RFP: Lechmere Viaduct Design Competition
Lechmere Viaduct as it stands today – shrouded in darkness.
1. THE OPPORTUNITY - Illuminate the Lechmere Viaduct
The Lechmere Viaduct presents an extraordinary opportunity for creative, artistic illumination of the last crossing of Boston’s historic lower Charles River yet to be given a strong nighttime identity. All of the general use bridges up-stream of the Viaduct to beyond the Harvard University campus have been dramatically lit (or planned) over the past decade. Illumination of the most massive crossing of them all will also celebrate the extension of the MBTA’s (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) Green Line service north of its current Lechmere terminus.
This competition and Request for Proposals (RFP), initiated by LIGHT Boston, Inc. with over twenty years of experience in civic illumination, address the remarkable possibility of leaving a lighting legacy in this critical location for generations to come. Situated between two neighborhoods currently undergoing great revitalization, illumination of the Lechmere Viaduct is
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well positioned to become emblematic of Boston’s and Cambridge’s developing nighttime environment, and a notable comment on the region’s continuing growth and visible energy.
Location of the Lechmere Viaduct and its surrounding neighborhood (Google Maps)
1A. The Challenge
The Lechmere Viaduct is approximately 1,700’ long by 35’ wide. Built in 1910, it is a series of eleven reinforced concrete arches and one steel bridge with masonry abutments. It carries the MBTA Green Line trains over the Charles River from Science Park station in Boston to Lechmere station and terminus in Cambridge. It was originally built to connect multiple streetcar lines in Cambridge and Somerville to Downtown Boston. At the time, it was the largest public works project in metro Boston. The Lechmere Viaduct merits being masterfully illuminated and celebrated.
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Foreground, looking north: Lechmere Viaduct and Charles River Dam Road (also the Msgr. McGrath Highway), bordering the North Point Park and lagoon. Just in front of the Zakim Bridge ramp, a new EF (Education First) building has just begun construction at the time of the photo. Middleground: Charlestown with Bunker Hill Monument, and Boston’s North End with the TD Garden/North Station and the Old North Church. Boston’s Inner Harbor and Logan Airport beyond, with the Atlantic Ocean on the horizon. (Photo: Bruce T Martin)
1B. Project Goals
To be a successful design, the submission should:
● create dynamic, site-specific illumination to emphasize the unique architectural and engineering features of all eleven arched bays and the steel bridge over the old lock, and perhaps noting the movement of trains on the Viaduct top deck; ● pay particular attention to the six bays and bridge over water, capitalizing on their reflective aspects. Illumination of the remaining five bays at the ends of the Viaduct is necessary to complete the gesture of connection from end to end and shore to shore; ● recognize that at the western end, the tenth bay spans the EF (Education First) campus access road over Museum Way, while bays #6, 7 and 8 (see Section 4A) front the new EF Headquarters and its proposed Fitness Center at Education Way, giving EF a particular interest in the results of the competition; ● create a unique community asset that complements the developing neighborhood to the west, features the lagoon and North Point Park, and adds both safety and drama to the northern sidewalk along Msgr. McGrath Highway between the museum and the Viaduct;
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● be engaging during all seasons, and be respectful of neighboring buildings, their inhabitants, and as promulgated in LEED criteria; ● be affordable and sustainable in both initial investment and day-to-day operating cost, but also in long-term maintenance (life cycle cost); ● have an expected life span well into the future (at least 20 years), assuming diligent maintenance and upkeep.
1C. History and Surroundings
Historical construction: Photo 1 – newly completed Viaduct with parkland and original locks and control tower upstream of first dam. 2 – Construction below a typical viaduct vault. Note size of construction workers. 3 – Finishing concrete arch exterior. 4 – Boston-side B&M rail yards just to northeast of recently completed viaduct. (Photos: Cambridge Historical Commission)
The banks of both sides of the Charles River between the Museum of Science and Boston Harbor were once heavily industrialized with a landscape of rail yards, polluted drainage ditches, and wharf warehouses, with limited and undesirable pedestrian access to the river.
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Photo (left): Lechmere Viaduct landing on the Boston side; view from sidewalk Photo (right): Present day bridge over old locks; note steel girder support
A dam farther downstream, built and operational in 1978, has stabilized the water level of the Charles River on both sides of the Lechmere Viaduct. To the west, the Cambridge side, dubbed the “Lost Half Mile” by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has also benefited from the 2003 construction of the Central Artery’s Leonard P. Zakim Bridge. With its ramps high above the river, the new bridge has brought an opportunity on the Cambridge side for a lagoon and new riverfront, with 40 acres of new landscaped parkland, a skate park, two residential towers, dramatic headquarters buildings, and major new additional high-rise development surrounding Lechmere station and into the area bordering on MIT. Boston’s Museum of Science, built on top of the first Charles River dam, and the historic lock is immediately to the south of the Viaduct.
