Project Description
Category:Student Entries
Award: Honor
Project Name: Linear to Livable
Entrant: Ian Fisher
The Bergen Arches project reimagines a forgotten infrastructural corridor as a dynamic ecological and social connector, an evolving landscape that bridges people, nature, and history within Jersey City’s dense urban fabric. Once an abandoned railway corridor, the site is transformed into a linear park system that celebrates renewal through design. At the heart of the proposal lies scaffolding, a material emblematic of change, adaptability, and construction. By repurposing it as the project’s primary structure, the design challenges the notion of permanence in architecture and embraces flexibility as an opportunity for ecological and social resilience.
The modular scaffolding framework operates as both a structural and ecological armature. Its lightweight system allows for easy assembly, disassembly, and reuse, aligning with principles of sustainability and circular design. Over time, the framework becomes intertwined with vegetation trees, vines, and native pollinator species creating a living canopy that evolves seasonally. This porous structure allows air, light, and water to move freely, encouraging the natural regeneration of urban ecosystems while providing shaded pathways, elevated walkways, and community gathering spaces below.
Ultimately, the project proposes more than a park it envisions a regenerative model for post-industrial landscapes. Through scaffolding, the Bergen Arches demonstrate how temporary materials can foster lasting environmental impact and community engagement. The result is a living, breathing infrastructure that adapts with time, reminding us that cities, like ecosystems, thrive when built on principles of flexibility, reuse, and coexistence.
