Boston City Hall and Plaza Study

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Staff Brown Bag Lunch Presentation Boston City Hall and Plaza Study Martin J. Walsh, Mayor City of Boston Property and Construction Management Utile, Inc.

1 Staff Brown Bag Lunch Presentation Boston City Hall and Plaza Study Martin J. Walsh, Mayor City of Boston Property and Construction Management Utile, Inc. Architecture and Planning February 1, 2016 Re-imagine City Hall Plaza as the thriving, healthy, innovative space that it should be. It s time we showed real pride in our front yard. -Mayor Martin J. Walsh 1

2 Process 2

3 Team 3

4 Who We Are 4

5 Who We Are 5

6 A One-Year, Three Phase Process 6

7 we are here Phase 1: Establish a Business Plan Phase 1 Objectives Build awareness and excitement Analyze potential revenue sources and ambitions Programming and space planning Historic understanding and opportunities Existing conditions analysis 7

8 Phase 2: Explore Alternative Scenarios Phase 2 Objectives Identify opportunities for City Hall and Plaza based on preferred revenue and programming scenarios and existing conditions developed in Phase 1 Close the feedback loop on #cityhallplaza and RFI 3 public ideas campaigns Develop design options that identify how each scenario improves City services, meets historic preservation objectives, reflects community input, and corresponds to a specific business plan 8

9 Phase 3: Refine the Preferred Approach Phase 3 Objectives After City leaders choose a preferred scheme, refine and elaborate the design proposal Develop an implementation plan, including financing and phasing Final meeting with stakeholder groups and public presentation of the recommended plan 9

10 Goals and Objectives 1 Create a welcoming, loved front yard and front door for constituents 2 Strengthen Government Center s capacity to be the civic heart of the city 3 Make City Hall and Court Street a great place to work and improve services for the public 4 Create an infrastructure that is agile and sustainable 10

11 Phase 1: Establish a Business Plan Phase 1 Objectives Build awareness and excitement Analyze potential revenue sources and ambitions Programming and space planning Historic understanding and opportunities Existing conditions analysis 12

12 Part 1 of the Business Plan: Campus Master Plan Testing metrics and analysis for determining the best future uses of City of Boston properties 13

13 Testing metrics and analysis for determining the best future uses of City of Boston properties Scenario Testing Example Step 1 Boston Public Schools moves to Bolling Building 14

14 Testing metrics and analysis for determining the best future uses of City of Boston properties Scenario Testing Example Step 1 Boston Public Schools moves to Bolling Building Step 2 Move vehicle-based customer services to 1010 Mass Ave? 15

15 Testing metrics and analysis for determining the best future uses of City of Boston properties Scenario Testing Example Step 1 Boston Public Schools moves to Bolling Building Step 2 Move vehicle-based customer services to 1010 Mass Ave? Step 3 Use 26 Court Street as swing space during City Hall renovation? 16

16 Testing metrics and analysis for determining the best future uses of City of Boston properties Scenario Testing Example Step 1 Boston Public Schools moves to Bolling Building Step 2 Move vehicle-based customer services to 1010 Mass Ave? Step 3 Use 26 Court Street as swing space during City Hall renovation? Step 4 Plan for City departments to move from Hawkins and 26 Court into City Hall? 17

17 Testing metrics and analysis for determining the best future uses of City of Boston properties Scenario Testing Example Step 1 Boston Public Schools moves to Bolling Building Step 2 Move vehicle-based customer services to 1010 Mass Ave? Step 3 Use 26 Court Street as swing space during City Hall renovation? Step 4 Plan for City departments to move from Hawkins and 26 Court into City Hall? Step 5 Sell or rent Hawkins and 26 Court? Step 6 Renovate City Hall 19