Supported by infrastructure improvements, creation of the North Point Park area and surrounding neighborhood development has generated many revitalization projects in the immediate area. Today, the area is crossed by bike paths, pedestrian walkways, and boat traffic between the Charles River and Boston Harbor. Public rail transit improvements, already begun, will continue to make access to the area even more convenient for new residential, retail, community, and commercial uses, adding to the increasing vibrancy of the growing neighborhood.
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2. PROJECT DETAILS
Lechmere Viaduct – North Elevation with Green Line train. Museum of Science behind.
2A. Winners and Prizes
Up to three Finalists will be selected with a $2,500 prize assigned for each finalist. An in-person presentation and interview in Boston is required to be certified as a Finalist for the commission. The winning Finalist Consultant will enter into a standard contract for 12 months, and will be compensated corresponding to industry standards for design development, construction documentation, bidding, construction administration, etc. (see Section 3C – Contract).
2B. Project Budget and Fundraising
PROJECT BUDGET
A Total Project Cost of USD $750,000 (Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand dollars) has been established for the all-in cost of the project. Respondents to the RFP, along with their submissions, are required to furnish an Outline Project Budget of how they propose that the costs of realization be allocated. A more detailed budget is required of Finalists. The following
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is an Illustration only of the distribution of a budget with a brief explanation of assignment of the available funds:
a. $300,000 – illumination package, including light fixtures, control devices, and power connection
b. $200,000 – installation, including labor and related costs
c. $50,000 – design fees, including all detailed design and engineering, with full contract documents, bid administration, and construction phase activities, commissioning and taxes (see also Section 4C – Design Guidelines and Restrictions)
d. $100,000 – allocated by LIGHT Boston for client administrative costs, including Project Representative for 3 months, all project insurance, permitting, licenses and legal fees, as well as marketing and initial promotion
e. $100,000 – unassigned budget for competitor’s allocation.
Competitors’ versions of the budget will help explain emphasis on various aspects of each design.
FUNDING SOURCES
Assurances of financial support are being cultivated, with sufficient interest already in hand to allow the competition to proceed. Pledge fulfillment and additional financial resources, of course, benefit from strong visual presentations that generate local enthusiasm and notoriety for sponsors.
2C. Competition Process
Entries are to be submitted electronically, may include videos, and should be concise, readily understood by a lay public, and lend themselves to both website and print exhibition. The competition process will be administered by LIGHT Boston and the MBTA, with contestant anonymity being strictly maintained throughout.
Submissions will be pre-screened for completeness and anonymity. Preliminary review will be by a select committee of LIGHT Boston staff, board members and non-local artists/designers. This process will allow winnowing to a cadre of approximately 20 competitors upon which the independent jury will judge and comment. See Section 3B for Scoring Criteria weighting / aspects of the competition important to the organizers.
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Up to three (3) Finalists will be selected. An In-person interview in Boston is required to present and defend the designs and responses to the RFP, to answer questions, and to establish that the Consultant has the credentials to realize the implementation of the project. So that proximity to Boston is minimized as a concern, an economy-class travel and lodging stipend is available from anywhere in the world to Boston for one member of each Finalist group (other team members may attend at their own cost). Travel time will not be compensated.
At the end of the competition, and after final selection, in addition to public announcement, there will be an online gallery of up to 20 submissions, including jury comment. There may also be a local (Boston/Cambridge) exhibition. Competition results website will be widely distributed.
Competitors retain copyright of their own submissions, but it is a condition of the Lechmere Viaduct Competition that the organizers (LIGHT Boston and the MBTA) and Sponsors may use the submissions for display, advertising of the competition results, celebrations, etc., and on their websites, with attribution of authorship. Competitors’ designs may not be used by others except by agreement for use of copyright. Note the Permission Checkbox on the Registration Form.
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2D. Project Schedule
Date Milestone
□ Early September 2018 Issue full RFP □ September - October 2018 Registration. Each competitor is issued an individual ID#. □ 19 October 2018 Deadline for submission of Questions □ 26 October 2018 Distribution of answers to consolidated and edited questions □ 2 November 2018, 5:00 pm EST Registration Closes □ 7 January 2019, 5:00 pm EST DEADLINE for submittal of entries; Return Notice of Receipt of Submission acknowledged □ 8-18 January 2019 First round screening of submittals. Up to 20 Semi-Finalists. □ 21-25 January 2019 Jury deliberation. Finalists identified and notified by email □ 28 January 2019 Finalists prepare for Presentation / Interview, and submit references □ Week of 4 March 2019 (target date) Interview in Boston. WINNER selected. □ Early March 2019 Announcement. Online exhibition of all Semi-finalists □ March 2019 (target dates) Contract negotiation with Competition Finalist Team □ 1 April 2019 Prepare documents: DDs, CDs (see also Section 4D) □ 1 July 2019 Bidding, Contracts let, purchase long-lead items □ 1 Aug 2019 Begin installation – 8 weeks □ 1 October 2019 Construction complete; project commissioning □ October 2019 Opening and Celebration
* Milestone dates may be adjusted to facilitate contest logistics; in the event of a date change, all registered contest participants will be notified via e-mail.
