Walden Pond Interpretive Facility Master Plan (Draft, 2009)

walden pond Jenna Webster Aran Wiener Conway School of Landscape Design June 2009

I N T E R P R E T I V E FA C I L I T Y MASTER PLAN

DRAFT

01 vision, client & goals 02 visitor services profile 03 context 04 existing conditions 05 site selection 06 access & circulation 07 views 08 slopes 09 renewable energy 10 soil | drainage 11 summary analysis 12 concept diagrams 13 consistent design element 14 design alternative 1: simplify 15 design alternative 2: channel 16 preferred design 17 preferred design: color rendering 18-23 preferred design details 24 vegetation selection principles 25 iconic vegetation palette 26 materials palette 27 design precedents 28 preliminary partial estimates of cost 29 walden pond in the year 2054 30 image credits & acknowledgments

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

The journey for the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the famous Walden Pond State Reservation each year begins at an interpretive facility. The facility orients visitors and provides informative displays integrated with dynamic, landscape-based interpretive elements that, together, give voice to the stories of this special place. Cues to the rich tapestry of historical and ecological narratives are embedded within the landscape, providing visitors with opportunities for a deeper understanding of the Reservation as well as a greater sense of environmental stewardship. The interpretive experience thereby transcends the Reservation; the message of Thoreau and Walden Pond rise above place and time to inspire a renewed connection between people and the land.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

vision

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has served as the steward of the Walden Pond State Reservation for over thirty years. In deference to the original deed of gift, the DCR is committed to the preservation of Thoreau’s Walden and the stewardship of open space recreation. As such, the DCR seeks to enhance the interpretive services for the over half a million people who visit the Reservation each year.

goals Site an Interpretive Facility and Develop a Corresponding Landscape Plan.

A sensitively-designed structure is integrated into its surroundings and communicates the powerful past and present significance of Walden Pond and its environs. The building orients visitors to the site, houses interpretive displays, and provides access to various forms of recreational and interpretive programs within the Reservation.

Specifically, the 3,200-square-foot interpretive facility: • Accommodates a bookstore, Reservation staff offices, restrooms, storage, and a 50-person gathering space; • Features sustainable design and energy systems; • Integrates with the Reservation while not detracting from its beauty.

Provide for Clear Access and Circulation from the Parking Lot to the Edge of Walden Pond.

Coherent wayfinding and safe, amenable circulation systems accommodate all visitors, including providing accessible trails along the pond’s edge.

Improved accessible trails link all features within the visitor services hub.

• Access is upgraded by clear signs and legible landscaped features that direct circulation.

• Route 126 crossing improvements increase comfort and safety.

• Alternative Route 126 crossings eliminate the need to cross the road at-grade.

vision, client & goals 1 / 30

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

clients

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

433,954 visitors

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Visitors come to Walden Pond to recreate and to connect with the legacy of Henry David Thoreau. The DCR and non-profits associated with Walden Pond provide site tours, recreational hikes, natural and cultural history lectures, and curriculum-based school programs at various locations throughout the Reservation. Currently all programs are held outside; no shelter is available in inclement weather. The majority of participants are children and youth groups, with the total number of all program participants —approximately 16,029 people — representing less than four percent of all annual visitors. This project seeks to address the missed opportunities for interpretation of the rich cultural and ecological histories of Walden Pond.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

visitor services profile

9,842 children participated in tours or other formal programs

6,187 adults participated in tours or other formal programs 2,928 informal encounters with interpretive staff 475 tours, talks, and special events —2008, Bureau of Ranger Services, Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

programs

collaborators

ADA swimming & boating

Concord Historical Collaborative

Fishing clinics

The Friends of Walden Pond

Junior Rangers

Massahusetts Audubon Society

Lectures on Thoreau & natural history

Massachusetts Dept. of Fish & Game

Recreational hikes

The Thoreau Society

School programs featuring Thoreau & natural history

Walden Woods Project

Design Implications

• Programming and interpretive elements should reference the full range of historic narratives

•

associated with Walden Pond, including the presence of Native Americans, marginalized African Americans, and immigrant workers in the woods surrounding the pond, as well as prior uses of the Reservation for ice harvesting and an amusement park.

Build upon existing elements that provide means of visitor engagement (i.e., the cairn at the original cabin site and the log book in the cabin replica).

visitor services profile 2 / 30

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

7,276 visitors from 64 countries signed the cabin replica registry

to Lincoln Center

0

128

Concord | Middlesex County | MA 2

Excerpts from the visitor log book 20 miles Boston

Boston 90

495 93

love to see Thoreau’s house and the pond.

Polly, Acton, Massachusetts 3

6

12

18

0.5

24 miles

1 mile

Live deliberately.

Thank you Walden.

Angie & Paul, Watertown, Massachusetts

Happy to have finally made it!

Miriam, San Francisco I’ve wanted to come to Walden since I was 16.

Jana, Colombia I’m local but I still

95

0

0.25

Fulfilled a life dream!

Richard, Texas context 3 / 30

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

e

126

Given the popularity of Walden Pond and the hundreds of thousands of people who visit each year, providing rich interpretive and educational opportunities as well as safe, clear, and universal access throughout the visitor services area is essential.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

l lin r ai

Visitors to the Reservation express their gratitude and reverence for Thoreau and Walden Pond at the cairn by the historic cabin site and in the guest log book in the cabin replica. These two mechanisms enable visitors to demonstrate their feelings towards the man and the place and to contribute to the global narrative that is Walden Pond.

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

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All maps: Office of Geographic & Environmental Information (Mass GIS), Commonwealth of Mass. Executive Office of Environmental Affairs

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Walden Pond

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

F TA MB

Each year the Walden Pond State Reservation attracts over half a million visitors who come to recreate, enjoy the Reservation’s natural beauty and pay homage to the legacy of the author, philosopher, and environmentalist Henry David Thoreau, who lived on the shores of Walden Pond from 1845 to 1847.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

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Goose Pond

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Walden Pond, a 102-foot-deep kettle hole formed by glaciers 15,000 years ago, is located in Concord, Massachusetts, 17 miles northwest of Boston. The DCR owns and manages the 61-acre pond and the approximately 350 acres surrounding it.

