DESIGN
MXD Substation Plaza - Exterior Envelopes
Firm: NBBJ, Boston Studio (in collaboration with Sasaki and Stantec)
Role: Project Architect, with focus on exterior public spaces, facade design, and coordination.
Overview
This urban park project transforms the ground level above an underground substation into a vibrant public space. NBBJ designed sculptural architectural elements to seamlessly integrate and conceal the substation’s egress stairs, intake louvers, and exhaust louvers. The design features three distinct sculptural elements that enhance the park’s identity while maintaining essential infrastructure functions.
In collaboration with Sasaki as the landscape architect, the project creates a dynamic and inviting environment for the community. Thoughtfully designed forms blend with the landscape, offering a playful and engaging urban experience that balances functionality with artistic expression.
00 | Site Plan
Three distinct structures envelope the ground penetrations that the substation below requires for egress, intake and exhaust. The open space transforms into a sculptural park featuring The Topiary, The Erratic, and The Breathing Tree.
Image courtesy of Sasaki and NBBJ
01 | Topiary
The Topiary resembles a shrub trimmed into an ornamental shape. Structurally the green wall is connected to an independent framework that surrounds the egreess building within. The shrubbery peels away to reveal a metallic paneled wall for a loading dock adjacent to the street.
02 | The Erratic
The Erratic takes on the form of a geode shaped and carved by a glacier, to reveal the space inside. The building incorporates a cafe into its ground level, while concealing the exhaust structures from the substation below.
03 | Breathing Tree
The Breathing Tree is a sculptural element that encapsulates the intake louvers the provide fresh air into the substation below the plaza. Branching volumes reach out in all directions, clad in reflective louvers that bring the sky down to earth.
Louver Studies
Detailing
Structural aesthetics and mechanical free area were balanced through an extensive study using Grasshopper to parametrically study different louver shapes, sizes, and relative positioning. The minimum free area required for the air intake was an essential design driver for the Breathing Tree's facade.
