Boston-area architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and students attending schools of architecture, engineering, and design participate in this annual charity event in which teams compete to display colossal sculptures made out of canned goods. Founded in 1992, Canstruction’s mission is to highlight the issue of hunger across communities, collect food for distribution to thousands and to showcase the creativity of the design industry.
Considered one of the world’s premier architectural illustrators, Paul Stevenson Oles FAIA has worked as independent architect, professor, author, and illustrator in the Boston area for over 40 years. This fall, BSA Space hosts a comprehensive exhibition featuring selections from the best drawings of Oles’s 50-year career, highlighting the legacy and value of hand drawing in a digital age.
Haymarket, The Soul of the City presents images by photographer Justin H. Goodstein, as well videos featuring the sights, sounds, and voices of Haymarket that reflect the stories of long-time vendors and more recent immigrants who have created a diverse cross-section of cultures at the site. Interviews conducted by Historic New England’s Ken Turino document the market’s history, special holiday foods, and specific challenges facing the market today.
Considered one of the world’s premier architectural illustrators, Paul Stevenson Oles FAIA worked as independent architect, professor, author and illustrator in the Boston area for over 40 years. Join Oles for a special presentation as he explores his work featured in the exhibition Truth in Architecture at BSA Space, and provides a brief but intimate history of his remarkable career.
Are you a high school or undergraduate student thinking about a career in architecture, interior design, or landscape design? If so, explore the possibilities at the BSA Architecture/Design College Fair.
Boston has repeatedly reinvented its urban fabric to accommodate a growing population, the needs of business and industry, and the development of public and private transportation. From the first subway through the Big Dig, Boston has led the nation in transforming its cityscape. Join the BSA Foundation and Boston By Foot on this guided walking tour to uncover some of Boston’s many layers and explore its physical evolution, from the first American subway to the rise and fall of interstate highways to the recovery of Boston harbor.
Known as America’s first architect, Charles Bulfinch (1763-1844) defined the Federal style of architecture and the physical fabric of Boston, capturing the vision and spirit of the young Republic. As an architect, town planner, and selectman, Bulfinch designed some of the city’s most enduring buildings, including iconic Beacon Hill mansions and the area now known as the Bulfinch Triangle near the Boston’s TD Garden. Join the BSA Foundation and Boston By Foot for an exploration of some of his greatest works, including the Massachusetts State House, the sites of Boston’s first theater and first Catholic cathedral, and the Tontine Crescent—his architectural masterpiece and ultimately his financial ruin.
Let your inner designer out and explore the playful side of architecture at this hands-on program for adults. Join other kids at heart and build amazing structures with BSA Space’s LEGO® collection, while enjoying beer, wine, snacks, and conversation.
Kick start your playful summer with a panel discussion about the impact of design on childhood development! Inspired by BSA Space’s new exhibition, Extraordinary Playscapes, an array of unique panelists will consider ways to prevent barriers of play in urban areas. The conversation will delve into how play is related to design, psychology, parenting, architecture, and development while highlighting the role of designers in a more playful future. After the talk, participants will enjoy light refreshments and exclusive access to the exhibition.
Join Michael Laris and Missy Benson ASLA of Playworld as they explore the design processes of two very different urban play solutions: PlayCubes (originally designed by Richard Dattner FAIA in 1969) and PlayForm7, both featured as part of Extraordinary Playscapes, currently on view at BSA Space.
This workshop invites both children and parents to participate in building unique playscapes with natural materials on The Greenway. Led by local artist and craftsman, Mitch Ryerson, each session will focus on the importance of nature play, group building, teamwork, imagination, and learning to build with new materials. This event is part of a series of family and children’s workshops hosted by Design Museum Boston and the BSA Foundation, focusing on design and play throughout the summer.
Would you like to get outside this summer? Have you wanted to meet others with an interest in art and architecture? Why not do both together at City Sketch? Sketch-artist extraordinaire Andrew Guild will be your guide at this hands-on outdoor sketching session as you explore architectural sketching processes and techniques. Try your hand at sketching building facades and gain a better understanding of the basics of perspective drawing. Together you’ll venture out into the city to capture your own views of Boston’s landmarks.
Join the BSA Foundation and Boston By Foot for an exploration of the darker side of Boston! Based on historic events, this guided walk proves that fact is often stranger than fiction. Topics include the scourges of smallpox and the Great Influenza, the dangers of Richmond Street, the vandalization of the Royal Governor's House, the Molasses Flood, body snatchers, and the infamous Brink's Robbery, all against the backdrop of the varied architecture in one of Boston's oldest neighborhoods.
Would you like to get outside this summer? Have you wanted to meet others with an interest in art and architecture? Why not do both together at City Sketch? Sketch-artist extraordinaire Andrew Guild will be your guide at this hands-on outdoor sketching session as you explore architectural sketching processes and techniques. Try your hand at sketching building facades and gain a better understanding of the basics of perspective drawing. Together you’ll venture out into the city to capture your own views of Boston’s landmarks.
Featured in Extraordinary Playscapes, the summer exhibition at BSA Space, The Plas Madoc Adventure Playground in Northern Wales is one of the world’s newest adventure playgrounds. Fondly known as "The Land," it employs some of the play movement’s oldest "junk" philosophies.This new documentary explores a place where old tires and dumpster detritus take the place of swing sets and slides, and is “a must-see for anyone interested in play work, or play, period.” (Amy Fusselman, "Savage Park”)
This 90-minute tour, co-sponsored by the BSA Foundation, hosted by Charles Riverboat Company, and led by Boston By Foot guides offers spectacular views of historic and contemporary Boston architecture while providing fascinating information about many renowned architectural landmarks, including the Hancock Tower, Marriott’s Custom House, and Rowes Wharf, as well as cutting-edge contemporary buildings by today’s top architects.
Playgrounds are spaces where children and adults can have fun together. They also play an important role in the development of social and problem-solving skills. Explore the way playground design can improve the quality of life for children and families through a tour of the exhibition Extraordinary Playscapes and then design and build the perfect playscape for your neighborhood.
This program is in partnership with Design Museum Boston.
By examining the history and science of play—including 40 notable examples of playground design by international leading experts—this exhibition will explore how designers translate play objectives into innovative environments. Curated by Design Museum Boston, the exhibition highlights include public programs with playscape design experts, workshops for adults and children, and a Playground Passport that will promote play spaces in the neighborhoods of Boston.