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S A S L ASTUDENT-AMERICAN-SOCIETY-OF-LANDSCAPE-ARCHITECTS

EVENTS GUIDEBOOK 2014-2016

2 SASLA Events Guidebook | 2014-2016

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3 SASLA: Student American Society of Landscape Architects | @BACsasla | [email protected]

LEADERSHIP

This book is brought to you by the SASLA Leaders:

Jessica Alpert..................................................................................................................................................President 2015-16 Vice President 2014-15

Neil DeMarco.................................................................................................................................................Secretary 2015-16

Jacob Ferreira.................................................................................................................................................President 2016-17 Treasurer 2015-16

Erin Fitch.......................................................................................................................................................Secretary 2016-17

Olivia Fragale.................................................................................................................................................President 2014-15

Lance Guerrero......................................................................................................................................Vice President 2016-17 Communications 2015-16

Tom Klein..............................................................................................................................................Vice President 2015-16

Stephen Lea.......................................................................................................................................Communications 2016-17

Meghan Marchie............................................................................................................................................President 2013-14


CONTENTS

Baxter River Tour with Copley Wolff - 2014...................................................................................................................Page 6

Mark Focht Lecture & Visit.............................................................................................................................................Page 8

deCordova Snowshoe Tour............................................................................................................................................Page 10

Park(ing) Day 2015.......................................................................................................................................................Page 12

Kate Kennen Lecture.....................................................................................................................................................Page 20

Pumpkin Fest(s).............................................................................................................................................................Page 22

Terrarium Workshop......................................................................................................................................................Page 24

Fenway Farms Green-roof Tour.....................................................................................................................................Page 26

Assembly Row Green-roof Tour.....................................................................................................................................Page 30

Spectacle Island Tour.....................................................................................................................................................Page 32

Lilac Sunday...................................................................................................................................................................Page 34

BSLA Gingerscapes........................................................................................................................................................Page 35

SASLA Socials...............................................................................................................................................................Page 36

SASLA Hosts “First Friday.”..........................................................................................................................................Page 37


Baxter River Waterfront Guided TourFriday, April 4, 2014 at 12:30 PMDeparting from 320 Newbury Street

SASLA organized a walking tour of Baxter River rennovation, guided by landscape designers at Copley Wolff. This was a great opportunity to speak with the design team and take a look at the project’s Construction Documents. During the tour the students were able to compare the firm drawings with the construction of the river-walk park and gain insight from first-hand observation.

BAXTERRIVER TOUR


Mark Focht, a Permaloc sponsored visitWed 2/18/2015 : Lunch & Informal Q&AWed 2/18/2015 : Keynote Lecture Thurs 2/19/2105 : Breakfast with SASLA Leadership

Mark Focht: First Deputy Commissioner - Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Immediate Past-President of ASLA- American Society of Landscape Architects- attends a visit at the BAC with Daniel Martin from Permaloc. This visit was part of ASLA’s Student Leadership program that organizes Mark to meet with students studying landscape architecture.

Mark Focht’s lecture was focused on Philadelphia’s Green Infrastructure Plan. Mark joined the SASLA members for lunch and an informal Q&A session. The lunch was followed

MARK FOCHTVISIT

by a public lecture that attracted more than just BAC students, but also our Boston neighbors. Mark’s lecture was hugely inspiring for the SASLA students and we were honored to have Mark lecture here at the BAC.

The following day, Permaloc sponsored a breakfast with SASLA’s 2014-15 Leaders: Olivia Fragale (President) and Jess Alpert (Vice President). They Mark and Daniel at Trident and discussed how we can create a strong student group at the BAC. Olivia and Jess were both greatly inspired by Mark’s words of encouragement and took his suggestions very seriously. They began looking into the possibility to participate in Park(ing) Day at the BAC and followed through with this plan for Park(ing) Day 2015.


deCordova Snowshoe TourSaturday, January 10, 2016Cost: $10

On a beautiful Sunday morning, SASLA ventured out into the sculpture park that is deCordova; with a guide, and multiple pairs of snowshoes. What unfolded throughout the day was an adventure through the park’s winter-wonderland.

