WALTHAM, Mass. –– In addition to receiving an Honor Award from the Boston Society of Architects’ (BSA) Design Awards competition, the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion also captured the Hobson Trophy for its category. National engineering firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) provided structural design and construction administration services. The architect was Utile Inc.

The Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion is the first permanent structure on the recently completed Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway above the “Big Dig” tunnels. The pavilion is conceived and designed to bring the energy and excitement of the nearby Boston Harbor Islands into the middle of the city at a place where millions of visitors, residents, and workers pass by yearly.

Two structural and sculptural roof canopies define the pavilion and provide protection for two kiosks, a large-scale map of the islands incised into the pavement, and a permanent exhibit on the islands. The canopies are a rare modern example of double-curved reinforced concrete which guides rainwater from the structures into a catch basin and an irrigation system for the adjacent lawn.

The project was a joint effort of the non-profit Boston Harbor Island Alliance and the National Park Service. In addition to the dual client base, this project involved the coordination of several Boston agencies.

For more information, visit www.sgh.com.