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to Concord Center

Co nc co ord ln bo un d

context: local swimming hole, international shrine

Cabin replica

126

Walden Pond

126

ute

12

6

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Stairs

(ap

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East of Route 126 Thoreau cabin replica Contact station Parking (350 spaces, failing porous asphalt) Restrooms (composting toilets) Headquarters, bookstore, & staff offices Mounted police facility Maintenance building

Vegetation Mature forest dominated by red oak and white pine Minimal herbaceous or woody understory

Headquarters & bookstore Mounted police facility Maintenance

Ro

Main beach Bathhouse

Walden Pond

Design Implications • Integrate the visitor services within a cohesive whole, provide safe road crossing, and address the problem of road queueing. • Provide a sense of arrival and use wayfinding elements to direct visitors from the parking lots through the interpretive facility area and to the pond.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Emergency ramp

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West of Route 126 Walden Pond Main Beach & Red Cross Beach Emergency ramp Stairs to the pond Bathhouse Boat ramp & ADA parking Majority of trails Historic Thoreau cabin site

Restrooms

Co Lin ncor d co ln bo un

Route 126 divides the core visitor services area.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

2

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Route 126 is a two-lane state highway with an average traffic flow of 7,650 cars per day (1989 data). During summer months, visitors arriving at Walden Pond sometimes queue along the side of Route 126 for up to an hour in lines that can extend 1/4 mile to the north to Route 2.

Parking

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Visitors to Walden Pond State Reservation begin and end their journey to within an approximately 28-acre core visitor services area.

Contact station

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

existing conditions

Boat ramp access road

0 50' 100' 1-foot contours

ADA parking

200'

existing conditions 4 / 30

While the need for an interpretive facility has long been recognized by the DCR, no exhaustive study of the visitor services area has been conducted to determine the most suitable site. Based on five criteria outlined below, three sites presenting compelling qualities emerged and were considered as part of this interpretative facility master plan. A sits within the main parking lot adjacent to the Thoreau cabin replica. B sits atop the steep slopes of the east bank of Walden Pond south of the bathhouse. C comprises the grassy lawn and parking area to the south of the headquarters building and book store.

A

Emergency ramp

consideration criteria

Y

Y

Accommodates a 3,200 sq. ft. structure

Y

Y

Y

< 5% slope

Y

Y

Y

Already disturbed and of low ecological habitat quality

N

Y

Y

Feels connected to Walden Pond

Y

Not visible from Walden Pond

Y

N

12

6

C

pro x.)

Y

ute

Stairs Main beach Bathhouse

Following a presentation to the DCR and the Walden Pond Advisory Board and based on review of the analyses and schematic designs for each site, a preference was voiced for locating the interpretive facility within sites A or C and placing outdoor interpretive and recreational activities within site B . The DCR and advisory board expressed a desire to restrict any building west of Route 126 in order to preserve the visual and ecological integrity of the pond.

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B

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A

Headquarters & bookstore Mounted police facility Maintenance

Ro

Walden Pond

C

B

B

The subsequent analysis maps and diagrams compare the three sites collectively. While B is not considered as a building site, its powerful visual and spatial connection to the pond suggest that it serve as a place for recreation, picnicking, and interpretive talks.

Boat ramp access road

0 50' 100' 1-foot contours

ADA parking

200'

site selection 5 / 30

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Restrooms

presented the most promise.

Co Lin ncor d co ln bo un

Based on the five criteria considered, C

Cabin replica

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Parking

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Contact station

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

site selection

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

A

Vehicular entrance

Restrooms Mounted police facility Maintenance Tra i

l to

Headquarters

C

te

p

Average Walking Times (to the pond and other major destinations within the visitor services area)

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Inadequate universal access to and along the pond’s edge.

Potentially unsafe pedestrian crossing of Route 126.

No convenient bus drop-off area within the parking lot or west of Route 126.

Unbuffered sidewalks along Route 126 are narrow and share the same elevation with the road.

Deteriorating stairs on the pond’s east bank are unsightly and unsafe.

Pedestrians using the emergency ramp occasionally interfere with use of the ramp by staff and emergency personnel.

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• • • • • •

6

12 pro x.)

2-3 minutes

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C

Stair s Bathhouse

Walden Pond

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ss

B

Bo

Design Implications • Clarify wayfinding and establish a repeating, highly visible iconic element.

• Ensure pedestrian circulation is safe, pleasant, and logically sequenced.

• Locate ADA parking and bus drop-off near the interpretive facility to ensure safe and comfortable access.

• Investigate all options for ADA pond access and incorporate improvements to the accessible pond trail outlined in the plan developed by the Walker-Kluesing Design Group.

• Pursue alternatives to visitor use of the emergency ramp for regular access to the pond.

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Wayfinding • Out-of-date visitor maps are hard to read and do not accord with trail alterations.

• Unclear, inconsistent signs throughout the visitor services area.

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B < 4 minutes |

Co Lin ncor d co ln bo un

A < 2 minutes |

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

The analysis below is for existing patterns of access and circulation.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

A Cabin replica

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

analysis: access & circulation

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Parking

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

Contact station

Pedestrian-vehicular conflict Pedestrian circulation (line weight = approximate volume of use)

access & circulation

Vehicular ADA parking

0

50'

100'

200'

6 / 30

All three sites are within one to two-hundred feet of the pond’s edge, but their relationships to the pond vary dramatically due to differences in vegetation density and variations in topography.

C

is readily visible from Route 126.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

is the most visible site from the parking bays.

A

Walden Pond is the inspiration for many, if not all, of the visits to the Reservation. As such, the success of the interpretive facility hinges on its visual relationship to the pond, namely on its ability to provide views or glimpses of the water while not detracting from views from the pond.

route 126

analysis: views

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

from parking &

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

C

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

views of A , B , &

B

Design Implications Prioritize building site locations and architectural guidelines that foster expansive views of the pond and integrate the building into the surrounding landscape.

Consider methods of screening the interpretive facility from view as it is visible from and around the pond.

Establish visual connections between the facility, the pond, and the visitor services area.

www .map

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is readily visible from Route 126.

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2 126

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A

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visible site from the pond.

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B is the most

views of the pond.

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C

A

B has the clearest and most direct

on

views of A , B, & C from the pond

C

A

,B ,& C

views 7 / 30

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Views of the pond increase in scope and quality from A southward to B . C strikes a good balance between views of the pond and some vegetative screening of the site from the pond.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

C

All three sites sit on flat terraces separated from the pond by steep slopes exceeding 25% grade. Each site is large enough to accommodate the interpretive facility without impinging on the fragile steep slopes

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

26

Emergency ramp

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

e1 ut Ro

analysis: slopes

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

A

The pond’s steep east bank exhibits signs of erosion and exposed tree roots.

