This proposal was submitted to the Valley Development Council’s design competition as collaboration between David Maynes and Todd Lynch. The canal and river surrounding the site inform the proposed patterns and systems. The metaphor of water’s fluidity and power inspired the programming of the site on different scales; the Thorndike institute, inspiring professionals to collaborate on design reuse projects, server farm heat capture and adaptable interior and exterior spaces to meet evolving building and land-use needs. Design with the fluidity and mutability of water in mind establishes resiliency into the development by embracing flux and planning for it, mimicking the volumes of water in the Ware and the canal surrounding the site with their persistent currents.
The Thorndike Institute anchors the mill development area. It is a collaborative design lab comprised of designers, machinists, artists, ecologists and marketers to create ecologically intelligent design as outlined in Cradle to Cradle by McDonough and Braungart. The Thorndike Institute can become a destination for learning and doing. Proposed office and lab space supports start-up firms taking part in Institute initiatives and community outreach.
Housing to the east of Church street provides eight units. The configuration of houses reflects the graceful arc of the canal and siting for passive solar gain and cooling from south east winds. The open spaces in the residences include private gardens and connect to public spaces for active and passive recreation that might host farmer’s markets or ice skating in the winter. The onsite open spaces and trails connect to town-wide open spaces and trail networks, to encourage community use of the businesses, educational resources and open spaces proposed for Thorndike Energy.
Throughout the on-site open spaces, exposed areas of rock reference the riverbed of the Ware river, that shows the exposed mantle of the Earth. These designed rock formations provide areas of repose, but also allude to the power and history of fluidity in this place. The persistence of water determined the site’s history. This proposal interprets that history as something living and dynamic meeting the needs of its surrounding communities.
