Last week, SCAPE joined the Harvard Allston Land Company and Tishman Speyer to break ground on the Enterprise Research Campus (ERC) in Boston’s Allston neighborhood.
The ERC will be a new mixed-use development near Harvard’s expanding Allston Campus, which includes residential areas, office and lab space, a hotel, a conference center, and restaurant and retail locations. SCAPE’s work throughout the ERC includes a greenway; open space surrounding multiple buildings and on-structure landscapes; multi-modal streetscapes incorporating stormwater management infrastructure; and a Laneway connecting Western Avenue to the greenway.
At the core of the site, a central plaza is designed to host farmer’s markets and seasonal events and is shaped by an undulating rock outcropping made of reclaimed stone from the site, known as the ‘squiggle.’ A welcoming oak grove provides shade and shelter for community picnics and performances and filters views toward an interactive water feature designed to evoke the former tidelands of the Charles River. A planted rain garden stores and treats water runoff from the site and buildings and hosts an immersive ‘bio-classroom,’ creating space for outdoor learning and families. The project prioritizes biodiversity and climate resilience and introduces over 75 native species of plants.
The collective public realm at the ERC will ultimately be a community destination and anchor for nearby residents and stakeholders as well as faculty, staff, students, and visitors alike—a vibrant, walkable, and flexible commons.
“We are so grateful for our partnership in building a Boston that is truly reflective of and responsive to the priorities of our communities,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said. “As we continue to grow as a city, this project is both proof of, but also a blueprint for, our ability to ensure that the benefits of Boston’s growth are shared by everyone.”