Seth Berkowitz Landscape Architecture_Projects

Arts at the Armory

Somerville, MA

This design proposal transforms the underutilized front landscape space of the armory building in Somerville into a series of engaging, animated, informal seating and gathering spaces along its front edge. The design respects the building's historic significance as a modern rendition of a medieval castle and extends this concept into the landscape. The design uses the specific medieval castle feature of defensive battlement walls along its outer perimeter as a design metaphor. However, instead of these battlement walls (traditionally high walls with indentations at their tops) being used for defensive purposes their function and design are flipped and reinterpreted into a series of low, rhythmic, seating and lighting elements. This creates a permeable, visually open edge allowing access to adjacent seating and gatherings spaces.

The design creates diverse spaces, including individual seating along its perimeter and 3-5 person gathering spaces on each side of the main entrance. There is also a larger, informal performance/gathering space on the east side with a bike storage area located on the west side

For materials, the design proposes permeable surfaces such as stonedust, pea gravel, and permeable pavers for all walkable surfaces. Bands of low shrubs and grasses provide infill and reinforce the design rhythem occurring along the sidewalk edge. The seating block, light block, and entrance tower elements would match the concrete surface appearance of the existing armory building, helping to reinforce the concept of these elements as extensions of the existing building/castle. The light block and entrance block elements would have LED fixtures in them that change color. Their transparent panels would also have unique surface designs that speak to the history and function of the building