The cost was $10 per student for snowshoe rental. The tour included EMS snowshoe instruction and tour of deCordova’s sculpture park, your admission to the deCordova museum and discounted snowshoe rental ($10 for rental).

This event was rescheduled due to the lack of snowfall on the original date but was a hit when it finally came around!

DECORDOVA SNOWSHOE TOUR


The BAC Students of Park(ing) Day 2015Article by Jess Alpert, SASLA President 2015-16Photo credits: Tom Klein, SASLA VP 2015-16

One hundred and twenty-six square feet is the size of one metered parking space in Back Bay, Boston. But by sunrise, Friday September 18th, 2015, one corner of Newbury and Hereford Streets was transformed into a public park. Potted trees and shrubs screened vehicular circulation from a rectangular oasis. Featuring a variety of seating options, the pocket-sized park hosted over one hundred visitors in twelve hours. PARK(ing) Day is an annual, international event where metered parking spaces are transformed into temporary public parks. This year, a group of students from the Boston Architectural College’s student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (SASLA), designed and built a park just outside of their school for the day.

The core planning team included:Jess Alpert (MLA, SASLA President)Tom Klein (MLA, SASLA Vice President)Olivia Fragale (MLA, SASLA Past-President)Jacob Aaron Ferreira (MLA, SASLA Treasurer)Jonathan Cave (MLA)Meredith Juliana (MLA)Ian Sloane (MLA)

The process began last spring when Mark Focht, Past-President of the American Society of Landscape Architects, spoke to the landscape architecture students about his experience as First Deputy Commissioner of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. With Mark’s encouragement, the idea of SASLA’s participation in PARK(ing) Day came into fruition.

PARK(ING)DAY 2015


Gathering a core team of motivated BAC students, SASLA organized a summer charrette to design and plan the event. The process then evolved from prototypes, to collecting materials, to the construction and assembly of a full-scale mock-up in a student’s driveway. To anchor the park, we converted four second-hand planters to benches using reclaimed flooring. Within the benches, we assembled interactive seats using cardboard tubes found at Extras for Creative ReUse, a second-hand craft center in Lynn, Massachusetts.

On the day of, we borrowed two pickup trucks and loaded them with the plants and materials. The potted plants were borrowed from a local landscape designer, Robin Dey of Robin Evans Landscapes. Sue Angelli, of AGD Landscape Design donated sod left over from a landscaping project. We were also fortunate to have Permaloc


Corporation offer to be a generous sponsor – providing funds for materials and being a big help with making sure the volunteers were well fed. We were able to reuse and recycle all of the acquired materials, creating very little waste in the end.

Among the first visitors was a pair of honeybees that arrived just shortly after set-up. We watched in awe as they began pollinating the native North American coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea). With this ecological system at work, we felt at ease in the space we had just created. Two women hurrying to start their day asked, “How long will this be here?” Several passersby smiled and one said “Hi, I’m Joe. What is this about?” A cyclist stopped to take a photograph

of the unusual while another shouted, “Love it! Reminds me of San Francisco.” By 9am, traffic faded in the background. We took off our shoes to feel blades of grass beneath our feet and we settled into the peaceful pocket park. Full sun beamed across the park at 10:30am. One of our corner trees created just enough shade for a lucky person who said, “I would not be sitting here if it were not for that tree!” Noon approached and two BAC faculty members enjoyed their lunches in the park. A passerby joked that although we were taking away one of the limited number of parking spaces, “This is certainly much better than construction.”


As the day grew to afternoon, the park was in full shade but it was filled with the brightest smiles. A fellow BAC student, Stephen, noted that the park “Feels like an oasis of serenity within the bustling city, a very clear-head space.” Fernanda, another BAC student, said that she had gone outside to find a place to relax when she unexpectedly saw the park set up. “I thought I would have to go all the way to the Comm. Ave. Mall, but my friend was sitting over here and waved me over.”