Stair s

Design Implications • Locate access routes along contours and in areas with the least elevation change to reduce erosion and minimize disturbance of exposed tree roots.

• Consider alternatives to the Route 126 pedestrian crossing and associated pond access via the emergency ramp, which is steep (12.5% grade) and is not universally accessible.

• Restrict pedestrian access on the steep slopes.

> 25%

Bathhouse

Walden Pond

15-25%

B < 5%

5-15%

0-5% 5-15% 15-25% > 25%

slopes 0 ADA parking

50'

100'

200'

8 / 30

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

The terrain drops approximately 40 feet in elevation from Route 126 to the pond’s edge.

B C

40'

40-50

A

10-12

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

20'

Approximate # of mature trees obscuring maximum solar gain of the interpretive facility at each site.

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

In keeping with their mission of sustainable land stewardship, the DCR envisions the new interpretive facility at Walden Pond as an example of green architecture and sensitive site design. Considerations for alternative or renewable energy will guide the design of the building complexes.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

analysis: renewable energy

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

Clearance zones for maximum solar gain (plan view)

30-40 (including beyond the property line) 80'

Concerns about visual impact and ecological effect may limit the political feasibility and ecological benefit of alternative energy sources such as geothermal energy, wind power, and biomass fuel. These technologies yield on-site energy resilience but also impact the environment. Considerations must be made on how best to balance the impact of these systems on the landscape versus the sustainable opportunities they provide.

Further studies will be necessary to determine which technologies best serve the site and are considered acceptable to the DCR. 160'

Design Implications â&#x20AC;˘ Consider siting pole-mounted photovoltaic and solar hot water systems in areas that already â&#x20AC;˘

receive adequate sun but are outside general view.

Design for highly efficient buildings. Use local or salvaged materials to reduce the ecological footprint of construction.

80' lstice

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Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Tree removal aimed at maximizing solar gain at A and C could negatively affect their wooded character.

'

10 10'

Distance from building 0

20'

40'

80'

160'

renewable energy 9 / 30

A

Restrooms

2 Ro

ute

12

6

Mounted police facility Maintenance

Headquarters

C

analysis: drainage

Areas of B drain toward the pond unabated without any infiltration basins to divert water. Additionally, old storm drains that shunt water towards the pond may still be in place near B .

Co Lin nco co rd ln bo u

nd

ar y

(ap

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Areas within A and C direct water towards swales along the parking lots and infiltration basins embedded within Route 126. Select retention basins may need further analysis to determine their drainage effectiveness.

Observations made during an April rain event suggest that water may not flow into the retention basin 1 south of the juncture of Route 126 and the Reservation’s main entrance. The planted vegetation in this area also appears to be in poor health and may need replacement. The health of trees in the large basin 2 between the main crosswalk and the Headquarters walkway may be compromised due to periodically saturated soils.

Bathhouse

Walden Pond

B

Design Implications • Use porous surfaces to reduce water runoff volume.

• Manage stormwater on site to ensure it does not contaminate pond water quality.

• Assess the capacity of existing retention basins to determine if new impervious surfaces warrant additional basins or other systems.

• Study and assess stormwater management improvements implemented following the ENSR report (2004) and address any lingering problems with parking lot stormwater problems.

• Review the health of plants located adjacent to retention basins and replace failing plants with species tolerant of periodically saturated soils.

0 50' 100' 1-foot contours

200'

Roadside infiltration basin Drainage flow-Heavy Medium Low

soil drainage 10 / 30

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Design Implications • Conduct probings or ground radar analysis to determine the depth to bedrock for a feasibility assessment of a pedestrian Route 126 underpass.

• Hinckley soils enable effective, minimally engineered water infiltration systems.

• Highly erosive soils demand retaining walls and/or vegetative cover when work is conducted on steep slopes.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

1

Cabin replica

Parking

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Contact station

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Water quality is of utmost importance to the survival of aquatic organisms that inhabit Walden Pond, to the recreation of thousands of visitors who visit Walden Pond, and to the stewardship of the DCR. The deep, welldraining sandy soils (Hinckley Loamy Sand) of the visitor services area enable stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces to infiltrate groundwater readily on flatter slopes or in provided detention pooling areas. Where slopes are more severe, erosion can occur. Soils are deep, with depths greater than 20 feet to bedrock, enabling excavation for structures and road underpasses.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

analysis: soil

Parking

Restrooms

Headquarters

C

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pro x.)

ut

Ro

Setbacks 100' pond setback (Wetlands Protection Act)

ry

6

(ap

12

STEEP SLOPES

Co Lin ncor d co ln bo un

Slopes Steep slopes separate the pond from the visitor service area, and display signs of erosion, soil compaction, and exposed tree roots.

Drainage Soils are positively draining but stormwater runoff can still cause erosion if not sensitively managed.

Mounted police facility Maintenance

Bathhouse Walden Pond

B

Design Implications • Resolve Route 126 crossing.

• Treat stormwater before it enters steep slopes or the pond.

• Restrict free access over steep slopes and locate pedestrian routes on-contour across slopes.

• Establish ADA access between parking, visitor service buildings, and the pond’s edge.

• Achieve a visual relationship between the interpretive facility and other visitor service amenities, arrival areas, the pond, and the larger Reservation.

Boat ramp access 100'

Pond setback Vehicles Pedestrians Pedestrian/vehicular conflict

summary analysis 11 / 30

0

50'

100'

200'

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Access & Circulation Potentially unsafe pedestrian crossing of Route 126.

Pedestrian use of emergency ramp conflicts with vehicle access needs.

Unbuffered sidewalks along the west side of Route 126 inhibit safe pedestrian circulation.

No ADA access between the main parking lots and the pond.

Out-of-date visitor maps and unclear, inconsistent informational signs.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Cabin replica

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

A

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Views from A , B , and C Desirable views of the pond are filtered by vegetation and topography. These views range in quality along a spectrum, becoming increasingly dramatic between B and C , which offers the best combination of advantageous pond views with minimal visual impact on the pond.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

analysis: summary

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

Contact station

Ro e1 ut

Pond

26

Ar.

ut

Ro

B

experience

26

e1

Ce. Pond

Ce.

