University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) architecture students Megan Brown, Nolan Cartwright, Eloisa DeGroote, Suzie Felix, Kelsey George, Rohan Glendinning, Kaden Harrison-Billiat, Brennan Loewen, Marie Lough and Nicholas Smart, lead by UMA Assistant Professor of Architecture Patrick Hansford, spent the fall 2024 semester participating in the Envision Resilience: Designs for Living in a Changing Climate program. Their work is now on exhibition at the Portland Public Library’s Community Gallery through March 15.
Over five months, students from eight participating universities immersed themselves in the culture, values and history of Portland, South Portland and the Casco Bay Island communities, developing innovative designs that addressed challenges such as affordable housing, sea level rise, transportation, urban heat, equity, local industry and ecology.
Participating institutions were Cornell University, Harvard University, the University at Buffalo, the University of Maine at Augusta, the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, Yale University and the program’s first international partner, the University of Toronto.
The Envision Resilience Portland and South Portland Challenge brought together graduate and undergraduate students in urban planning, architecture, environmental justice and landscape architecture to connect with community stakeholders for an iterative process of researching, developing and proposing adaptive solutions for vulnerable sites along the cities’ coastlines.
The team from UMA specifically selected a currently vacant lot on the far east end of Commercial Street, near the Narrow Gauge Railroad, Sun Life building and the entrance to the walking trail because of its development potential and close proximity to the downtown waterfront and residential areas in the east end.
Their projects included neighborhood revitalization, a community center, ferry terminal, light rail system, maritime center and adaptive reuse of an existing brick building. They also envisioned a redesign of the waterfront with parking garage towers, a transportation center, a fixed bi-cable transit system and a floating community of the future.
Teams from the other universities prepared similar projects in other areas of Portland, as well as recreation spaces, energy efficient building designs, housing, wetland and marine habitat restoration and dining and entertainment districts, to name a few.
There have been several previous Envision Resilience projects including Nantucket, MA (2021); Narragansett Bay, RI (2022); and New Bedford and Fairhaven, MA (2023).
The 2024 Envision Resilience: Designs for Living in a Changing Climate exhibition will run through March 15 at the Portland Public Library, located at 5 Monument Square, Portland. Admission is free and the exhibition is open during library hours.
Remain works to bring creative thinking to environmental and community challenges, elevate local industry and encourage innovation and resilience. Remain Nantucket engages in charitable work to support the evolution of a healthy year-round community across the island. Remain Ventures invests in buildings and mission-related businesses that strengthen Nantucket’s year-round economy and spark innovation that brings long-term value to the island’s residents. Both Remain Nantucket and Remain Ventures are funded by Wendy Schmidt and her husband Eric to support the local economy, community and environmental vitality of the island of Nantucket.
Developed by Remain, the Envision Resilience Challenge is a multi-university design studio and community engagement initiative that connects interdisciplinary student teams with coastal communities to envision adaptive and creative pathways forward in the face of climate change.
Portland Public Library serves as the civic and cultural center of their region in which generations of citizens are literate, informed and engaged. The Library provides trusted resources and accessible experiences that inspire imagination, curiosity, awareness, and learning. The Library embraces change and evolves to meet the needs of the community.