On Friday, March 3, President Biden announced his intent to appoint Richard A. Houghton, Principal Landscape Architect at Halvorson | Tighe & Bond Studio, to the Adams Memorial Commission. The Commission is tasked with formulating plans, including the nature, location, design, and construction, for a permanent memorial for President John Adams and other members of the Adams family in Washington, D.C.
Rich's experience as a landscape architect includes leading the design and project delivery for Hancock-Adams Common in Quincy, MA. Hancock Adams Common is an activated park and streetscape which has become a source of civic pride, centerpiece and catalyst for the rejuvenation of downtown Quincy. The project led to the creation of a civic open space connecting the historic Old Town Hall and the Church of the Presidents, where both Adams presidents are interred. The Common features a pedestrian promenade highlighted by bronze statues of John Adams, Abigail Adams, and John Hancock, along with two prominent fountains.
The Hancock Adams Common project was awarded a 2020 Design Merit Award from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, 2019 Frederick Law Olmsted Award by Preservation Massachusetts, 2018 American Planning Association Massachusetts Award, and 2018 and 2019 ACEC-Massachusetts Engineering Excellence Awards.
Rich has 20 years of experience leading complex, multi-disciplinary landscape architecture and urban design projects. His work focuses on transforming while also preserving culturally significant landscapes in the urban public realm. His project management experience includes award-winning urban parks, multi-modal paths and trails, streetscapes, plazas, playgrounds, performance spaces, campus, and cemetery design. Rich is an active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and has previously served as a panelist for the Boston Society of Civil Engineers and the ArchitectureBoston Expo.