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Date of lecture: January 29, 2025
Abstract
Hudson Yards: Bridging Design, Infrastructure, and Community Connectivity
New York Penn Station, the Hudson River and the High Line are a few of the landmarks that accentuate the $20 billion Hudson Yards East development on the west side of New York City, Sherwood was the civil engineer of record
for the 4.5 acre open space plaza on a deck above the LIRR rail yard. Our role was to carry concept design through construction administration for drainage, grading, development and analysis of a 3D model for the overbuild volume to ensure that appropriate separations and depths were provided for clearance to trains below the platform and accommodation of utilities and planting above.
The six towers that grace the first phase of this ambitious project, along with 4.5 acres of new public open space are nearing completion on one of the largest private development projects ever undertaken. Our work focused on the public open space, which sits on deck above the busiest section of MTA, NJT and Amtrak rail service in the country. Sherwood supported the landscape architecture team of NBW to provide a stormwater management, grading and water reuse plan that enhances the landscape vision for the space and achieves a water net positive landscape while carefully navigating the myriad constraints associated with building over an existing 60 plus track rail yard and ensuring that the stormwater system above does not impact the operations of the trains or the rail workers during and after construction. Our effort also included the coordination of a system of woonerf style or shared private streets that connect to the DOT street network. Using a series of slot drains and gravity fed drainage structures, we were able to support the vision of the landscape architect of a curbless environment to promote pedestrian movement.
Bio
Jason Loiselle
PE, LEED AP | Principal
Jason Loiselle has served as Principal for some of Sherwood’s most progressive projects including, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Hudson Yards, and Croton Water Treatment Plant Landscape. He oversees the development of project design from the initial stages of master planning through construction administration services. Jason is a Registered Professional Engineer in the States of New York and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He has worked in both the public and private sectors with planners, architects, and landscape architects as a civil engineer. Jason has served as a designer and manager for numerous projects that showcase progressive green building and low impact development design techniques. Jason’s project expertise includes urban public spaces, commercial and residential planned developments, roadway and infrastructure design, water resource analysis and remediation, stormwater management, and bicycle transportation planning.