GLOUCESTER TEAM
Mary Beth Vogel (architect)
Karen Petersen
(gloucester resident)
VISION FOR PARCEL I4-C2 Gloucester’s New Marine Innovation Center @ Harbor Commons”
A project all about maximizing connections between Gloucester’s greatest assets to help steer the City into a sustainable future.
TEAM We are a team of entrepreneurial-spirited individuals who have come together to submit our ideas for developing this unique parcel based upon the following: •
Our shared interest and love for Gloucester as community and place.
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Our shared belief in grass-roots processes for sustaining and stimulating authentic and meaningful work/live communities.
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Our complimentary professional design expertise that is rooted in “big picture” thinking and expansive practical experience in building, landscape, civil, traffic and way-finding design.
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Our shared commitment to protecting the natural environment in all that we do.
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Our shared mandate that any development on the site embody forward looking models at all levels – from long term economic sustainability, to clean energy and state of the art technologies to environmentally safe construction materials and methods.
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Our shared optimistic view that a definitive project can happen on this site having observed that the City of Gloucester is open and eager for new ideas, inspiration and expertise as demonstrated by the establishment of this “Invitation for Ideas” and the Administration’s overall transparent and community- oriented style of governing.
We have attached our resumes at the back of this narrative to provide more information about our individual expertise, experience and interests.
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Marine Innovation Center at Harbor Commons
PROJECT GOALS The project is all about Connections. 1.
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Maximize the economic potential of this site for the overall benefit of the Gloucester Community by enhancing connections between its four economies: •
Commercial Fishing Economy
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Maritime Economy
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Visitor Economy
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Creative Economy
Maximize the physical beauty, unique location and public use of this site by establishing new physical connections: •
Create strong visual and pedestrian links to Main Street and the Civic Center.
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Create strong connections to the new Harborwalk and its future expansion.
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Provide multi-use open space for connecting people in the community.
Connect Gloucester’s rich history to a sound future through a range of forward looking strategies: •
Provide a place to research and develop ways of linking Gloucester’s current fishing and marine industries to future marine-based industries.
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Power the new project with clean, sustainable energy strategies, setting a precedent for future developments in Gloucester.
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Provide a structural framework that maximizes flexibility of use and scale of tenant in order to sustain a dynamic occupancy model into the future.
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PERSPECTIVE Our team perspective on the problem at hand is unique. One of our team members, Karen Petersen, is a resident of Gloucester and brings her unique insights as such. All other members of our team are “outsiders” coming in from Boston, Somerville and Reading, MA with a more objective perspective and no specific agenda. We came to this invitation for ideas with no specific proposal, no client and no developer.
PROCESS As grass roots advocates, our mission has been to conduct an interactive process over the past two months to unveil as many agendas for the site as possible, vet them against the big picture and each other, and suggest whatever synergies might happen between them. We have generated a specific proposal for this parcel only after a “listening-engaging-observing-and-information gathering” process which has included the following: •
Interviews with various constituents of the community.
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Meetings with other teams who are submitting proposals for this parcel
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Attendance at Town Meetings, review of various meeting minutes, and review of the Mayor’s State of the City address.
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Review of City of Gloucester Harbor Plan & Designated Port Area Master Plan
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Review of Gloucester Harbor Economic Development Plan by Mt. Auburn Associates
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Perusal of as much literature and as many maps about the place and history as time has allowed us.
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Tapping into on our own personal experiences and personal contacts in Cape Ann.
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Attendance of the Harborwalk RFP tour and preliminary brainstorming for that project.
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Extensive site observation and photographic documentation of the site and its surrounds.
Individuals we interviewed were involved in one or more of the following organizations: •
Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association
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Waterways Board
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North East Seafood Coalition
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Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund
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Gloucester Marine Heritage Center
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City of Gloucester Clean Energy Commission
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Gloucester Economic Development and Industrial Corporation
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Gloucester Traffic Commission
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Gloucester Police Dept.
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Cape Ann Museum
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Gloucester Lyceum Sawyer Free Library
Interviews were also conducted with small business owners, local realtors, and young entrepreneurs who are committed to staying in Gloucester and embarking on various entrepreneurial and grass roots efforts.