In.

C

Modest interpretive facility at A , with improved at-grade road crossing.

ideal arrival

information

For the purposes of design, the ideal visitor experience has been separated, albeit somewhat artificially, into three steps. The “arrival” step typically involves parking and site orientation. The “information” step involves obtaining content through, for example, a tour, a sign, a map, or speaking with a staff person, while the “experience” step involves the processing or internalizing of that information. Although visitors can have meaningful experiences anywhere within the Reservation, for the purposes of design, experience is mapped according to choreographed location-specific events. Ideally, more visitors would gather information before going on to experience the Reservation.

B Ce.

channel In.

A

Ce.

Ar.

experience ut

Ro

Pond

26 e1

Each design scheme arranges the steps of the visitor experience according to the ideal pattern but places them in different locations. B is treated the same in each design.

Ar. Arrival | In. Interpretive facility | Ce. Choreographed experience

Interpretive facility at C , with pedestrian underpass under Route 126

B Ce.

Interpretive facility at A , with pedestrian underpass under Route 126

concept diagrams 12 / 30

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

info.

flow

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

arrival

The interests and needs of the over half million people who visit the Walden Pond State Reservation each year vary widely. Many visitors come to recreate rather than for an interpretive experience and therefore are not necessarily interested in the “information” stage. Sensitive design of interpretive elements at the Reservation has the potential to engage visitors in a variety of ways and respond to the myriad nature of visitor interests. Currently most visitors head directly to the pond without engaging interpretive programming.

Ar.

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

existing

In.

A

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

concept diagrams

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

simplify

0

2

Picnic tables in grassy area

3

Vegetative buffer for visual screening from Route 126

4

ADA parking per forthcoming plan by the Walker-Kluesing Design Group

20

40

60

80

100 FT

1

3

2 NO PARKING SIGN

A'

AP PR OX IM

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A

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2

3

Rt. 126

Bo

A'

p

am

4

1 A 0 50' 5-foot contours

100'

AP PR OX IM

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TO TO WN W OF N OF CO LI NC NC O OL RD N

Pond

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Pond

TO TO WN W OF N OF CO LI NC NC O OL RD N

AP PR OX IM

AT E

1

Amphitheater and pond overlook

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Due to concerns about visual and ecological impact based on the slopes and views analyses, the DCR has determined that no buildings should be placed in this location. However, recreation and interpretive programming are appropriate to the site and should accompany all design schemes.

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

26 te 1

Bathhouse

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Rou

Main parking

Site analysis revealed that B possesses an important relationship to the pond. A plateau from above the pondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge provides magnificent views down the length of the pond while the large, open grassy area underneath a mature canopy of oaks provides dappled shade and creates refuge from which to appreciate the surrounding beauty.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

SIGN TOWN LINE CORD LINCOLN/CON

consistent design element

View from

1

looking west

consistent design element 13 / 30

Bus drop-off & ADA parking

3

Enhanced at-grade pedestrian crossing and expanded gathering area at entrance to emergency ramp

4

ADA pond access via perimeter walk (per forthcoming plan by the Walker-Kluesing Design Group)

+

Contact station

A'

1

Parking

• Flexible landscape-based interpretive elements communicate through multiple media that can be updated readily and be specific to individual interests of visitors.

• Limited impact on the land, places the role of interpretation on outdoor interactive displays

Vehicular entrance

and dynamic media.

–

2

• Unresolved road crossing • Pedestrian access to B reliant on inadequate sidewalk or circuitous route via the emergency ramp and along main beach.

• Limited ADA improvements

3

To: B

Ro

er

Em

ut

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

2

4

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Area accommodating a minimal 1500-sq. ft. informational building

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

1

Parking

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Channeling Thoreau’s maxim “simplify, simplify,” this scheme meets the design challenges with uncomplicated solutions. A modest-sized interpretive facility placed near the parking lot signals arrival while outdoor interpretive elements orient and educate visitors. Use of multiple media formats (podcasts, GPS-based interactive maps, etc.) allow for specialized information delivery not provided in the interpretive facility.

Enhanced signs, crosswalk markers, and traffic calming measures make the existing crosswalk safer. A perimeter trail accessed from the boat launch parking area supplies ADA access along the pond’s edge.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

design alternative 1: simplify

26

A

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nc

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p

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Pond

Tra i

l

A

Pond

Trail

Trail

Rt. 126

Interpretive facility

Cabin replica

A'

0 50' 1-foot contours

100'

design alternative 1: simplify 14 / 30

The existing entry drive is relocated to the former trailer park to shift the automobile queue off of Route 126 and to accommodate the channel.

3

The channel, descending 17’ at a 5% grade, leads to a pedestrian underpass and a pond overlook.

4

The pond overlook provides a destination affording oblique views of the pond over level terrain.

5

An ADA path to the main beach joins an existing 5% sloped path that requires minimal expansion and regrading.

+

1 + 206

Highly visible facility from the visitor parking area Underpass affords safe access to the pond and the main beach Avoids a bottleneck at the main beach Relocated driveway accommodates entry queue.

Cabin replica

3

Parking

+ 189

Ro

ut

• Limited pond view from the interpretive facility • Lengthy ADA route from the interpretive facility to the pond overlook • Underpass disconnected from existing circulation patterns and may not be used

To trails & cabin site

e1

26

+ 186 A

–

• • • •

ADA parking & bus drop-off

4 Universal access trail

5

rge ncy

A'

Crosswalk

e Em

Pond

50'

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

2

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

A 3,200sq. ft interpretive facility accommodates a large gallery and gathering space, restrooms, offices, bookstore, and storage space.

To new vehicular entrance in former trailer park

A'

1

2

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

This scheme integrates the interpretive facility with visitor arrival by siting the building in the heart of the parking area. Due to its placement, the interpretive facility serves to orient visitors and guide them through the landscape via a sculpted earth-work ramp punctuated with vegetation and interpretive elements. The gently sloping walk is ADA accessible and leads to a road underpass and scenic overlook of the pond. An existing trail requiring modest regrading and resurfacing provides universal access to the pond’s main beach.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

design alternative 2: channel

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

new vehicular entrance via former trailer park

p

ram

40' 30' 20' 10' 60' A

To pond

Pond overlook

50' Underpass

*Note: Section cut distorted to portray the entire length of the curved channel.

