Wellesley College, Massachusetts


Related people
Jason Kentner (was created by)
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (landscape architect)
Description
Historically home to a paint factory, the area directly west of Lake Waban on the Wellesley College campus was until recently considered a highly contaminated brownfield. Since 1970, Paint Shop Pond and the surrounding wetlands have been in the process of remediation facilitated by several organizations, such as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the landscape architecture firm of MVVA. The restoration of these wetlands was part of the Alumnae Valley Landscape project, and MVVA received acclaim for reconnecting Lake Waban to the area's 80-acre watershed. Site runoff water is collected in basins and sedimentation forebays. The implementation of sedges and forbs further cleanses the water before it is eventually released into Lake Waban.
Style/Period
2000s (2000 - 2009)
Material
herbaceous plants
deciduous trees
water