18 Part 2 of the Business Plan: Organizational Programming Example of departmental planning 20

19 Initial Findings How does the building work for public and staff? 21

20 How does the building work for public and staff? Entry Points Multiple Entrances Main entrance is on 3rd Floor from Plaza Secondary, after-hours entrance on 1st Floor from Congress Street Inaccessible and Closed Entrances North entrance on 2nd Floor is now exit-only Entrances to courtyard are blocked off 2 4 Entrance Closed/Inaccessible entrance

21 How does the building work for public and staff? Circulation Inconsistent Circulation Patterns Circulation is unique on each and every floor The courtyard on the upper floors does not help orient the visitors Inconsistent wayfinding

22 How does the building work for public and staff? Transactional Destinations Transactional activities are dispersed throughout The customer experience is varied and confusing There is no single point of information for the customer

23 How does the building work for public and staff? Meeting Rooms Limited number of meeting rooms Rooms are located on upper floors and are difficult to access in the evening

24 How does the building work for public and staff? Meeting Room Analysis Meeting rooms hold roughly the same number of people There is no space for large groups (200+) to assemble * Space calculation assumes 15 sf/person 26

25 How does the building work for public and staff? Conference Room Analysis Conference rooms are embedded within departments Efficiency can be gained by sharing conference rooms

26 How has the building adapted over time? Current Conditions Closed entrance Security Lobby Visitor experience Closed transaction windows Efficiency of Space & Seasonal Peaks 28

27 How have the departments adapted over time? Workspace Observations Clean office environment & Access to Daylight Shared Amenities Department Storage & Archives 29

28 Q18: What modes of delivery do you use when providing services to clients? Please indicate a percentage, adding to 100%. 30

29 Q21: What is the most important change your department at Boston City Hall could make to improve the service experience for your customers? 31

30 Q31: Which phrase best describes your department: "The staff values a space that..." 32

31 Q49: What changes or improvements to your department would you most like to see? 33

32 Service Location Planner Transactional & Consultation Spaces 34

33 How did the building originally work? Original Building Diagram Administrative Other Administrative Departments Symbolic Symbolic Importance Mayor s Office and City Council Public Administrative Departments with Heavy Public Traffic 35

34 How can we improve the visitor and staff experience? Programming Objectives 1 City hall should be a welcoming place for its citizens 2 Citizens should be served by the city as a whole, and not have to navigate individual departments 3 The physical experience should deepen and extend the digital experience 4 Inter-departmental collaboration is critical for delivering integrated services 36

35 City hall should be a welcoming place for its citizens Welcoming Entry Bolling Building Shared lobby open to visitors and retail spaces Unrestricted access at lower floors Silver Spring, MD Civic Building Civic meeting spaces open directly onto public plaza 37

36 Citizens should be served by the city as a whole Integrated or Co-Located Service Points Citibank Concierge Kenmore, WA City Hall Apple Genius Bar 38

37 The physical experience should deepen and extend the digital experience Improving the Experience 39

38 Inter-departmental collaboration is critical for delivering integrated services Energizing and Flexible Office Spaces City of Vancouver Engineering Office Macquarie One Shelley Street Room 708 Boston City Hall Environmental Department Google London 40

Section through Boston City Hall Initial Zoning Recommendations Semi-Private Collaborative Space Private Administrative Space Symbolic Space Free Access Public Zone Consultation Services

39 Section through Boston City Hall Initial Zoning Recommendations Semi-Private Collaborative Space Private Administrative Space Symbolic Space Free Access Public Zone Consultation Services Shared Dept. Spaces Shared Amenities Concierge Desk Transactional Services Activate visitor's waiting time Welcoming Lobby Information Desk Access to Assembly Spaces Washington St. Hanover St. 41

40 City Hall Plaza 42

41 Civic Monument 43

42 Civic Monument What makes a 21 st Century Civic Space? 44

Plaza Development Opportunities Subsurface conditions limit development opportunities Green Line Tunnels and turn-around Abandoned Cornhill Street Tunnel City

unsuccessfully included a new private-use building on the Plaza The 2011 EPA Greening America s Capitals and 2013 BRA City Hall Plaza Study provide a detailed

