pawtucket farm wildlife sanctuary

In 2023 Mass Audubon, Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, and Mill City Grows created a partnership to purchase a 20-acre Christmas tree farm and transform it into a wildlife sanctuary, farm, and education center, bringing the benefits of nature, locally grown vegetables, and community to an urban setting.

Project lead Agency Landscape + Planning created an initial framework plan for the site, and Hisel Flynn Architects was brought in during Schematic Design. After a thorough site analysis, and a collaborative programming phase, the program brief includes nature trails, a pond, one acre of growing space and community gardens, an education center, a farm support building, and an outdoor classroom. 

Hisel Flynn is designing three buildings at Pawtucket Farm which will be built in the coming years. These buildings respond directly to the client team's vision for a "wild" site in which the wonder of natural systems (rain, sun, the growth of living things) is celebrated. Architectural interventions nestle into the landscape, are clad with hyper-local materials (eastern white pine siding harvested from the site), and celebrate rainwater through a series of open downspouts and vegetated swales. Deep overhangs protect visitors from direct summer sun and warm with gentle winter light. Carefully tuned views, a natural material palette, and a commitment to high building performance all speak to an integrated philosophy that supports an intimate relationship between buildings and landscape.

For information on visiting Pawtucket Farm, click here.