280' channel

Interpretive facility

A'

0

50'

100'

200'

design alternative 2: channel 15 / 30

Access to the pond and main beach is afforded through a descending spiral ramp and staircase leading to an underpass that opens upon a dramatic overlook of the pond. An on-contour universal access trail connects to the bathhouse and the main beach. Screening vegetation and removal of existing interpretive elements near the existing road crossing deemphasizes the current at-grade mode of accessing the pond.

5

The 2,500 square foot interpretive facility houses a large gallery, exhibition, and gathering space, restrooms, and the “Shop at Walden Pond” bookstore. (The existing headquarters building, in deteriorating condition, is demolished to accommodate the interpretive facility.)

Staff offices and storage space from the former headquarters building are reconstituted in a new 1,500 square foot headquarters facility to the south of the interpretive facility.

3

Stairs and a 280-foot long spiral ramp at a 5% slope lead to a sunken garden and 54-foot long pedestrian underpass. See sheets 17-23 for additional views.

4

Pond overlook with an ADA accessible path at 5% grade leading to the main beach and related amenities. See sheet 23 for the complete path layout.

1

+

203

2

Spiral ramp & stairs

Staff & shortterm parking

3

cy

en

erg

Em

2

ram

er

p

The mounted police facility is moved eastward to accommodate staff and shortterm parking.

4

6

and the pond

+ 188

12

• Axial relationship between the interpretive facility and the pond • Safe pedestrian road crossing with universal access to the pond’s edge • Consistent, organized circulation flow from parking toward the interpretive facility

ss

pa

ute

+

d Un

Ro

5

Maintenance

Universal access path to main beach

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

1

Mounted police facility

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

ADA parking & bus drop-off

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Headquarters

Interpretive facility & bookstore

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Existing restrooms

The “flow” scheme responds to the genus loci of C , with its dramatic axial relationship to the pond. As the site is adjacent to but removed from parking, near maintenance and operations areas, and close to the pond and its amenities, the design congregates visitor services and staff functions in one central area while also providing a logical sequencing that best serves the interpretive experience.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

preferred design: flow

• Location of the interpretive facility discourages backtracking to road crossing 200

195

190

185

• Spiral ramp may feel imposing • Long distance (approximately 780') from the interpretive facility to the main beach • Erosion may result on steep slopes if the design is not properly engineered and

180

–

0

50'

100'

constructed

preferred design 16 / 30

r ve loo k

0 50' 100'

17 / 30

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

6

12

O

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

e

ut

Ro

e nd rp ass

U

preferred design colored detail

A

Wooded walk to the interpretive facility & headquarters

Interpretive facility

Stairs/Spiral ramp/Sunken garden

Staff/service entrance

A' 0

50'

25'

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Infiltration basin Parking

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Looking east A1 A

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

A'

B

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

preferred design: site sections

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

AA

B'

Looking north

B

preferred design site sections

Infiltration basin B

To pond

Universal access trail

Universal access trail

Overlook

Trail access

54'-long underpass

Spiral ramp

Gathering area spiral overlook

B'

Headquarters & interpretive facility beyond 0

25'

50'

18 / 30

looking west: A birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view from above the interpretive facility complex illustrates the dynamic relationship between the buildings, spiral ramp, and the pond. The axial relationship between this site and the pond contributes to a strong sense of connection between the interpretive facility and the larger Reservation.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

preferred design: perspective views

looking east: The sequencing of elements in the interpretive facility complex facilitates and organizes pedestrian movement. The spiral form reinforces this flow. Destinations are clearly indicated and areas for rest and contemplation occur along paths and walkways, making the journey pleasant and engaging.

preferred design perspective views 1919/ 30 / 30

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

At the bottom of the spiral, benches await along the perimeter, nestled amidst native shrubs, grasses, and forbs. This feature within the spiral is an inviting place for resting and contemplating the dramatic spiral form, its relationship to the pond, and the flow of human movement through and around the unique space. At the center of the well, three trees, limbed up for optimal views, stand within a circular form of light grey pea stones resembling the white pebbles that once lined the shores of Walden Pond. Artfully placed boulders, convenient for sitting, reference the Reservation’s formation by glaciers. This unusual sunken garden, in addition to serving as a prominent focal point, functions as an infiltration basin managing stormwater while creating a microclimate for shade and moisture-loving plants.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

To descend the gently sloping spiral ramp into the sunken garden is like entering a cool glade reminiscent of the woods that Thoreau called home during his two year stay at Walden Pond. Soft mosses, textured lichens, and feathery rock-ferns adorn the stone facing of the ramp walls, providing visual and tactile interest and marrying the spiral’s distinctive form to the surrounding woodland landscape. The ramp’s varied elevations offer varied viewing perspectives as well as opportunities for visitors to appreciate and learn about featured plants and their significance to the Reservation’s ecosystems. Plates of Corten steel inscribed with excerpts from Walden and Thoreau’s journals (see sheet 22) are affixed to the walls of the ramp as a way of engaging visitors and integrating writings by the pond’s most famous resident with visitor movement.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

preferred design: spiral ramp section

A

Key plan

Spiral ramp at 5% grade

Corten steel arch Guard rail Text plates (see sheet 22)

14'

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

A'

Underpass

A

To pond overlook

Circular garden above infiltration basin with loose aggregate

14' trap rock gravel walkway

10 ' Ramp

Spiral overlook

0

5’

A'

10'

spiral ramp section 20 / 30

Key plan Guard rail

6'

6' Corten steel barrier 3

42"

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

A

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

preferred design: spiral ramp details 1-3

B

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

A'

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

B'

9'

9'

20 'pedestrian underpass 10' Route 126 concrete underpass

40' Corten steel arch

Spiral ramp “footbridge” supported by 8" steel posts

2 1

Underpass | ramp footbridge Eight-inch steel posts support the spiral ramp “bridge” as it passes over the entrance to the concrete underpass leading to the pond overlook and trail to the pond’s edge. A six-foot-high arching plate of oxidized Corten steel blends into the landscape (see 2 ) provides a visual and auditory buffer between the road and the spiral ramp while a guard rail serves as an additional safety barrier along Route 126.