Musicians from the Berkley School of Music, 2Birds Band, were walking by and we asked them to play next to the park. As the instruments came out, the park transformed into a music venue, drawing more and more to stand by when the park was full.


By early evening, it was common for cars to drive by with the windows down, longingly admiring the park. One said “Looks cool!”, another said, “Looks good!”, and the third said, “Hey, I can’t find a parking space!” A resident approached with what seemed like a sincere concern “This is great but the only problem is that you are taking up a parking space… “ Then shouted, “Just kidding!”

At the end of the day there was a vibrant crowd enjoying the park. The BAC community joined with neighbors and residents. The unique public space made many feel welcome. The future of streets designed for people was the topic of many conversations. Rania, a BAC student exclaimed, “I think this park should be here forever”, and we completely agree. True to the BAC spirit, we are already planning the next park, but this time we hope you will join us! For interested participants, please contact us at [email protected].


SASLA’s Park(ing) Day 2015 would not have been possible without the unbelievable effort between the BAC students and the Boston community.

Our sincerest thank you to the following individuals: Daniel Martin of Permaloc Corporation, Robin Dey of Robin Evans Landscapes, Sue Angelli of AGD Landscape Design, Extras for Creative ReUse, Mark Focht, moms, dads, siblings and friends. Thank you for lending us a truck, a driveway, helping hands and loving support!


Schematic design sketch of Park(ing) Day

2015 by Jess Alpert, SASLA President


A Follow Up:

Park(ing) Day 2016 planning is under way! We are honored to win a $500 grant from the BSLA for the event. We now also own two beautiful indoor trees (Ficus lyrata) to keep on hand for future events.


Kate Kennen Lecture at the BACThursday 4.14.16Cascieri Hall @ 6:00pmFree and open to public

SASLA sponsored Kate Kennen, RLA owner of Offshoots, Inc and author of ‘PHYTO: Principles and resources for site remediation and landscape design. Kate Kennen is the founder and president of Offshoots, Inc., a Boston landscape architecture practice focused on productive planting techniques and phytotechnology consulting. Ms. Kennen’s book PHYTO: Principles of Site Remediation and Landscape Design was published in 2015. Ms. Kennen completed her undergraduate studies in Landscape Architecture at Cornell University, and received her master’s degree with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She currently teaches a research seminar in phytoremediation and plant-based technologies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

KATE KENNEN LECTURE

Kate’s lecture discussed phytotechnologies: using plants to clean up polluted water, soil & air. Kate was an inspiration to many of the attendees and attracted a large crowd from not just the BAC, but the local community. Kate gave the following description for promotion of the event:

Environmental pollutants are often encountered in the water, soil and air of our everyday landscapes. Can plants help remediate the site’s contaminants? Cost-effective phytoremediation (phytotechnology) plantings can be effective in mitigating on-site pollutants, but these interactions are complicated. When do they work and when don’t they? What plant species can be used? There is a lot of confusion around what phytotechnology can and cannot accomplish. This presentation will consider how we can create ‘phyto’ landscapes that enhance environmental conditions. A review of plant species and example projects will be provided. Case studies will include both residential landscapes, roadside


landscapes, community gardens and larger brownfield sites.

Public and residential landscapes in the US are typically driven by aesthetics, often consuming excessive amounts fossil fuels, water and natural resources. We believe there is a different way. We create urbanism and landscapes that are sustainable, organic, and contribute to natural ecologies. Instead of using aesthetics and art as a starting point for landscape/or urban design, we instead consider what the landscape can DO, ie: what functions can landscape design best provide in any given context. This is used as the generative force for conceptual design and planning.


PUMPKIN FEST(S)SASLA organized a Pumpkin Fest for the BAC students, October 2014. The event included pumpkin carving and snacks. The following year SASLA was approached by the BSLA Emerging Professionals group to co-host pumpkin fest. This joined effort was a success and we hope to collaborate more with the BSLA in the future.