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Marine Innovation Center at Harbor Commons
WHAT WE HEARD With an ear cocked for “consensus” we unveiled the following common ground and came to the following insights:
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Gloucester’s rich history - in particular its unique reputation as the oldest operating commercial fishing port in the United States and home of the oldest, continually operating artist colony in the United States - is vital to its identity in 2010 and will remain vital to its identity in the future.
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“We don’t want Gloucester to become Marblehead, Rockport or Newburyport!” We want it to stay as Gloucester. Gloucester does not want an economic model that is driven primarily by tourism and wealthy private property owners.
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Gloucester’s unique geographical location “at the end of the road” as a contained island community accounts for its very special, self-sufficient, tight-knit, small-scaled, work-live community and also poses significant challenges for bringing in new industries, and managing traffic and growth.
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The issues involved with this 1.8 acre parcel of land are many and complex and have been ongoing for 45 years. There is no “silver bullet.”
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There have been many good intentions for this site over the years but each one blocks another. No consensus has yet been attained and therefore no project realized.
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The community of Gloucester wants to feel vested in whatever project happens on the parcel, rather than excluded from the site and its program. The more people in the Gloucester community who are positively impacted by this development, the better.
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Leaving Parcel I4-C2 as an open site at the water, which poses no security problems to date, is better than a project that serves too small an agenda.
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Young people who were born and raised in Gloucester are leaving Gloucester to pursue careers and family life elsewhere, even though many would prefer to stay if economic circumstances allowed. They hope to come back one day to stay.
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A water shuttle would be a positive addition to the community. It would be a well received by both residents and visitors and would ease vehicular traffic flow, if only slightly. Any solution that reduces the use of individual cars is helpful.
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Rogers Street is extremely difficult to cross as a pedestrian and therefore acts as a barrier between Main Street and Parcel I4-C2. Navigating from Main Street or City Hall to Parcel I4-C2 is neither an obvious, pleasant, nor safe pedestrian experience.
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Harbor commons As shown in these precedent images above, the quality of the public spaces that encompass the Marine Innovation Center, are to lead the meanderer down from the hill or along the harborwalk to a captured view corridor that slopes gently to the sea across a stepped “commons”. The “Common” acts as both support area for deployment of marine techonolgies bound for the sea as well as allow for public events and recreation. The harbowalk itself ascends the facade of the the buildings to a prow on the top floor overlooking the harbor
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STREET IMPROVEMENT PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY From atop the hill at city hall to rogers street the various issues of pedestrian scaled access to the site is a challenge. Automobiles compete with pedestrians and cyclists on every street, even alleys. Rogers Street has the opportunity to backfill the hillside of the street with commercial program & high-density parking structures to improve the street wall. Adding neckdowns at intersections will provide a safer crossing to the waterfront for people on foot.
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PARKING A primary arrival point into the Downtown, such as St. Peter’s Square, is an ideal location for a parking garage, to minimize traffic through the Downtown and along Rogers Street. Parking garages are most economically viable if constructed on the original granite above the flood plain rather than being built on low fill which requires more costly foundation work.
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HARBORWALK INTEGRATION The harbor walk is a critical component of Parcel I4-C2. In addition to increasing public use of the site, it could serve as a model for how to integrate the creative economy into the development. A coalition of local artists, tradesmen, historians, and writers could be established to engage with the designers and construction team for achieving a particularly creative and meaningful Harborwalk installation that is truly expressive of “Gloucester”. The new Harborwalk will be key to expanding the overall connective tissue between adjacent waterfront sites to enhance the overall experience at water’s edge. The Harborwalk concept could also be about creating more “places” along the path, one of which should be at Parcel I4-C2, where Harborwalk could become Harbor Commons.
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EXPANDED DOCKAGE Introduction of expanded dockage extending out to the revised Harbor Commission Line would be a positive contribution and would only make the waterfront more active and important to this site. There are currently under 10 slips. Our proposal would advocate for up to 23 slips.
