In the fall of 2010, Maryann Thompson Architects and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, were commissioned to design three parcels of the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, Massachusetts.

Comprised of parcels 19, 20, and 21, Dewey Park Square is made up of 2.5 acres of open space and rests on top of the Central Artery tunnel, a portion of the well-known Boston “Big Dig” infrastructural project started in the late 1980’s.

The design created building and site elements using materials and assemblies that can be reused, repurposed, or recycled. In keeping with the project’s low-impact ethos, the architectural installations on parcels 21 and 22 are designed to be prefabricated using locally sourced standard shipping containers wrapped in green screen and planted with wisteria. Their layered and temporary nature speak to the site’s constructed-ground condition and to the infrastructural quality of the ribbon of greenway. The Pavilion’s wood deck is raised slightly higher than grade and is designed to create outdoor “classrooms” for multiple activities with retractable sail shading for seasonal comfort. On parcel 22 at Dewey Square, a large wood deck made from reclaimed local wood, was designed for multiple programmatic uses throughout the seasons, including a farmers market, movie screenings, live performances, ice skating, and outdoor seating with ample room for local food trucks.