Terrarium Workshop at the BACFeb. 28, 2016 @ 11 amFree and open to BAC community by RSVP only

SASLA organized and taught a terrarium workshop collabortively with the BACultural club, the BAC Green Team and the Office of Student Life. We were able to sponsor this free of charge and each attendee took home at least one terrarium! Over 30 people attended the workshop and it was a huge success. We heard such possitive feedback that this was the perfect winter event for SASLA and we hope to have this happen every year!

TERRARIUM WORKSHOP


Fenway Farms :: BAC Students Experience Urban Agriculture at Famous Boston Landmarkby Tom Klein, MLA

Mention Fenway Park and the first thing that comes to mind is likely the “Green Monstah” but it is a different kind of green space that captured the attention of Boston Architectural College students participating in SASLA’s Green Roof Tour. On Friday, October 9th, eleven BAC students experienced Fenway’s Green Roof first hand. Led by Brendan Shea, Owner and Director of Field Operations for Recover Green Roofs, students learned about the design process, as well as experienced the site through a private tour. Fenway Farms, which is operated by Boston nonprofit Green City Growers, was launched

FENWAY FARMS GREEN ROOF TOUR


on opening day in 2015. The 5,000 square foot rooftop farm provides organically grown fruits and vegetables that are served during Red Sox games in the EMC Club Restaurant. The harvest in this inaugural season was so successful that additional dining options were offered throughout the ballpark, including kale wraps, providing healthy ballpark fare while educating ballgame attendees about urban agriculture.

Situated on the west side of the stadium adjacent to Yawkey Way, the green roof supports a diverse mix of produce, as well as an apiary.

Despite the rain, students enjoyed the opportunity to experience the site while learning about the design, construction, and maintenance


Efficiency was also a theme of the design. “The design was very simple, however it was a very efficient use of space considering the amount of veggies they are able to harvest from such a seemingly small area,” said Rana Bates, BLA.

While the Fenway Green Roof is small in both scale and production, the power of this project to inspire was apparent. Our tour group left with the feeling that the buy-in of Red Sox ownership of the concept of green roofs and urban agriculture was no trivial realization, and that this example in one of Boston’s holiest of sites provides a real window of opportunity for the region. “While the green roof ’s produce

process. Brendan Shea provided an in depth analysis of the Fenway Green Roof project, as well as the site specific challenges that his team had to address throughout the process. “I found it quite fascinating how it looks so simple but is quite intricate,” said Eric Ramsay, B.Arch. “In particular, I thought the filtration system was quite impressive. At first glance, it just seemed like milk crates that are lined with some type of mesh. However, they are actually elevated so water can flow underneath and are designed to work with the existing drainage system, which I thought was really cool because you can’t see that,” he added.


are primarily being distributed to the exclusive EMC Club, Fenway Park nonetheless makes a statement about the need for accessibility of fresh, local produce by placing a green roof farm on one of the most iconic and historic places in Boston,” Jonathan Cave concludes.

This tour was part one of a two tour series presented by SASLA and Recover Green Roofs. Join SASLA on October 23rd for a tour of Assembly Row, which features both intensive and extensive green roofs.


Green Roof Tour (Part Two) - Assembly RowRecap by: Jacob Ferreira, MLA

On a blustery October afternoon, Boston Architectural College and Recover Green Roofs completed the second installment of the SASLA sponsored Green Roof Tour series. Once again led by Brendan Shea, Owner and Director of Field Operations for Recover Green Roofs, a mix of Architecture and Landscape Architecture students were given access to one of Recover’s current projects located at Assembly Row, a new urbanism development in Somerville, Massachusetts. Copley Wolff Design Group, a local Boston Landscape Architecture and Planning firm, designed the intensive green roof which spans over three separate roofs and is made up of a series of decks, gardens, benches, curbing, and plants.