43 Plaza Development Opportunities Subsurface conditions limit development opportunities Green Line Tunnels and turn-around Abandoned Cornhill Street Tunnel City Hall Parking Garage/28 State Loading Dock Don t start from scratch: understand the lessons of past studies The 1998 Trust for City Hall Plaza proposal unsuccessfully included a new private-use building on the Plaza The 2011 EPA Greening America s Capitals and 2013 BRA City Hall Plaza Study provide a detailed understanding of the technical challenges and potential opportunities Utile and RHA, EPA Greening America s Capitals, 2011 Chan Krieger, Trust for City Hall Plaza,

44 City Hall Plaza LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS The plaza is an extension of the surfaces of Boston, and was conceived as the urbane heart of a living, evolving city. Piazza del Campo, Siena 46

45 City Hall Plaza LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS The plaza is not a pastoral park or common, conceived as a break in the city fabric. Government Center, Boston I.M. Pei and Henry J. Cobb,

46 City Hall Plaza LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS The plaza extends the patterns of the city Extending and adjusting street grids Creating connections and overlaps Pattern 48

47 City Hall Plaza LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS Paving systems reinforce structural conditions Grids and rotated grids Terraces and radial lines Shifting and overlapping orders Jointing and brick coursing follow slab structure and drainage pattern 49

48 City Hall Plaza LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS Paving systems reinforce drainage patterns Folded planes collect water Area drains convey to storm sewer Paving and drainage patterns 50

49 City Hall Plaza LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS Structural, topographic, and drainage systems were conceived systematically 51

City Hall Plaza LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS Systematic Approach Originally the landscape was conceived as an integrated surface supporting flexible occupation and evolving civic

50 City Hall Plaza LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS Systematic Approach Originally the landscape was conceived as an integrated surface supporting flexible occupation and evolving civic uses. Today we understand that the complex systems above and below the surface require equally systematic design to create a high-functioning work of civic infrastructure. 52

51 City Hall Plaza SURFACE, ABOVE, AND BELOW Surface Pattern Drainage Accessibility Above Wayfinding Shade Lighting Below Structure Soils Utilities 53

52 City Hall Plaza SURFACE Steps and slopes navigate 30 feet of grade change across the site 54

53 City Hall Plaza SURFACE Accessibility is limited by topography, proximity, and paving material 55

54 City Hall Plaza SURFACE Material values articulate an approach to elevation change Light granite steps contrast dark field MBTA Project alters balance 56

55 City Hall Plaza SURFACE Materials have degraded over time 57

56 City Hall Plaza SURFACE The accessibility pilot project tested new materials Colored asphalt as uniform surface Hand tight, dry-laid wire cut paver 59

57 City Hall Plaza SURFACE The plaza is a series of folded panels directing stormwater to central drains Paving and drainage patterns 60

City Hall Plaza SURFACE Water is treated as waste to be removed efficiently. There is no detention There is no treatment Olympic Swimming Pool 165 x82 x6.

58 City Hall Plaza SURFACE Water is treated as waste to be removed efficiently. There is no detention There is no treatment Olympic Swimming Pool 165 x82 x6.5 First Inch of Rain Two-Year Storm Event 3.2in. In 24 hours 660,000 gallons 250,000 gallons 650,000 gallons Average Rainfall on an Typical Year 10,000,000 gallons = 15 pools 62

59 City Hall Plaza SURFACE, ABOVE, AND BELOW Surface Pattern Drainage Accessibility Above Program Shade Lighting Below Structure Soils Utilities 63

60 City Hall Plaza ABOVE The plaza is the political, cultural, and civic heart of Boston 64

61 City Hall Plaza ABOVE The plaza is the political, cultural, and civic heart of Boston 65

62 City Hall Plaza ABOVE Utilities for event provision are limited The water source for events on the Plaza is a fire hydrant located on Congress Street Electricity for events has to be brought onto the site (generators) or obtained from City Hall Temporary bathroom facilities are brought in for most events 66

