Boston Living with Water finalists propose strategies to strengthen the city's climate resiliency

The coastal historic city of Boston is projected to have up to five or six feet of saltwater flooding by the year 2100. In response to this, the Boston Harbor Association, City of Boston, Boston Redevelopment Authority, and Boston Society of Architects teamed up to create the Boston Living with Water competition.

Planners and designers worldwide were invited to develop new concepts and strategies that could improve Boston's resiliency and adaptability to these predicted environmental changes.

For Phase I, three finalists were selected for each of the three competition sites. The nine finalists each received $1,000 and can further develop their proposal to compete in Phase II. At the end of Phase II, one prize winner per site will be announced. The overall-winning entry wins $20,000, while the 2nd and 3rd-prize winners each win $10,000.

Finalists for Site #1: The Prince Building

"The Water Fun(d)"
Company: ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge
Team Members: Natalie Adams (Pate Adams Landscape Architects), Landscape Architect;  Christopher Angelakis (ARC), Architect;  Jack Cochran (ARC), Designer; Mark Urrea (ARC), Designer;  A. Vernon Woodworth (AKF Group), Engineering/Planning/Sustainability 

Project details.

"No Building is an Island: Thriving with Water"

Company: Harvard Graduate School of Design
Team Members: Coordinator Thaddeus Pawlowski, Urban Design Team;  Kira Sargent, Landscape Architecture;  Jon Springfield, Urban Planning;  Lindsay Woodson, Architect, resilience consultant
with contributions from Shanika Hettige, Tom Ishida, Jared Katseff

Project details.

"The Prince Building Piers"
 

Team Members: Stephanie Goldberg, AIA Architect/ Design;  Mark Reed, AIA Architect/ Design

Project details.

Finalists for Site #2: The 100 Acres

"Water District"

Company: Architerra Inc.
Team Members: Daniel Bernstein, AIA, LEED – Architect/Planner;  Ellen Watts, AIA, LEED – Architect/Planner;  Nikul Patel, LEED – Designer;  Caitlin Gilman, AIA, LEED – Architect;  Pete Hanley, Assoc. AIA, LEED – Designer;  Jaime McGavin, LEED – Designer;  Matt Calvey, AIA, LEED – Architect

Project info.

"Resilient Linkages"

Company: NBBJ
Team Member(s) Core team (NBBJ): Alex Krieger, Principal, Urban Design leadership Alan Mountjoy, Principal, Urban Design leadership Kelly Lynema, Urban Planner, Project Manager Pablo Licari, Urban Designer Brandon Cuffy, Architect Jim Gresalfi, Architect Molly Howard, Urban Planner, Editor

Project info.

"Bountiful Delta: It’s not just resilient"

Company: University of Washington
Team Members: Shu Kuei Hsu, Landscape Architecture/Coordinative and compile design;  Shih-Chia Chiu, Landscape Architecture/Landscape design, open space design;   Yu Ting Lin, Urban Design/Urban context study and master strategy;  Hao Liang, Architecture/ Resilient architecture design;  Kei-Sing Yiu, Environmental Engineering/ Green infrastructure design and research;  Dan Jost, Ecology and Sociology/Ecology and Sociology strategies development

Project info.

Finalists for Site #3: Morrissey Boulevard

"The Hydrokinetic Canal as an Urban Generator"

Company Name: Paul Lukez Architecture
Team Members: Paul Lukez FAIA LEED AP, Architect;  David Orndorff, Designer;  Josh McDonald, Designer;  Alison Malouf, Design Intern;  Matt Uminski, Graphic Designer;  Matt Soble, Intern

Project info.

"The Omega Chain"

Company: Howard & Cavaluzzi Architects Intl. LLC, Beijing Office
Team Members: Jason Balinbin, Senior Architect;  Liu Hongchao, Architect;  Zhong Ruixue, Landscape Designer; Chen Jinhua, Architect;  Li Ming, Architect; Huang Limin, Urban Planner

Project info.

"Total Resilient Approach"

Company: Thetis S.p.A. – Castello 2737/f – 30122 – Venezia – Italia
Team Members: Giovanni Zarotti, Hydraulic Engineer / team leader;  Luca Dall’Acqua, Coastal & Environmental Engineer;  Sarah Colonna, Architect / urban planner;  Francesco Lanza, Architect;  Giovanni Cecconi, Director of building with nature active knowledge center

Project info.

All images via bostonlivingwater.org

Find the Honorable Mentions + People's Choices below. Project details can be found here.