Corten arch | underpass entrance Along the spiral ramp, at its closest association with Route 126, a Corten steel arch, weathered to a rusted patina that blends with the surrounding landscape, rises up from the ramp and arches to a peak at the center of the footbridge above the underpass entrance. The height of the arch buffers pedestrians from cars passing by on Route 126 while the texture and color of the arch contrast surrounding materials to mark the passage over the entrance to the underpass. The arch’s form references the corresponding arch of the main beach visible at the end of the underpass.

Glass block “stepping stones”

3

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

3

Glass block “stepping stones” in the ramp footbridge One-foot-square frosted glass blocks organically arranged in the walkway of the ramp footbridge above the underpass entrance serve as “stepping stones” marking the passage across the entrance to the underpass. The blocks introduce natural light into the area below and serve to inform visitors where the spiral terminates.

spiral ramp details 1-3 Underpass

21 / 30

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Key plan

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

A'

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

A

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

preferred design: spiral ramp details 4-5

18"

14'

A

4

10' StoneTrap rock gravel ramp walkway capped (concrete at lower elevations) seating wall

8' 28 concrete steps with 6'' risers

A'

Seating wall along the spiral ramp | stairs A two-foot-wide, stone-capped seating wall accompanies the first 30 feet of the spiral ramp (a railing prevents people from sitting or walking atop the wall once it is higher than 30 inches).

The wall provides a convenient place to rest and observe the flow of visitors’ movement through the spiral. Stairs enable more direct access between the interpretive facility and the pedestrian underpass.

5

Corten “pages” Plates of Corten steel etched with selections from Thoreau’s journals and Walden are embedded into the walls along the spiral ramp. The font size on the placards is purposefully small to provide for an intimate reading experience, with the distribution of the plates along the ramp wall providing the effect of pages from Thoreau’s writings scattered across he visitor services area. This landscape-based approach to interpretive elements could provide a framework for use of comparable elements throughout the Reservation.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

42"

spiral ramp details 4-5 22 / 30

ge yr

nc am p

New stairs

185' +

+ 188'

ute

Ro

167' +

170'

18"

6

+

12

Universal access trail 180'

+

175'+ Bathhouse

6' Trap rock gravel trail on 1'-0'' aggregate base Dry-mortared stone retaining wall

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Overlook deck

Dry-mortared stone retaining wall

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

er Underpass to spiral ramp

The final arc of the trail, after it descends to the bathhouse, accords with a universally accessible walkway designed by the Walker-Kluesing Design Group.

2'

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Em

From the overlook deck, a meandering trail along the eastern bank connects to the pond’s main beach and bathhouse. The entire trail is a 5% grade and surfaced with trap rock gravel with comfortable seating found throughout the entire route. A juncture in the trail rises slightly and leads southward to B where visitors can experience a panoramic view of the pond, listen to an interpretive talk in the amphitheater, or utilize the grassy picnic area under the canopy of mature oaks.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

C

In light of the DCR’s goal to meet universal access codes, evenly graded, stable walkways and trails lead visitors from the parking lot, throughout the interpretive facility complex, and to the pond’s edge.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

preferred design detail: universal access trail

185' +

B

universal access trail

5-foot contours 0

50'

100'

23 / 30

2

Utilize the microclimates created by the structures of the preferred design. The interpretive facility complex, the universal access trail, and the sunken spiral form and its stone-faced walls create specific planting conditions. The cool, moist conditions at the bottom of the spiral, for instance, are conducive to the growth of certain mesic and hydric plants. Similarly, the northerly oriented spiral walls are appropriate to certain mosses, lichens, and fern species. In addition, lime leached from the concrete aggregate used to construct the spiral could provide a fertile growing environment for many fern species, which are often low maintenance, long-lived, and regionally appropriate.

Hamamelis virginiana

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Mimic existing natural plant communities. Model the Reservation’s mixed woodland plant communities using species that represent distinct botanical associations and their habitats. Three regional archetypes are highlighted: the Woodland Edge, the Mixed Woods, and the Wooded Wetland.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

1

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Existing Reservation plant communities guide vegetation selection throughout the visitor services area. In this way, select plant associations from the surrounding landscape can be paired with microclimates found within the visitor area, thereby highlighting the relationship between native flora and certain environmental conditions. This celebration of native plants made prominent in the interpretive facility landscape also serves as a memorial to the Thoreau’s botanical interests and the extensive ecological disturbance which has marred the Reservation in the past. The following guidelines help to simplify the complexity of native plant communities and establish principles for understanding distinct natural communities that can parallel conditions found within the visitor services area. (Sheet 25 further details these guidelines.)

Quercus rubra

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Following the arrival of Europeans in North America, the area of today’s Walden Pond State Reservation, like much of New England, underwent periodic deforestation and reforestation due to farming and industrial practices. Having relatively low-nutrient acidic soils, the Reservation lands were never consistently used for agriculture, and so had reverted to woodland by the time of Thoreau’s occupancy in the mid nineteenth century. The vegetative composition of these areas varies in accordance with soil type, hydrology, solar aspect, and geology. Birch stands (Betula spp.), for instance, occur primarily on north-facing hillsides while eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) thrives in cooler, shadier, damper areas, while northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and white pine (Pinus strobus) dominate drier slopes and plateaus. Common understory species include highbush and lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum), witchhazel (Hamamelis virginana), and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia).

Betula spp.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

Alarmingly, 27 percent of the species documented by Thoreau as occurring around Walden Pond have gone extinct and 36 percent are threatened with extinction due to global climate change and habitat loss (according to recent research conducted by Richard Primack and Abraham Miller-Rushing from Boston and Harvard Universities respectively). The Reservation has undergone multiple pond-side vegetation restoration projects under the DCR’s stewardship, which have generated extensive plant lists based upon field observations, trial plantings, and Thoreau‘s botanical references in his journals and Walden (see for example, Walker-Kluesing Design Group, East Bank Rehabilitation, 2008). These plant lists serve as the backbone for the vegetation selection in this plan.

E x a m p l e s o f v e g e t a t i o n a t t h e Wa l d e n P o n d S t a t e R e s e r v a t i o n

vegetation selection principles

Ilex verticillata

vegetation selection principles Vaccinium corymbosum

24 / 30

3

Woodland Edge

Mixed Woodland

Wooded Wetland

Betula papyrifera Paper birch

Cornus florida Flowering dogwood

Acer rubrum* Red maple

Iconic “planters” featuring Reservation plant communities. (Note color coding from the table at the left.)

