city scale pergolas+

These city scale pergolas are part of the North End Parks, the first parks built over Boston’s Big Dig (sunk highway tunnels).

Ioana Urma worked as a consultant for the design landscape architecture firm, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol in Seattle, and the local firm of record, Crosby Schlessinger Smallridge in Boston, on developing the constructability and details - structural, architectural, and financial - of the schematically designed pergolas. This included studies in proportion and geometry, material changes (bronze to painted steel), thinning out the structure (tube to plate members), integrating lighting & electrical outlets, adding supports for plant growth, coordinating with the Big Dig tunnels below (removable parts, location of footings), and creating a pigeon-free environment.

By thoroughly consulting with metal fabricators, galvanizers and materials suppliers during the design process, she brought the project within its $2,000,000 budget.

Ioana also contributed to the design of the park’s railing, paving and stone selection.

U.N.O., all images are by Ioana Urma, of which the drawings belong to CSS.

parks renderingpergolas 3D modelparks renderingbig dig tunnels planpergolas photoparks renderingbig dig electrical planpergolas photopergolas photoparks renderingpergolas photopergolas photopergolas photoparks renderingpergolas photopergolas photo pergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas photopergolas construction drawingspergolas construction drawingspergolas design sketchespergolas design sketchesstone selectionparks paving planwall stone detailparks paving studyfountain paving inspirationparks grounbreaking announcementparks grounbreakingparks grounbreakingparks in constructionfountain in constructionpergolas in fabricationpergolas in fabricationpergolas in fabricationpergolas in fabricationpergolas in fabrication
Rendering by Neoscape.
Rendering by Neoscape.
PLAN OF HIGHWAY TUNNELS UNDER PARK by MTA.  PARTS OF THE PERGOLAS HAD TO BE MADE REMOVABLE FOR EMERGENCY ACCESS.
Rendering by Neoscape.
ELECTRICAL PLAN OF TUNNELS UNDER PARK by MTA.  PERGOLA FOOTINGS HAD TO COORDINATE WITH EVERYTHING BELOW.
Rendering by GGN.
Rendering by GGN.
PERGOLA 1 = 128 FT LONG X 15-26 FT WIDE.  PERGOLA 2 = 90 FT LONG X 30-36 FT WIDE.  PERGOLA 3 = 210 FT LONG X 28-40 FT WIDE.  AS THE PERGOLAS GENTLY ARRAY UP, DOWN AND OUT, EACH MEMBER IS OF A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, WIDTH AND TILT ANGLE, TO RENDER IT BUILDABLE WITHIN COST, EACH MEMBER IS DRAWN OUT FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO UNDERSTAND.
ABOVE AND TO THE RIGHT: STONE SELECTION & PAVING DESIGN
PAVING PLAN by Ioana Urma & CSS team.
Groundbreaking invitation by MTA.
GROUNDBREAKING: CAN YOU SPOT SENATOR KENNEDY? YES, THIS WAS A “BIG DEAL” PROJECT
Construction photos - above and to the right - by Ioana Urma & Kaki Martin.