Barrier | Island
[Boston Harbor, MA]

Chronic sea level rise and the changing nature of storm surge will differentially affect the Boston Harbor as we know it. Our project proposes future strategies for a community and way of life that, informed by geologic form, will be responsive and adaptive to this risk. Doing so, will allow for the creation of new ecologies, transportation systems, and resilient localized material flows. We have taken a close look into a transect that spans from the lower barrier beach of Hull through World’s End and Hingham – a site where a collective of new islands will emerge, unstable infrastructure will recede and increasing wave energy will impact landform and edges. Through these strategies and negotiations, we probe new ways of considering what constitutes storm surge infrastructure for an indeterminate future.

The research based format of this studio allowed our group to spend time investigating our interests in soil formation, erosion patterns, and geologic form unique to Boston Harbor, prior to the start of designing. This site, chosen by our group is the result of initial investigations of the region at large.

Harvard University GSD: Landscape Architecture Core Studio III
Team: Chelsea Kashan, Xinyi Chen, Dominic Riolo, Tiangang Lyu
Instructor: Amy Whitesides