WE ALL

A design-build competition at The Grove in Allston

In November 2016, the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) and Zone 3, in collaboration with Harvard’s Allston Initiative, announced an inaugural design-build competition for an installation at The Grove, located at the nexus of N. Harvard Street and Western Avenue in Allston.

Participating student teams conducted community surveys to gain insight into how neighbors and users of the space engage with the site. An exhibition of the five finalistsโ€™ designs allowed the public to meet the student teams and provide feedback on the designs. The chosen design entitled โ€˜WE ALLโ€™ is a vibrantly colored wall comprised of a mix of colored PVC and transparent plexiglass tubes that illuminate at night to create a lively dynamic atmosphere. The design sends an inviting message to the community and creates an appeal space for all to gather.

A special thank you to the original team from the Harvard Graduate School of Design that imagined WE ALL and helped bring it to life:ย 

Francisco Alcaron (Master In Design Studies, Class of 2018)
Carla Ferrer Llorca (Master In Design Studies, Class of 2017)
Rudy Weissenberg (Master In Design Studies, Class of 2018)
With Dan Borelli (GSD, Director of Exhibitions, Mdes โ€™12)

Harvard University, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Ckm Construction, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Engineering,
LAM Partners Lighting, Daly Electric, and Dan Dโ€™Oca, Associate Professor in Practice of Urban Planning, GSD.

Beginning in the spring of 2022, Zone 3 initiated the disassembling of the WE ALL installation. This was done due to damage to the electrical lighting components. Nearly five years after going up, WE ALL has made a huge impact on the Allston streetscape and the public art scene across Boston. An art installation that was designed to last *maybe* two years outshined expectations and brought joy and light to so many who passed by, day and night.

Weโ€™re so grateful to the original project team and artists for helping to bring this special artwork into the community for as long as it was with us. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from WE ALL below.