Ferrous Foundry Park
Lawrence, MA

Ferrous Foundry Park is located at the confluence of the Spicket and Merrimack Rivers in the North Canal Historic District of Lawrence, MA. The conversion of this industrial brownfield site to a public park—over 15 years in the making—was brought to fruition by a collaboration between the City of Lawrence and Groundwork Lawrence. When the design team was introduced to the project in 2014, industrial uses had ceased and the site’s unique spontaneous plant communities and mound of casting sands revealed exciting opportunities for the park to be reborn as an urban wild, celebrating its past and the power of nature to spontaneously revegetate a post-industrial site. Ferrous Foundry Park is an authentic representation of the City of Lawrence and a successful example of the power of design to transform a neglected, post-industrial site into a unique landscape experience. The Park illuminates the power of community engagement coupled with careful listening and interpretation by the design team to provide quality green spaces for underserved communities.

Recognition
American Society of Landscape Architects | Honor Award for General Design 2021
Boston Society of Landscape Architects | Merit Award for Design 2020

Collaborators
DIRT studio
RSE Associates
Nitsch Engineering
Dr. Peter Del Tredici

Photography
Ngoc Doan