.

“The Ford Motor Company opened its first Boston-area assembly plant in Cambridge in 1914. In 1926, the company moved to Somerville, constructing a model assembly plant on filled land near the Mystic River (near the reputed location of the 1636 lauching of Governor Winthrop’s ship “Blessing of the Bay”).

Boston’s Landfill History 1634 Boston Settled

1830 Mill Pond Filled

Known as the Shawmut Peninsula Defined by three hills: Copps Hill, Trimount, and Fort Hill

Beacon Hill cut to fill Mill Pond State House erected atop reduced Beacon Hill

Copps Hill

1845 Great + South Cove Filled

Great Cove added, now Financial District South Cove added, now Chinatown/Tufts Medical

Land added along Charles Street/West End Created ropeworks on west end of the Commons

1890 Back Bay Filled

Added more land than the entire Shawmut Peninsula Fill was transported from Needham Heights

West Cove

Mill Pond

Trimount

1865 West Cove Filled

Great Cove Back Bay

Fort Hill South Cove

487

Acr

es

+5

0A

cres

+2

98 A

cres

+2

03 A

cres

+5

07 A

cres

Regional Analysis:

Adaptive Re-Use of Industrial Sites

1 3

2

USS Constitution Museum

1

Piers Park Sailing Center

2

4

Big Dig + Columbus Waterfront Park

25% Residential

45% Industrial

31% Infrastructure

3

Fort Point - South Boston

4

Park Not Shown as Park

Assembly Square

Industrial

Google 2012

Taxonomy of Assembly Square Historical Fill

Path

Historical Site

Originally Wetland

Major Minor

Major Minor Minor

Area Lacking Character Area of Isolation

Major

Major Minor

Node Major Minor

Thesis + Concept

With the objective of providing more open-space for the residents of Somerville, I highlighted the history of the site by recreating the wetlands and reconstructing the Assembly Square water tower.

By lifting the land, I introduced a hill that provides better views of the riverfront, the site, and the Boston skyline.

The infrastructure that supports the hill submerges the ground level of the program while allowing for a system to filter greywater through the wetlands.

Wellington

Ch el

sea

McGrath Highway rk Pa ss Fo

I-

Broa

dway

Framework for Assembly Square

93

Aven u

e

Sullivan

Winter - Snow

Ten Hills

Mystic River

Draw Seven Park Foss Park

N

Program

High Density Residential = 459,900 SF Mixed Use = 165,000 SF Retail = 150,000 SF Office = 208,600 SF Hotel = 263,500 SF Community = 55,000 SF Parking = 312,000 SF Open Space = 338,000 SF

I - 93

Home Depot

Node: Community Center

Public Atrium

Constructed Wetland First Stage of Water Filtration

MBTA Orange Line to Oak Grove

Natural Wetland Second Stage of Filtration

MBTA Commuter Rail to Newburyport/Rockport

Mystic River Final Stage of Water Filtration

Node: Community Center

Sports & Leisure Center St. Cloud, France KOZ Architectes

Food Trucks + Open-Air Market

Hotel Lobby

Moss Grafitti

Public Atrium

Nykredit Headquarters Copenhagen, Denmark Schmidt, Hammer, Lassen

Residential Passageway

Gallery

Classroom Running Track

Fitness

Office

Node: Community Center

Game Dance Gym

Phase I: Infrastructure + Node

Phase II: Hotel + Office

Phase III: Retail + Office + Residential

Concept Model

Final Model

Final Model inserted into Site Model