The Guild Urban Forest | Dorchester, MA

Building upon the remnant oak forest, the intent of this project is to stabilize and reforest this hillside while creating pathways, plazas and pavilions for community use. At least two plazas will allow for neighborhood recitals. The four-season pavilion and a third plaza will allow for lectures and educational/art exhibits. Our initial planning has also identified a movie wall, sledding hill, and canopy tree walk as potential components for community enrichment. Benches for sitting, activity tables, trash, recycling and composting bins, all contribute to the overall park feel and usability of the site. Indirectly, the Hillside Community Forest will help to mitigate heat island effects and provide air cleansing as recommended in the USDA’s recommendation of 25% city land area in the form of urban forests. This park is truly an urban oasis.

Client: The Guild
Collaborators: Audrey O’Hagan, PCA Design
Status: Phase 1 Under Construction
Photography: Landworks Studio