Archipelago of Constellations / Fani Christina Papadopoulou - Harvard Graduate School of Design

The thesis of the Archipelago of Constellations

There is underutilized capital to be found in the island complex in the Boston Harbor. The islands of the “Archipelago” are astonishing resources. This is due to their natural resistance to flooding, the existing infrastructure, their diverse landscapes and ecosystems. There is also underutilized capital in Columbia Point, where UMass Boston is situated. It is an educational institution that can serve as a radiant anchor node to a network of uses and developments. Not to mention the human and financial capital that goes along with major educational and financial institutions.

The problem of underutilized resources goes hand in hand with the lack of a proper transportation and infrastructural system to connect the islands of the “Archipelago” to the mainland. Therefore the islands are only employed as a tourist attraction.

The Proposal of the Archipelago of Constellations

-Activate the Islands: Programmaticaly enhance them according to their current state of infrastructure, position and natural resources. Long Island becomes the main node on the sea, with a strong pole forming on Thomson as well, complete with housing, retail and limited office space. Spectacle becomes a tourist attraction and celebrates its artificial nature by forming the “Twin Peaks” of Boston, while providing astonishing views to the rest of the Archipelago. Finally, lovells and Gallops become parks, with hiking paths and recreational activities, while Georges Island gets a tourist importance.

-Regenerate and enhance the mainland “Anchor Node” by densifying housing units and educational facilities on Columbia Point. Encourage offices and corporations to relocate and establish offices next to the university.

-Connect the network: Transportation will play a key role in the “Archipelago`s” success. In terms of connecting all the nodes of the Archipelago with the mainland “Anchor”, but also in terms of connecting the city of Boston with Columbia Point. A ferry network is also established, with main Terminal on Columbia Point, Long and Thomson Islands, that runs 24/7 every 30 minutes. In conjunction with a new T station to the Terminal on Columbia Point, a network is formed.

About Fani Christina Papadopoulou

Fani Christina Papadopoulou received her post professional Master of Architecture from Harvard University, Graduate School of Design. She received her Master in Architectural Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). She lives in New York City and is currently a designer at 1100 Architect, NY. Recently, her work was awarded an Honourable Mention at Architect`s Newspaper Best of Design 2016 Awards. It also got published on the December 2016 issue in the Student Category. Her high academic standing has been recognized with numerous honors and scholarships from the NTUA, the State Scholarship Foundation of Greece and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She was born and raised in Athens, Greece.