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RENEW HARBOR TRANSIT (WATER SHUTTLE) A water shuttle from Parcel I4-C2 to Rocky Neck would strengthen the connection to the Arts Community. Exhibit space on Parcel I4-C2 could be integrated into the project and a shuttle over to the artists’ studios becomes a logical next step for visitors and residents. A water shuttle would be a lot nicer than driving over there and much more about the Gloucester experience.
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RECONSTRUCTED WETLANDS along the property edge adjacent to the building supply retailer, is the remnant of a wetland that was observed to still have a significant wildlife population. this proposal would look to repair the wetland as a means to capture site run off, allowing it to be cleaned before percolating into the harbor.
Marine Innovation Center at Harbor Commons
OUR PROPOSAL Drawing from the above common denominators and insights, we arrived at our Proposal: “The Marine Innovation Center at Harbor Park”
MASTER PLANNING •
Parking garages will be more economically viable if constructed on the original granite above the flood plain.
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A primary arrival point into the Downtown, such as St. Peter’s Square, is a potential location for a parking garage, to minimize traffic through the Downtown and along Rogers Street.
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Consider future infill of surface parking lots along the north side of Rogers St. with small businesses and storefronts to activate the pedestrian experience and support Parcel I4-C2 development.
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Pedestrian, vehicular, and bicycle traffic improvements along Rogers Street
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Beautification of Parsons St. to signify it as the major pedestrian-only way.
PROGRAM The program for a Marine Innovaton Center is about moving Gloucester towards a “sustainable” future and maximizing the connections between the community’s greatest assets to do that. Specific program elements include the following: •
Layout/deployment space
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Design / collaboration/ education space
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Experimental labs
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Test tanks
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Submersibles
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Shop and research space
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Support office space
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Exhibit Space for the Arts
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Multi-use space for community cultural events
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Public Park
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Harborwalk
PROGRAM DIAGRAM
Incubator Research Space [500sf/] Wet & Dry Labs [500sf/] (5000tsf)
Prototyping/Assembly (Manf.) Space (13500sf)
Public/Lobby (3000sf)
Support Office Space (4000sf) Visitor-Heritage Learning Center (2500sf) Event/Training/Multi-Use (6000 SF)
Commercial/Retail/Food Service (4000sf)
Loading (2000 SF)
Marine Innovation Center at Harbor Commons
ARCHITECTURE Our architectural response for this project balances the rich maritime history of the site with a 21st century design that positions Gloucester as an innovative leader and steward of ocean industries. •
Simple framework housing dynamic programming
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Wood and steel modular structure
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Glass, rope and cable rails
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Wood, glass, and metal envelope
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Elevated on piers
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Transparency
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Split Levels
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Multi-level spaces
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Layers of private and public circulation
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Strong presence on Rogers Street
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Strong connection to waterfront
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Integrated with Harborwalk
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Framed views between water and Rogers Street
LANDSCAPE Our landscape design invites everyone to come together in the new “common” while also making important connections along the waterfront to points east and west as well as from Main Street. •
Integration of green-scape, granite/brick paving and wood
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Incorporation of artists’ installations
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Multi-functional
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Exterior lighting systems that define space at night
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Simple, durable, low maintenance, and beautiful
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Textures and materials of Gloucester
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Integral with Harborwalk
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Natural extension of pedestrian experience at improved Roger’s Street
ENERGY The goal is to build a zero net energy project using on-site renewable energy production. As the design process moves forward, we will help the City define which energy strategies to incorporate based upon infrastructure requirements, cost analyses, zoning issues, existing utililty contracts, and funding opportunities. The project will serve as a precedent and catalyst for other clean energy driven developments in Gloucester and will be coordinated with the City’s current efforts. Moreover, the buildings themselves have the potential to serve as a place for cutting edge clean energy research and development specifically relating to the marine environment. With sound, passive solar design as our foundation, we will explore the following options for on-site clean energy production in order of feasibility: •
