Living by the Shoreline
core IV, spring 2025
This project reimagined a corner of New London, Connecticut forsaken by heavy transportation infrastructure and industry into a coastline community held together by a system of boardwalks. The site, which extended from Riverside Park to Winthrop Cove, was framed by complex edge conditions. I investigated the in-between space that separated downtown New London from the northeastern suburbs. The area was also very vulnerable to flooding, especially due to the historical infilling of the original cove. This exploration tried to address the following question: how can this fragmented lot be repaired meaningfully and sustainably?
I envisioned New London evolving into a resilient urban development with a revitalized shoreline, achieved by designing a connective public boardwalk system that stitched the city back together. Through these three interventions, New London could grow into a self-contained microcosm, with residential housing on one side of the cove and a research campus on the other.
Flood Resilience: mitigating risk while restoring ecological function.
Connecting the City: bridging fragmented neighborhoods through new boardwalk infrastructure.
Occupying a Restored Waterfront: introducing housing, a research center and lab, and oyster farming and reef building.
Instructor Andrei Harwell
Partner Uche Ojieh
