Connecticut College’s waterfront revitalization recognized by ENR New England

Engineering News-Record (ENR) New England has selected Connecticut College’s waterfront revitalization as Best Project in the Sports/Entertainment category of its Regional Best Projects Awards.

ENR provides engineering and construction news, analysis, commentary and data on its website and in its print magazine. ENR reports on the top design firms, both architects and engineers, and the top construction companies and projects around the world.

Conn’s waterfront location is unique among NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) schools. The College officially opened its revitalized waterfront during a ribbon-cutting and dedication on Oct. 21, 2022. The area features new floating dock systems, facilities, and a new roadway with sidewalks and solar- and wind-powered lighting.

Made possible by leadership gifts from champion rower and Athletic Hall of Fame member Jessica Archibald ’95 and Emeritus Trustee Barbara Zaccheo Kohn ’72, the revitalized waterfront provides a first-rate athletic facility for the sailing and rowing programs; an outdoor classroom and living laboratory for marine science, environmental research and conservation; an expedition training area for Conn’s Outdoor Adventures program; and a vibrant recreational space for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.

Conn’s prime location along the Thames River has long been a distinguishing feature of the 750-acre arboretum campus. But more than 100 years of tree growth, including numerous invasive species, had blocked vistas on the terraced property, and a multilane road had further reduced access.

When COVID-19 hit in 2020 and Conn transitioned to fully remote learning, the College’s grounds crew cleared the hillside to make the river visible again.

That work inspired Archibald’s gift, which supported the creation of Archibald Way, the new paved road featuring sidewalks and solar- and wind-powered lighting leading down to the waterfront. Completion of the roadway then paved the way—literally—for Kohn’s gift, which made possible the redevelopment of an accessible multidimensional marine access point for the College, now called the Kohn Waterfront.

Best Project winners will be featured in the October issue of ENR New England and honored at an awards event in Boston on Dec. 1. This year’s group featured 19 projects awarded in 14 main categories. The overall Project of the Year will be announced in the November issue of ENR New England and at the Dec. 1 event.

This year’s winning projects in the main categories will also be profiled in depth in the November print issue of ENR New England. All projects were located in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

Projects were evaluated on the ability of the project team to overcome challenges, safety, construction/design quality, and contribution to the industry and the community. This year’s New England judges for the main categories were Scott Bascom, associate architect at Sasaki, a Boston-based design firm, and Aidan Sullivan, project engineer at Engelberth Construction, Concord, New Hampshire.