Public Spaces

At every scale, architecture must be engaged in the making of public spaces that serve as the animating background for an immersive, collective and accessible human experience. We design public spaces that inspire wonder and excite the senses – setting the scene for everyday acts and signature events. Projects such as Dewey Square in Boston, Wagner Park in Battery Park City, and the new Downtown Cary Park in North Carolina, demonstrate our commitment to creating public spaces that reflect the unique character and context of their surroundings and that are central to the life and character of their communities.

"We design projects that activate the public sphere: the Dewey Square project serves as a gateway to the MBTA train, as an analogy of an entry point to the larger city of Boston for commuters and visitors alike."

- Rodolfo Machado

Stories:

Downtown Cary Park

This seven-acre park is the centerpiece of an investment by the citizens of the Town of Cary to enhance, expand and protect the accessible public vibrancy of their rapidly growing community. Located in the heart of downtown Cary, the park is a transformational synthesis of urban design, landscape, architecture and programming that benefits the Town Cary and the greater region.

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Atelier 505

Atelier 505 happened in a particular sociopolitical moment: large scale development was just beginning to happen in the cherished historic neighborhoods of Boston, with the South End topping the list. The issue of historic preservation and how to build in protected areas became the subject of much good public debate and integrated overall design.

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Wagner Park, NYC

On the southern edge of Manhattan, the Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park sits amongst giants. The Park, with its brick pavilions, framed lawn, and sweeping views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty, has remained a popular public space for locals and tourists alike for over twenty years. Where more modest or conventional parks would be overshadowed by the colossal surroundings, Wagner Park offers a space exclusively reserved for the public that stands apart from, but also very much a part of, the City.

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Dewey Square

A master plan and urban design for the Dewey Square precinct in Boston's Financial District, the project comprises a privately funded redesign of the surface restoration above the Central Artery/Tunnel Project. The design expands the scope of the previous plan to include the sizeable privately owned plazas that abut the square, and re-conceives the entire area as one urban space with a single contemporary character unique within the city.

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