Solar thermal
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Photo-voltaics
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Heat exchange systems
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Biomass fueled systems
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Wind Energy
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Wave and/or Tidal Energy
CATEGORY
AREA SF
COST/SF
TOTAL COST
PROGRAM COSTS Public/Lobby Circulation/Mech/Structure Event/Training/Multi-Use
3000
$200
$600,000
10750
$300
$3,225,000
6000
$300
$1,800,000
Wet & Dry Labs [10 @ 500sf/]
5000
$300
$1,500,000
Incubator Research Space
5000
$300
$1,500,000
13500
$300
$4,050,000
Prototyping/Assembly (Manf.) Space Support Office Space
4000
$175
$700,000
Visitor-Heritage Learning Center
2500
$150
$375,000
Commercial/Retail/Food Service
4000
$300
$1,200,000
Sitework/ Landscape SUBTOTALS
$3,500,000 53750
$18,450,000
HARD COSTS Site Acquisition Base Building Construction General Conditions (6%)
n/a $18,450,000 $1,107,000
General Requirements (3%)
$553,500
Insurances (1%)
$184,500
Construction Contingency (5%)
$922,500
Design Contingency (10%)
$1,845,000
Construction Fee (3%)
$553,500
Building Permits (1.20%)
$221,400
Construction Cost Escalation (5%)
$922,500
PROJECT HARD COST SUBTOTAL
$24,759,900
SOFT COSTS Legal and Permitting -
$500,000
Financing fees and Developer Costs (7.5%)
$1,383,750
Architecture + Engineering (10%)
$1,845,000
Survey & Civil -
$125,000
Environmental Engineering -
$125,000
Environmental Reporting/Assessment
$75,000
Const Management & Accounting (1.5%)
$276,750
Insurance -
$150,000
Project Management -
$500,000
Sub Total Soft Costs
$4,980,500
Soft Costs Contingency (2.5%) PROJECT SOFT COST SUBTOTAL PROJECT TOTAL COST
$124,512 $5,105,012 $29,864,912
Marine Innovation Center at Harbor Commons
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES •
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Funding (pedestrian improvements)
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Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC) (DSIRE)
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Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction (DSIRE)
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Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC) (DSIRE)
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Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) (DSIRE)
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U.S. Department of Treasury - Renewable Energy Grants (DSIRE)
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Commonwealth Solar Incentive Program
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National Grid - New Construction Program
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Pursue the Commonwealth Wind Grant in conjunction with other current wind projects in Gloucester to obtain accurate wind assessments
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New Market Tax Credits
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Federal and State Historic Tax Credits
MOVING FORWARD Our design provides for a flexible building that can meet the needs of the commercial fishing economy, the maritime economy, visitors, and the creative economy. As mentioned earlier in this document, we have enjoyed meeting with many members of the community and teams participating in this “Invitation for Ideas” to discuss ideal uses of the I4-C2 parcel. We would be happy to continue these conversations to further refine the most appropriate program mix that meets the variety of needs of the Gloucester community. Our team is eager to assist the City in its efforts moving forward with this project. We applaud the City for opening this forum of ideas and look forward to seeing the proposals of the other participants. We are certain that even more meaningful connections will be discovered as a result of this sharing process and that they will only enhance the end product, whatever it shapes into.
Resumes
DAVID J. SILVERMAN
registered architect #9747 commonwealth of massachusetts massachusetts certified public purchasing official
David Silverman is a registered architect and President of map-lab. Prior to founding map-lab, David worked at MIT for four years as an in-house architect and then for six years as a Senior Project Manager on the $300 million dollar Ray and Maria Stata Center in Cambridge designed by the prominent architect Frank Gehry. map-lab was founded on the principles of the good work that David completed while at MIT. Guided by the belief that good design should accommodate the needs of the owner and occupants, we lead a collaborative process that offers the knowledge, perspective, and creative solutions to put the owner in control. In 2010 David founded the Urban Neighborhood Design Alliance (UNDA), the non-profit arm of maplab with a mission to provide support for community planning, offer educational opportunities, and advocate for healthy and vibrant neighborhoods.
EDUCATION AND AFFILIATIONS :: David received a Bachelor of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College. David is active in the design community as an educator, and serves as Design Studio Instructor, Studio Critic, and Thesis Committee Representative at the Boston Architectural College, where he has also served on the Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee of the College, and as President of the Alumni Association. David has served as a design critic at Roger Williams University, the New England School of Art and Design, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.David collects snowglobes that are proudly displayed in the office and on the company website.
