Zero tolerance: Design and delivery of the MIT Collier Memorial

Abstract

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Collier Memorial commemorates the MIT police officer killed during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, translating the slogans “Boston Strong” and “Collier Strong” into a unique structure that highlights strength, stability, equilibrium and interdependence. The memorial is composed of thirty-three blocks of solid granite, forming a shallow vaulted structure with a “conspicuous absence” at its center, a sheltered space. Despite the ancient origins of this arch structure, the memorial was designed and fabricated using highly sophisticated computational tools. It was delivered through an unusual project delivery structure that transformed the architect’s instruments of service, their design documents, into files and protocols for implementation and fabrication—an approach that signals a larger paradigm shift within the discipline and the building industry.