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Aerial view of the Lechmere Viaduct from the northwest. (Nighttime panoramas and details - Photo: Dave Desroches)
3. SELECTION PROCESS
The competition is administered by LIGHT Boston members and staff and representatives of the MBTA delegated to the process. LIGHT Boston is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation founded in 1996. Please visit www.lightboston.org for other projects, statement of purpose, background, our people, and general information.
3A. Eligibility
This International Request for Proposal (RFP) is open to artists, multi-discipline consulting firms, lighting design professionals, and students. Finalists not from the Boston vicinity will be required to form professional affiliations with local colleagues to facilitate project delivery. LIGHT Boston and the MBTA will be available to help identify suitable colleagues.
The Consultant team must be able to demonstrate suitable quality in prior work, evidence of experience with comparable scope and budget, and illustrate its ability to complete the installation of the winning design by the designated date and within the stipulated budget.
3B. Selection Criteria
Lighting designers for the commission will be selected anonymously on the basis of meeting the competition criteria and having demonstrably met the competition goals.
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SCORING CRITERIA
● DESIGN AESTHETICS (30 pts) - How well does the design concept invigorate and make more understandable the architecture and historical significance of the Lechmere Viaduct and its surroundings? Is it visually striking and pleasing, and does it support the needs of stakeholders (MBTA, pedestrians/commuters, abutters, boaters, etc.).
● DYNAMIC FLEXIBILITY (15 pts) - Boston and Cambridge have a long heritage and many events throughout the year that are held to celebrate different occasions. How well does the proposed design accommodate both more subdued daily life, and provide opportunities to be a part of public and private events held in the area?
● COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (15 pts) - the area around the Viaduct is rich with public spaces that are frequented by increasing numbers of residents, visitors, and corporations with continual traffic by foot, bicycle, train, and watercraft. Does the design proposal offer enhancements that appeal to multiple audiences?
● SUSTAINABILITY (20 pts) - does the design respect the environment (generally LEED criteria) and has the equipment been specified in a way that will ensure the installation will withstand the test of time. Note that “sustainability” in this context refers to both environmental sustainability, as well as longevity of the design to function successfully over an extended period.
● INSTALLATION & OPERATION (20 pts) - how easy is the design to install, operate and maintain? Does the project fall within the proposed budget?
● DISCRETIONARY JURY ALLOWANCE (up to 10 pts, makes a possible Grand Total of 110 pts) - has the design team taken a unique and innovative approach to meeting the goals of this project, showing exceptional creativity?
3C. Contract
LIGHT Boston, Inc. intends to enter into a contract with the Consultant Team specifying tasks, deliverables and procedures for refining the work plan as defined by the MBTA (see Section 4C) and as the project proceeds.
By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, the respondent agrees that if LIGHT Boston selects such respondent to perform the work, the respondent will, upon such selection, execute the contract. It is further understood that the execution of the design and construction contract beyond the competition, will be contingent on availability of funds.
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3D. Registration, Entry Fee, Competitor ID Number and Multiple Entries
To register for the competition, proceed to the Submit page of the contest web site: ● Complete Registration: https://viaduct.lightboston.org/registration-page. Note particularly the check-box for Copyright of limited display, publication and use. ● Submit Entry Fee of USD $150 (One Hundred and Fifty) via PayPal or similar electronic deposit, payable to LIGHT Boston; note “Viaduct competition fee” at: https://viaduct.lightboston.org. Registered competitors will receive: ● a Notice of Receipt of Registration, and if registration is complete, a Confirmation of Eligibility indicating enrollment in the Lechmere Viaduct Competition, and ● an individual Competitor ID#. To ensure that location and identity of competitors are not a factor in pre-screening, winnowing and jury deliberation of the Semi-Finalists, all submission documents and other communication (but not questions with only email origin, which will be masked) must be identified only with the randomly-generated, 3-digit Competitor ID#. Entrants should take pains not to reveal their identity, which would be cause for disqualification.
Multiple submissions are permitted, but each one must be entered as a separate effort, including an additional registration form, fee and individually generated ID#.
3E. Submission Requirements and Format
Submissions should include (but are not limited to) the following required documents: ● Representations explaining the design – perspectives, montages, sketches that illustrate the character of the lighting solution; ● Sections, plans, elevations, site plan that illustrate the key components of the design; ● Plan, section, elevation of a typical lighting bay(s) and details showing fixtures, access for maintenance (re-lamping and re-focus, controls, and instrument evolution) and attachment or other support; ● All drawings should be presented at a scale appropriate for the design solution and include graphic scales for reference (U.S. measures, not metric).