Diving into the large project, Brendan Shea allowed students to view and use the

construction documents for the project as a guide to the tour. Because the project was roughly at 80% of completion, students received an in depth and personal demonstration of the ins-and-outs of green roof function and design. Below a layer of raised cement pavers a subsurface irrigation system allows for all three roofs to be supported by one main water source. A protective drainage layer receives stormwater and protects the building envelope from any potential leaks, while a cutting edge Low Voltage Vector Mapping system allows Recover to locate breaches and normally undetectable leaks in the roof membrane eliminating the chance of any long-term water damage.

The project required the Recover team to figure out a way to lift multiple 3000 pound

ASSEMBLY ROW GREEN ROOF TOUR


cement pieces of curbing and benches to the roof. “This is what I love about this job, trying to figure out how to make things possible that really do not have any precedent,” said Brendan Shea talking about the homemade rigging system used to lift the cement pieces. The curbing was finished with Cedar benching and a densely laid planting plan will undoubtedly provide well-needed relief for the users of the newly built office spaces.

The Assembly Row Green Roof and Fenway Farms Green Roof tour were both awe inspiring and informational opportunities for BAC students. In a time when sustainable design rules and green space can be hard to find, green roofs are

on every design students’ mind. Having the chance to view urban agriculture on a iconic stadium and a green roof in the works at a developing urban neighborhood were invaluable learning experiences. As Jess Alpert put it, “It seems like agriculture on roofs should be a no-brainer for the health of our cities. Green roofs could be the solution for growing food locally, without disturbing species on the ground. What better use of space, a vacant ‘lot’, now a productive urban asset!” A long term goal for the students who attended the tour was to find a way to make a green roof possible at the BAC to use as an experiment for learning, a precedent for other downtown Boston buildings, and a place to relax during mid-reviews!


SASLA opened a free event to the public to join us for a unique tour of Spectacle Island, Saturday June 25th @ 10:00am. Ian Sloane, BAC MLA Candidate and former Harbor Islands Park Ranger, led a one mile walking tour and shared insider information about his experience living on the islands. Spectacle Island, built as part of the Big Dig project by Brown, Richardson + Rowe (landscape architects), is the highest point in the Boston Harbor and is now a public park. The tour was attended by 13 people who enjoyed stunning views. Ian gave us insight on the plants and wildlife, including Peanut the lone-turkey who arrived by storm at the island and has been living ever since. The beach is also open for swimming and some tour members even braved the waters!

SPECTACLE ISLAND TOUR


The 2015 Lilac Sunday T-shirt was designed by the BAC Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Olivia Fragale, a 2014 Hunnewell Intern at the Arnold Arboretum’s plant propagation and nursery facility, led the initiative and worked collaboratively with the Arboretum’s Lilac Sunday organizers and printer Evan Webster of Evan Webster Ink in Shelburne, Vermont. Celebrate spring at the Arboretum on Lilac Sunday, May 10, 2015.

LILAC SUNDAY


BSLAGINGERSCAPES

BAC students, Stephen Godanis and Erica Quigley created a masterpiece in the name of SASLA for the BSLA competition 2015, and won the“Best In Show” award! Gingerscapes is a yearly BSLA competition to create an edible arrangement for the winter holiday season.


LOFTSASLA SOCIAL

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SASLA is dedicated to reaching out to new students throughout the year. We have organized informal social events with snacks and discussion topics that help start conversations. Students share in dialogue regarding upcoming events, student interests and general course work.

SASLA SOCIALS


SASLA HOSTS “FIRST FRIDAY”

SASLA hosted “First Friday”, twice with other student clubs, as a mission to engage within the school’s design community. We awarded raffel prizes that we knew design students would enjoy, and they were a huge hit. We enjoyed hosting First Friday as a way to thank the BAC students for taking the time out of their busy day to connect with their peers, and we find that they are glad they did!

FIRST FRIDAY

Hosted by: S A S L A [email protected]

@ The Pour House Bar & GrillJoin us for FREE food

Win PrizesMake friends!

october 2nd / 6-8pm