Quercus rubra* Red oak

Shrub

Kalmia latifolia Mountain laurel

Clethra alnifolia Sweet pepperbush

Parthenocissus quinquefolia Virginia creeper

Apios americana* Groundnut

Parthenocissus quinquefolia Virginia creeper

Aster divaricatus White wood aster

Mainthemum canadense Canada mayflower

Arisaema triphyllum Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Dennstaedtia punctilobula Hay-scented fern

Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas fern

Osmunda regalis Royal fern

Solidago spp.* Goldenrod

Smilacina racemosa False Solomon’s seal

Sanguinaria canadensis Bloodroot

Gaultheria procumbens Wintergreen

Mitchella repens Partridgeberry

Asarum canadense Wild ginger

Hamamelis virginiana Witchhazel Ilex verticilata Winterberry

Vine

Herbaceous

Groundcover

Vaccinium angustifolium* Low-bush blueberry * Referenced in Thoreau’s Walden

2'

10'

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

2

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Tree

1

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

The repetition of the stone seating around these plantings also provides subtle means of supporting more direct wayfinding measures that help to guide visitors from the parking lot, through the interpretive facility area, down into the spiral, and to the pond’s edge. Some features provide shady gathering and resting spots for visitors as they move throughout the Reservation; similar circular seating walls could be placed around existing trees in the vegetated areas between parking lot bays.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

The three communities emblematic of the Reservation’s flora, Woodland Edge, Mixed Woodland, and Wooded Wetland are highlighted in the iconic planters. As such, these details bring the plant communities of the greater Reservation into focus within the core visitor service area, demonstrating their richness and variety. These recommended plant associations are featured within vegetated circular seating walls sited in key locations, based on proximity to structures and trailheads (see plan view at right). As in a forest ecosystem, the plantings consist of multiple vegetation layers, including overstory tree, vine, shrub, an herbaceous understory, and groundcover using hardy, low maintenance native plants with ornamental value.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

iconic vegetation palette

2'

Interpretive facility entryway planter: The section highlights a stone seating wall, the interior of which is planted with a tree, low-growing shrubs, forbs, and groundcovers in an arrangement mimicking plant communities found in the surrounding woodlands. The chart to the left details possible plant communities for these planters.

iconic vegetation palette 25 / 30

Veneer over concrete substrate

Wood decking with railing

Regional vernacular building materials

Wood bench

Seating boulder

Slab bench

Seating wall

Corten wall/barrier

Stainless steel tubed railing

Corten wall paneling

Stair raillings

Although his cabin at Walden was only 10 x 15 feet and had limited room for furniture, Thoreau always provided two chairs for company. The preferred design offers ample seating opportunities for visitors around the interpretive facility, along trails and the spiral ramp, and in the sunken garden at the base of the spiral.

Stone boulders and seating walls as well as simple wooden benches correspond with the appearance and textures of other materials used throughout the visitor services area.

barriers The preferred design utilizes several types of visual and protective barriers, including railings, Corten steel wall panelling, and stone retaining walls. By consisting of soft, muted colors, these barriers, whether manufactured or natural, blend with the surrounding vegetation and soils throughout the seasons.

Transparent materials are also emphasized in order to preserve sightlines and dissolve the appearance of a barrier.

walking surfaces

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Dry stacked field stone wall

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

seating

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Throughout the preferred design, the forms, colors, and textures echo the look and feel of the surrounding landscape while locally harvested, sustainably manufactured, and regionally appropriate materials reflect the DCRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s values. The suggested palette of natural and manufactured materials suggested is sensory rich. Stone structural elements blend with manufactured materials (primarily steel, glass, and concrete), demonstrating a harmonious balance of the products of nature and the products of the human hand and mind.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

materials

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

structural

Walking constituted a recreational pleasure as well as a philosophical act for Thoreau and his contemporaries. The preferred design ensures that walking and other types of movement through the landscape form an important part of the visitor experience. Paths consist primarily of compacted trap rock gravel while concrete makes up much of the spiral ramp walkway, with the exception of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;footbridge,â&#x20AC;? which includes one foot square glass blocks set in a unique, organic pattern in a span of steel corresponding to the vertical steel arch.

Pea gravel

Translucent footbridge

Curved concrete steps

Trap rock gravel

materials palette 26 / 30

Thoreau cabin replica | Concord, MA

The interpretive facility references connected farmstead architecture of New England

Confluence Project | Ilwaco, WA

Swathmore College | Swathmore, PA

Wave Field | Ann Arbor, MI

Select words of Thoreau on Corten steel “pages” adorn the spiral.

Central Park | New York City

Viewpoint | Tiree, Scotland

Viewpoint | Pinohuacho, Chile

text/earth works The spiral ramp in the preferred design, in addition to meeting the project goals, constitutes an artful landscape form that is both functional and instructive. The walls of the spiral ramp are marked with inscribed plate “pages” of Corten steel such that visitors encounter words from Thoreau’s journal and Walden as they approach or depart from the pond. The excerpted text provides a lens through which to understand the myriad narratives of Walden Pond and its surroundings.

framed views/underpass Views of Walden Pond are carefully framed and sequenced to provide visitors with an inspiring and poignant interpretive experience. The pond can initially be glimpsed through framing vegetation while the spiraling ramp and underpass place visitors on alignment with vistas of the pond and the larger Reservation. Visitors emerge from the underpass with a direct and dramatic view focused on the long axis of the pond.

Framed views enhance the connection between the interpretive facility and the pond.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Pinecote Pavilion | Picayune, MI

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Doyle Conservation Center | Fitchburg, MA

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

The design of the Walden Pond interpretive facility is anchored to its regional architectural context. Design cues follow both traditional New England building styles and examples of green buildings that relate to site specific challenges and opportunities. As such, building architecture should borrow both from regional vernacular as well as inspirational forms exhibited by remarkable places that integrate human needs with sensitive site design.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

buildings

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

design precedents

design precedents 27 / 30

requires engineering

Interpretive facility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Building (4,700 sq. ft. at $400/sq. ft.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,880,000 Interpretive programming & design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 .

