My redesign of Herter Park uses topography to shape the flow of water from the surrounding neighborhoods into the Charles River. The Charles River used to be a popular destination for city swimmers until the dam was built. Now, after years of effort, the water is clean enough to swim in most of the time, but the silt at the bottom is still toxic. I was inspired by the idea of a swimmable Charles and the current lack of connection Herter Park’s visitors have with the water. By modifying the original, mostly flat topography with mounds and creating water channels through them, I extend the length of the water’s edge for more human access to water and more opportunities for runoff filtration. My redesign creates a park where people can see, touch, and swim in the water and works towards a future where the river itself will be clean enough to interact with as well.
The mounds in the center of the park create enclosed spaces for more intimate experiences, while the entrance plaza, pool area, and sides of the park allow for larger gatherings and sports. At night, the concentrations of people would shift. I intend to light the area within the mounds, so they can be safe to visit at night, but they may be less popular than areas in the plaza, by the pool, and along the urban edge.
The mounds provide a sense of enclosure, making spaces for people to get away from the more crowded areas. Different areas within the mounding can have different characters and potential activities, allowing people to choose what kind of experience they want to have.
My design reconfigures the community garden to lie along a water channel, connecting the people and the food to the river.
The mounding around the pool and the building above create a unique place for swimming. The pool connects to the river so people can swim in the water of the river while avoiding the dangerous sediment in the riverbed. Although people cannot yet swim without worry in the river itself, I still wanted to create an experience that is nothing like a normal pool so swimming here would be memorable.