FORMAT
No more than four (4) sheets and one short video permitted per presentation: ● Sheet(s) must be submitted in JPEG format (300 DPI resolution); total file size not to exceed 5 MB
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● Sheets are to be 20” high x 30” wide horizontal format when printed full size ● The file and each sheet must be identified with a 1” x 1” square in the top right-hand corner with the Competitor’s ID# at 36 pt. font size contrasting with the background ● Sheets must not include any information (name, organization, school, etc.) that may reveal the identity of the competitor ● All text must be in English with a maximum of 500 words for project explanation with readable font sizes for the 20”×30” board, and scale-able for website upload ● Short video clips (not exceeding total 30 seconds) showing moving light elements or fly-throughs of the submission may be embedded in the presentation.
LEGIBILITY
Since the submissions will be reviewed and evaluated as web presentations, distinct legibility has a critical on-screen role. We encourage contestants to present their solutions in the most dramatic and understandable way possible.
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4. TECHNICAL PACKAGE
4A. Elevation Diagram
This sketch of the composite North Side elevation of the Lechmere Viaduct furnishes the key to designations of Spans (arches and bridge) and Piers (abutments) cited in the working drawings from 1910.
Diagram of the Lechmere Viaduct
The 1910 drawing package (12 sheets), does not include either full elevations or an overall plan of the Viaduct, or details of the fixed-span steel bridge. Hence, the separate parts of the original drawings, organized into group-like elements, are not easy to understand as a complete assemblage, until referenced back to the diagram.
4B. Working Drawings
The twelve-sheet set of drawings from the MBTA archives are available from the following link: https://viaduct.lightboston.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ECE-Lechmere-Viaduct.pdf.
4C. Design Guidelines and Restrictions
LIGHT Boston has been licensed and encouraged by the MBTA to generate and manage a design competition to illuminate the Lechmere Viaduct. Jointly, we are seeking a qualified multidiscipline consulting firm/lighting firm with proven experience, to submit proposals for design and installation of all necessary items (e.g., light fixtures, wiring, controls, etc.) in order to light the MBTA Green Line Viaduct and emphasize the unique features of the structure.
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As the owner of the Viaduct, the MBTA has attached certain provisions to this document which place limits on the winning design as to the means and methods for accomplishing the work:
1. Note that nothing will be allowed above the parapet of the Viaduct or within the MBTA Green Line Right-of-Way. 2. All applicants responding to this RFP shall include sections, elevations, and renderings best illustrating the lighting proposal. 3. The proposed design services shall include development of the means and methods for supporting the chosen fixtures. 4. The fixtures should be attached in a manner that is completely reversible and the fastener does not penetrate the structure of the Viaduct. (“Structure” is to be interpreted as load-bearing members, rather than non-structural members and ornamental cladding, to which fully-reversible attachment may be accomplished.) 5. The process for developing the CDs for the winning design will be phased and comprised of preliminary design, 60%, 100% complete and stamped by a professional licensed in Massachusetts. 6. The services shall include the preparation of the contract document front end sections that include the Notice to Bidders, schedule of bid prices, insurance bond documents, contract duration, operating limits, safety requirements, legal provisions and other support for the award of a construction contract. 7. The three Finalists submittals shall include an engineer’s cost estimate for accomplishing the project to be filed with Finalist documentation. 8. The winning Designer shall submit a proposed project schedule for developing the bid documents, bidding, and installation. 9. The Designer will administer and conduct design review meetings to discuss and incorporate comments into the design. The design must comply with the current Mass. Building Code edition, City of Boston Fire Codes including the NFPA National Electric Code. The contract documents must conform to all regulations regarding MBE and WBE percentages as required by the MBTA. 10. The design and construction must be in accordance with the conditions of License #15057, dated February 2015 and as amended in 2017 between LIGHT Boston and the MBTA. 11. The design must conform to the requirements of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
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5. NEXT STEPS
To facilitate the submission process, all transactions and materials will be exchanged electronically through the web portal at https://viaduct.lightboston.org. Questions regarding LIGHT Boston, the competition and requirements may be submitted online until the date stipulated in the Project Schedule – October 19, 2018. Submission deadline - January 7, 2019. (See Section 2D.)
We hope that you are as excited about this extraordinary opportunity as we at LIGHT Boston are. The illumination of this iconic structure, shared by the world-class cities of Boston and Cambridge, presents a unique chance both to respect the historic significance of the Lechmere Viaduct and to demonstrate the cutting edge innovation culture that characterizes the region. Your creative concepts could become the visual representation that identifies this neighborhood in Boston’s nighttime aspect and generates energy for the area well into the future.
We look forward to receiving your entry.
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