Spiral ramp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pedestrian underpass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pond overlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50,000-$65,000 Includes deck, structure, railings, & benches East bank universal access trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $74,000-$96,000 Includes dry-laid stone retaining walls & universally accessible trail surfaces Amphithreatre at B (500 sq. ft.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000-$26,000 Reconfiguration of staff & short-term parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,000-$39,000 Includes vegetation alteration & partial porous paving

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

cost provided

by DCR

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

preliminary cost estimate

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

Additional costs not accounted for in this estimate include surveying, design fees, permitting fees, mobilization, demolition, erosion control, administration, as well as the undetermined costs mentioned above. Estimates for the relocation of the mounted police facility and the enhanced atgrade Route 126 crossing are not accounted for here.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Partial preliminary estimates of project costs appear at right. All costs are based on schematic designs rather than construction details, and as such, require additional site investigation, further design development, as well as evaluation by professional landscape architects, engineers, and estimators.

Costs are not provided for the interpretive facility building, spiral ramp, and pedestrian underpass at this preliminary stage. Broad preliminary costs have been assigned to other landscape items in the scope of services.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

partial preliminary cost estimates

partial preliminary cost estimates 28 / 30

Numerous mobile media tours allow visitors to walk through the Reservation and select a narrative experience catered to their interests. Through various media, the stories of Walden Pond are open-ended conversations between visitors and the special place that is the Walden Pond State Reservation. Users engage with these narratives by recordings their own experiences of place, adding richness and vitality to the story of Walden. The enduring message of Thoreau and Walden permeate the experience at the Reservation but also touch the lives of visitors and permeate their understanding of the landscape. In this way, Walden Pond transcends its physical boundaries and becomes an ethos for how to live softly on the earth and preserve nature’s bounty.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

Diverse groups of people continue to share in the experience that is Walden Pond. The Leed certified interpretive facility hosts an annual conference on sustainable land stewardship and serves as a beacon of innovative ideas on sustainability. The successful balance of human services and ecological health that is displayed within the Reservation serves as a model for parks around the world. An artist in residence continues the legacy begun by Thoreau of integrating the arts with landscape immersion.

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

School groups, international tourists, regional visitors, and local residents visit the interpretive facility and grounds to learn about Thoreau, natural history, and the past and future of natural resources conservation. The interpretive experience weaves cultural, historical, and personal narratives into a single experience of place.

Moving through the core visitor area communicates a narrative, as well as provides a space for contemplation and stunning views of the pond and Reservation. The visitor services area recreates microclimates and associated plant communities from throughout the Reservation, thus providing visitors with a living museum of many of the Reservation’s diverse attributes. The walk through the space is organized, comfortable, safe, and universally accessible.

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Henry David Thoreau’s Walden continues to captivate imaginations and inspire admiration and protection of nature. Visitors come to pay homage to the site of Thoreau’s writing and to appreciate the beauty and tranquility that is Walden Pond. Owing to the sustained preservation efforts of the DCR, this international landmark and living ecosystem is a shining example of land stewardship and park management. Many people arrive at the Reservation by light-rail, bicycle, or shuttle. Visitors coming by automobile park at the former trailer park and walk or shuttle to the interpretive facility. A vegetated greenway along Route 126 connects the Reservation to a regional trail network that provides human recreation and wildlife corridors. Once within the core infrastructure, visitors are greeted by a beautiful complex of buildings nestled in a lush landscape of native plantings. A stone-faced spiraling form, graced with native plantings, invites visitors to engage interpretive elements, sit under the dappled shade canopy, or simply walk.

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

Walden Pond State Reservation: a vision for 2054, the 200th anniversary of the publication of Walden

walden in the year 2054 29 / 30

sheet 26: materials (left to right, top to bottom) www.oconnelstone.com, xx, www.flickr.com,www.starling.products.com www.flickr.com, www.superstore.com, www.jeremycosmodavies.com, xx www.wagnertrail.com, www.weblogs.amny.com, xx, www.drake/stone.com, www.zimbio.com, richermetal/images/cortenwall,wagnerail.com, xx, xx sheet 27: precedents (left to right, top to bottom) www.thetrustees.org/pages/42_doyle_conservation_center.cfm http://www.crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu/images/pinecote_pic2.jpg xx www.confluenceproject.org/images farm1.static.flickr.com/65/200300288_f14146f49c.jpg&imgrefurl www.flickr.com/photos/downtownblue/3291750018/sizes/l/ farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2493087261_9bb3e2cd05.jpg?v=0 www.sutherlandhussey.co.uk/public/tiree www.archdaily.com/4160/pinohuacho

Linda Allen, Ken Bassett, Dr. Francine Benes, John Colman, Jim Hayden, David Katsuki, and Stu Weinreb of the Walden Pond Advisory Board Betsy Hopkins of Understory Consulting Richard Smith, Historian and Historic Interpreter Sarah Widing of AECOM (formerly ENSR International) Victor Walker of the Walker-Kluesing Design Group Terence Boyle, Jonathan Ellison, and Judy Preston, professional critics engaged by the Conway School of Landscape Design Faculty, students, and staff of the Conway School of Landscape Design. Conway is the only institution of its kind in North America. Its focus is sustainable landscape planning and design and each year through its accredited, ten-month graduate program, up to twenty students are immersed in a range of applied landscape studies, ranging in scale from residences to regions. Graduates have gone on to diverse professional roles in many aspects of landscape planning and design with an eye to sustainability.

sheet 29: walden in the year 2054 www.flickr.com/photos/

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

sheet 24: vegetation selection principles Red Oak, Witch hazel: www.flickr.com

Conway School of Landscape Design 332 S. Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341

sheet 2: visitor services profile www.flckr.com

Jim Baecker, Kathryn Garcia, John Faro, Susan Hamilton, Peter Hoffman, Tom McCarthy, Michael Mitchell and his interpretive programming staff, and Denise Morrissey of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

Walden Pond State Reservation Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation

All photographs, maps, and illustrations by the authors (noted by xx), unless listed below.

This Interpretive Facility Master Plan benefitted from the input of the following individuals:

Jenna Webster | Aran Wiener

Maps were generated using AutoCAD data provided by AECOM (formerly ENSR International) and the Walker-Kluesing Design Group and data layers from the Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS), Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. Unless noted otherwise, maps reflect the boundaries of the CAD data, which were believed to be more accurate than the GIS layers.

acknowledgements

Interpretive Facilities Master Plan

image credits

CONWAY SCHOOL OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN 332 South Deerfield Road | PO Box 179 Conway, MA 01341 | www.csld.eud

image credits acknowledgements 30 / 30