STEPHEN E. MOORE
director of design and sustainable initiatives leed ap
Stephen joined map-lab in 2009 with thirteen years of experience in the field of architecture, to head up the firm’s overall design and integrate its sustainable initiatives. Since earning his Masters Degree in Architecture from Boston Architectural College in 2007, Stephen has focused exclusively on environmetally- and sociallyresponsible design, acting as the Sustainable Design and Research-Office Green Team Leader at Elkus Manfredi Architects and most recently, as a designer at Architerra where he collaborated on LEED-Gold and Platinum Buildings, as well as one of the first Zero Net Energy facilities in the Commonwealth. Stephen also practiced in New York City at Perkins & Will and the Liebman Melting Partnership (now a part of Perkins Eastman) from 2002 to 2003, respectively.
Stephen’s dedication to innovative design that respects the community and the environment was most recently recognized at the 2008 AIA National Convention, where the Boston Society of Architects awarded Stephen’s conceptual design of “Roxbury Gardens” in Dudley Square with the prize of Best Green Design. EDUCATION AND AFFILIATIONS :: Stephen graduated from the Boston Architectural College in 2007 with a Masters in Architecture degree. Previously he studied ecology and geology and also has a professional degree in interior design from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. He continues to teach at the Boston Architectural College, serving as an Advanced Studio Instructor, Guest Critic, and Thesis Advisor with a focus on sustainability and urban design.
Resumes
MARY BETH VOGEL Project Architect/Designer LEED, AP 293 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02116 857-222-5072; mbvogel@verizon.net PROFILE Project Architect/Designer; 21 years of experience; focused on academic and other institutional building types; committed to the development and implementation of sustainable design strategies; broad range of skills in design (conceptualizing, analyzing, sketching, diagramming), technical execution (researching, detailing, construction administration), management (fee proposals, schedules, budgets) and communication (collaborating, team building, mentoring, writing, presenting); conscientious, energetic and collaborative work style. EXPERIENCE Independent Architectural Designer 1/2010 – Present Consulting work for Office of David Neilson Submitting team member for City of Gloucester’s Invitation for Ideas for Waterfront Parcel I4-C2 Architerra Inc, Boston, MA 3/2009 – 12/2009 Project Manager/Project Architect/Designer Project SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), Gateway Building, Syracuse, NY New zero net energy 50,000 gsf “Gateway Building” to serve as campus hub: 5,000 sf conference facility, café and lounge, bookstore, exhibition of Theodore Roosevelt Wildlife Collection, offies for Admissions and Outreach departments, and a green roof as teaching forum. CBT Architects, Boston, MA 10/1998 – 12/2008 Project Architect/Designer, Associate Middlebury College, Biomass Power Plant, Middlebury, VT Biomass Power Plant addition to existing service building. The plant gasifies wood chips for the production of steam with the goal of reducing the College’s oil consumption by 50%. 16,000 sf; $8M Construction Cost; Completed December 2008. Mount Ida College, Veterinary Technology Center, Newton, MA New science building for the training of veterinary technicians. Includes teaching lab, prep and surgery rooms, support facilities, classroom, offices, and housing and treatment areas for animals. 15,000 sf; $5.5M Construction Cost; To be completed August 2009. Finegold Alexander + Associates, Boston, MA 10/1994 – 10/1998 Project Architect/Designer John R. Menz & Richard Cook Architects, New York, NY 7/1991 – 2/1994 William McDonough Architects, New York, NY 10/1989 – 7/1991 EDUCATION Yale University, M. Arch., 1989; AIA Scholastic Award; Certificate of Merit from the Henry Adams Fund. Harvard University, B.A. magna cum laude in Visual and Environmental Studies and Fine Arts, 1986. AFFILIATIONS LEED Accredited Professional 2.0; Society for College and University Planning [SCUP]; BSA Committee on the Environment [COTE]; Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education [AASHE]; Samaritans Hotline Volunteer; Court Appointed Special Advocate Program – Juvenile Court Department, Suffolk County Division (in training)