Dolly’s Park, a pocket park in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn is an expression of community process and engagement at all stages. The park, outdated and in disrepair, became the focus of attention in 2020 as the neighborhood was looking at redevelopment. With much of the block slated to be replaced, community members were concerned about the park’s future in this rapidly changing landscape. Assemblage and the Park Board began to breathe new life into the park with a design that hints at the neighborhood’s past while embracing its value as a valuable green resource for today.

Last week the Hudson Valley Collaborative (HVC) had a productive meeting with our Hudson Advisory Group to discuss the four main goals that will guide our park design. One of these goals, ‘Expand the Park’, will expand the park to higher ground in response to more frequent flooding and sea level rise associated with climate change.

In December 2021, the Hudson Valley Collaborative gathered with community members for a meeting at the Waterfront Park. This meeting was part of our work for the City of Hudson Climate-Adaptive Design Project. The project calls for a design that will respond to flooding and projected sea level rise. This rise in global sea level is impacting the entire Hudson River estuary and adjacent waterfront properties.

We believe each project is an offers opportunities to imagine our work extending beyond site lines and property limits. Our work on a public Library in Queens is an example of how a small project can have global connections.

Back in NYC, Assemblage is now deeply immersed in our findings from our time spent on the ground in Kigali. The process of discovery that came with meeting with the KICS school board, teachers and students, as well as exploring local nurseries and construction sites shed unexpected and valuable light on how to turn innovative ideas into a practical reality in Rwanda.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced funding for projects in the Hudson River Estuary region intended to help communities improve climate resiliency and ecosystem restoration. After a rigorous grant selection process, they have selected the Hudson Valley Collaborative, who will partner with the City of Hudson to provide a climate-adaptive design for a city-owned shoreline park. Assemblage Landscape Architecture is thrilled to be one of the designers comprising HVC for the project, along with Kaja Kuehl of youarethecity. HVC has partnered with eDesign Dynamics, who will provide environmental engineering expertise on the project.

For Assemblage, these early moments on the ground in Kigali are critical in forming a deep understanding and a bond with both the site and its place within the greater region. It is here that we are also meeting and immediately getting to work with our team-mates based in Rwanda. These are important days in forming our response to the design opportunities with this project and we’re excited to share some first impressions. The process of interacting with the landscape is critical to our approach to design and to this project.

Assemblage Landscape Architecture, together with General Architecture Collaborative, has been selected to design the new Kigali International Community School Campus in the capital city of Rwanda, Africa. This project places Assemblage alongside an international team that will be working in collaboration on the design and construction of the new K-12 campus… (continues in post)

Dolly’s Park, a community pocket park in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, will be making improvements in 2022! Assemblage has redesigned the park and collaborated with Dolly’s Park Board, NYC Parks GreenThumb, and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy to help inspire local support, including a $20,000 contribution from local developers! It has been great working with this team and we can’t wait to see this park completed!