63 City Hall Plaza ABOVE Trees are part of the city s urban canopy network. 67

64 City Hall Plaza ABOVE Lack of significant canopy compromises pedestrian comfort on hot days. 10% SHADE 90% NON SHADE 68

65 City Hall Plaza SURFACE, ABOVE, AND BELOW Surface Pattern Drainage Accessibility Above Wayfinding Shade Lighting Below Structure Soils Utilities 69

66 City Hall Plaza BELOW What happens below grade influences everything else 70

67 City Hall Plaza OPPORTUNITIES Systematic thinking underlies the plaza design. Enhancing systems for the 21 st century means greater integration between the above and below grade conditions, and overall higher performance. Animated daily use (place-making, building reintegration, spatial differentiation, edge engagement) Events use (program accommodation - utility distribution, flexible structural systems) Improved accessibility (material upgrades, wayfinding, grade negotiation) Surface performance (integrated stormwater management - revised capture, infiltration, treatment, reuse) Pedestrian comfort and microclimate (enhanced tree canopy - increased soil volumes, integrated passive irrigation) 72

68 City Hall Plaza OPPORTUNITIES What are the design criteria for the next generation City Hall Plaza? Above Pedestrian, comfort, microclimate Program accommodations Everyday use, improved scale, spatial clarity Surface Improved Accessibility Material performance, durability, maintenance Below Stormwater management Utility provisions Living soils for trees 73

69 Near-Term Projects 74

70 Lighting Concept 75

71 What We re Trying to Avoid 76

72 City Hall Exterior Lighting The busy hum of city business 77

73 City Hall Exterior Lighting The busy hum of city business The civic shrines 78

74 City Hall Exterior Lighting The busy hum of city business The civic shrines The public porosity 79

75 City Hall Exterior Lighting 80

76 City Hall Exterior Lighting 81

77 City Hall Exterior Lighting 82

78 City Hall Exterior Lighting 83

79 City Hall Exterior Lighting 84

80 City Hall Exterior Lighting 85

81 City Hall Exterior Lighting 86

82 City Hall Exterior Lighting 87

83 City Hall Exterior Lighting 88

84 Outreach 89

Recent City Campaigns Request for Ideas, Interest and Innovation (RFI 3 ) March 2015 Mayor Walsh wants City Hall Plaza to be an inviting and attractive public forum that is robustly used by resident

85 Recent City Campaigns Request for Ideas, Interest and Innovation (RFI 3 ) March 2015 Mayor Walsh wants City Hall Plaza to be an inviting and attractive public forum that is robustly used by resident and visitors. It should contribute to the vitality of City Hall and the surrounding neighborhood. It should attract people to spend time on the Plaza relaxing, watching entertainment, participating in educational or cultural or athletic activities, enjoying their lunch, and just generally enjoying the Plaza. The Mayor welcomes any ideas that further these goals from leasing to designing to curating and any other public-private partnership. #cityhallplaza Twitter campaign Spring tweets Housing close to office space Homeless shelter Food trucks Beer garden Museum Coffee Visitor Center Scollay Square Ice skating Movies Games Trampolines Chess, Bocce Playground Skate park Commissioned local artwork Video art projections on walls Lego building Live music, music garden Interactive art, places to sit Community Garden Grass + Trees Amphitheatre Glass arboretum Living wall, flexible furniture Urban roof garden Initial Findings 90

86 Testing RFI Concepts 91

87 Visit our website rethinkcityhall.org 92

88 What are your aspirations for the study? 93

Boston City Hall and Plaza Study

Boston City Hall and Plaza Study Martin J. Walsh, Mayor City of Boston Property and Construction Management Utile, Inc. Architecture and Planning December 10, 2015 Re-imagine City Hall Plaza as the thriving,