Planet Walk, an educational walkway is now under construction in the Boston Housing Authorities Mary Ellen McCormack Family Housing Development.Under the direction of Kevin Trombly with Cer-Trom Construction Corporation, the Mary Ellen development, formerly called ?EUR??,,????'??Old Harbor Village?EUR??,,????'??, is the oldest development in the Housing Authorities portfolio, and is also the second oldest public housing facility in North America.

The intent of the Planet Walk is to create a stimulating learning experience for the general public as well as the residents of the development. Located on public housing property in a large unused courtyard, ?EUR??,,????'??Planet Walk?EUR??,,????'?? will act as a link between two other public spaces within the development; Veterans Park and Henry Sterling Square.

The Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund is providing funding for the construction of this park.

Dana Dilworth of the Boston Housing Authority applied for a Browne Fund Grant in 1999 envisioning this park to provide an educational experience for the children and families living within and surrounding the development. Dilworth and two interns Taylor Stewart and Sang Taek Kim, developed a concept sketch for the site, emphasizing our solar system as a theme. The Authority was later awarded the grant in May 2000 and commissioned Moriece and Gary, Landscape Architects, Charlestown, Mass., for architectural services from pre-design through construction documents.

The most intriguing and artistically challenging piece of the design will be the color rendering of the concrete planets. A high level of skill, attention to detail, and artistic ability will be needed to accurately depict the different textures and colors of the planets. A requirement during the bidding process was to choose a contractor and/or public artist that had proven experience in producing unique and complex public art. Bill Guthro, owner of Distinctive Concrete, was selected as the sub-contractor to develop the intricate detailing for these planets.

The planets will be represented by dome shaped concrete ?EUR??,,????'??sculptures?EUR??,,????'?? that will be rendered to simulate the actual colors and surface textures of the planets. The renderings will be based on actual photographic images made available from NASA and other scientific sources such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratories. These images have been incorporated into the construction documents, to ensure the representational intent. The plans and specifications have directed the contractor to chemically color the planets using a specialized colored acid staining system. This process will not only ensure a detailed image of each planet, but provide longevity of colors as opposed to a ?EUR??,,????'??wearing?EUR??,,????'?? color seal-coat process. An anti-graffiti coating will be used to protect the surfaces.

The planets will vary in size, Pluto (of course) being the smallest at 4-feet in diameter, to Jupiter (the largest) at 30-feet diameter. All of the planet sculptures will be raised from grade to provide a ?EUR??,,????'??domed?EUR??,,????'?? 3-dimensional effect. The largest height will be Jupiter reaching 4-feet from grade. Twelve-inch wide, concrete ?EUR??,,????'??orbit rings?EUR??,,????'?? will collide with each planet, and bisect the bituminous walkways constructed flush with grade. These orbit rings will help the observer understand that the planet sculptures (although motionless) revolve around the sun. The high level of artistic detail for these planets will be an imperative aspect to the success of the project.

Another feature of the walkway will be the asteroid belt, made up of boulders, located between the rocky terrestrial planets and the large gaseous planets in the center of the park. Here, a fiber optic strip is designed below grade within the concrete ?EUR??,,????'??orbit-ring?EUR??,,????'??, bisecting the asteroid belt. There will not be any special finishing of the stone, in order to provide a more natural ?EUR??,,????'??rough?EUR??,,????'?? condition similar to that of asteroids, with a ?EUR??,,????'??crater-like?EUR??,,????'?? appearance. The stones will be of random sizes, most being at least 18-inches, to allow for seating.

Another experiential element in the design is the proposed interactive sundial, located at the park entry. Like other black-top hop-scotch-like games, the interactive sundial is scientifically designed to allow someone to physically stand on and read the correct time by observing where his or her shadow will fall. The sundial design, will be constructed according to longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates, providing a very accurate layout. The sundial will be constructed with two colors allowing adjustment for Standard and Daylight Savings Times.

Like the educational plaques, the planets will provide an illustrative learning experience for the user, but in a 3-dimensional and physical quality. Without even reading the provided educational information, a park user will still be able to visually learn a great deal about our solar system. Just walking through the park one can learn that our solar system has nine planets, be able to compare the sizes, learn of their physical appearance and texture, count the moons a planet may have, and learn that the large gaseous planets are separated from the rocky terrestrial planets by a great asteroid belt.

Construction for the ?EUR??,,????'??Planet Walk?EUR??,,????'?? educational park will be completed in May 2003. The park will set a new educational precedent for utilizing empty courtyard spaces in the Boston Housing Authority developments. Providing Landscape Architectural services for such an educational park has been very fulfilling, and we look forward to see how the project will ultimately connect with the community.