BSLA Fieldbook BSLA 2014 Fall Fieldbook | Page 95

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Merit Award /BSLA

Com m erc i a l a n d Inst i t u t i on a l Desi gn
Stantec Planning and Landscape Architecture
project name.
location.

Sacred Space: Temple Beth Elohim
Wellesley, Massachusetts

A reimagined Temple Beth Elohim required
building a new 42,000-square-foot Jewish
Temple on the same site as an aging facility that
its congregation had long since outgrown. The
design philosophy centered on the creation of
sacred exterior spaces that blur the line between
interior and exterior, and which provide
additional venues for connections to spirituality.
Guided by Jewish faith principles centered on
taking care of each other and the environment,
the site design employs a number of sustainable
and low impact design elements such as porous
pavements, shared parking, and raingardens for
stormwater. The new site truly responds to the
congregation’s wishes for a holistic space that
inside and out focuses on learning, prayer and
community development.

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Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook

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