Falmouth Academy Hutker Yard
Falmouth, MA
The famed Senior Terrace was temporarily removed during construction of Morse Hall, which expanded the existing building footprint west to accommodate this new all-school meeting and community gathering space. The site design brief included a new Senior Terrace to be located between Morse Hall and the Buxton Library, however; the design concept soon expanded to include an outdoor classroom, community table, apiary gardens, event lawn and gathering spaces, as well as a scholar’s walk through the adjacent woodland.
The curved west façade of Morse Hall includes a series of full height windows that provide views to the Yard. The event lawn is dimensioned to match the interior space of Morse Hall and serve as an exterior counterpart, an alternate gathering space for all-school meeting, as well as other school gatherings, activities and community events.
The event lawn is bordered to the north and south by apiary gardens that support the school beekeeping initiative, as well as a native hedge that encloses the south edge of the Yard and screens views to the distant parking area. The west edge of the event lawn is defined by reclaimed granite curbing, elevated slightly above existing grade of the preserved woodland and understory plantings, which provide a wild edge in contrast to the formal elements of the composition.
During the design process, the owners of Costello Dismantling, former Falmouth Academy parents, donated granite blocks and bluestone slabs that they had salvaged during selective demolition of the Charles Street Jail in Boston prior to construction of the Liberty Hotel. The character and irregular nature of this stone material greatly contributed to the creative organization of the terrace seating, community table and thresholds onto the terrace and event lawn. Prior to construction, the school held a competition to name the large pile of stone. The winning entry declared that “Results Matter.” The resulting Hutker Yard is an active, sacred space on campus that supports Falmouth Academy’s academic mission.
DATES
2014-2016
COLLABORATORS
Eck MacNeely Architects
STIMSON
Rapoza Landscape
Richard Sperduto
Josh Leveque
David Martin
Image courtesy of Falmouth Academy.
Image courtesy of Falmouth Academy.
Image courtesy of Falmouth Academy.
Image courtesy of Falmouth Academy.
The stabilized granular paths, granite benches and apiary garden plantings provide an intimate garden edge to the event lawn. The large reclaimed bluestone paver invites you out onto the lawn surface.
Image courtesy of Falmouth Academy.