A rocky shoreline on Calf Island, with green herbaceous plants hugging the upland on the near left side of the frame. Some of the plants have small yellow flowers. The rocks closest to the water are dark with seaweed and moisture from the outgoing tide. A flock of white shorebirds dot the far shore. Beyond the birds waves crash in big whitecaps on near shore rocks. Behind the rocks several islands rise above the horizon line.

Boston Harbor Islands

I’m proud of my work with many partners and friends at Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park.

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One of my favorite projects was building the park’s welcome center on the Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston (video above; photo below).

Eight people pose with toy shovels behind sand with toy bucket
Ground breaking ”day at the beach.”

The welcome center received the following awards:

  • 2020 BSA Harleston Parker Award, People’s Choice
  • 2015 International Architecture Awards honorable mention in the Cultural category, hosted by Architecture Podium
  • 2014 Finalist for Boston Society of Architects Harleston Parker Medal
  • 2012 ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence Awards Silver Award
  • 2012 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum
  • 2011 Honor Award for Design Excellence from the Boston Society of Architects
  • 2011 Grand Honor Award from the Associated General Contractors of New England
  • 2012 Silver Award, ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence Competition
  • 2011 Honor Award, Boston Society of Architects
  • 2011 Hobson Trophy, Boston Society of Architects
  • 2011 Grand Honor Award, AGC of Massachusetts Build New England Awards Program

In 2016, the park celebrated 20 years as part of the national park system. Here’s a summary I prepared of our first years: 10 Years Of Progress: Laying A Solid Foundation.

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This work by Bruce E. Jacobson is licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 International License—Attribution-ShareAlike.

Header Image: NPS Photo/Vincent
Video: Northeastern University

Last Updated on 6 September 2022.